San Diego’s premium gelato brand An’s Gelato is hoping for a third scoop of victory this month in USA Today’s 10Best Ice Cream Shops in America competition. An’s was named No. 1 in the U.S. in both 2024 and 2025.
On Friday, USA Today revealed its list of 20 nominated shops, selected by a panel of experts that includes USA Today editors and food and travel writers from around the country. The criteria they used in their voting included the shops’ ice cream quality, use of fresh and local ingredients and the creativity of their flavors.
An’s Gelato made the 2026 top 20 nominees list, along with scoop shops throughout the Midwest, Northeast and Southern states. The only other nominee in the western United States is Marianne’s Ice Cream in Santa Cruz. The public is now invited to vote on their favorites from now though 9 a.m. Pacific time on June 8. The top 10 will be announced on June 17.
A cup of Tubaw gelato, one of the new Filipino flavors being served at An’s Gelato shops in Del Mar, Ocean Beach and Normal Heights. It has a base of ube gelato swirled with Vietnamese coffee whipped cream. (An’s Gelato)
An’s was founded in 2018 in Normal Heights by lifelong best friends Kris Warren and Travis Bailey, who were joined by Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Blalock and David Aguilera, chief gelato officer/chef. Over the past eight years, An’s has expanded to four stores in San Diego County, each one with decor and ice cream flavors inspired by the shops’ locations.
The original store, An’s Dry Cleaning, took over a former dry-cleaning and tailoring shop. An’s Hatmakers opened in 2022 near the Del Mar Racetrack, An’s Athletic Field Services opened at Petco Park in 2024 and An’s Electronics Repair opened last year in a former phone-repair shop in Ocean Beach. The company’s fifth location, the airport-themed An’s Gate D5, will open by July 1 in the historic Top Gun House in Oceanside.
San Diego’s An’s Gelato prepares for landing at the Top Gun House in Oceanside
Besides its unique naming concept, An’s is known for the quality and creativity of its gelato flavors. Over the years, Aguilera has created more than 600 flavors, which are prepared on-site each day in small batches. Each shop rotates its flavors every two to three weeks. Many flavors incorporate ingredients from local farms and artisan foodmakers.
The company’s latest flavor lineup celebrates the flavors of the Philippines. The five new flavors have an ube jam gelato base mixed with ingredients such as Vietnamese coffee whipped cream, honeycomb toffee, cocoa butter shards and toasted coconut.
For information on the contest, visit 10best.usatoday.com/awards/best-ice-cream-shop.
A cup of Bluetooth, a coconut and blue spirulina vegan gelato at An’s Electronics Repair, a gelato shop in Ocean Beach. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)