Miyako Old Fashioned Ice Cream keeps history alive
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The iconic storefront hasn't changed in three decades. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios
On a stretch of Fillmore Street shaped by jazz legends and generations of Black history, Miyako Old Fashioned Ice Cream has become an enduring neighborhood touchstone, all while offering what could be the cheapest sandwich in town.
Why it matters: Longtime Black-owned businesses like Miyako preserve The Fillmore's deep neighborhood roots while anchoring a corridor that looks different than it did decades ago.
The big picture: The neighborhood, once known as the "Harlem of the West," was a thriving hub of Black culture before it underwent redevelopment in the 1960s that ended up displacing thousands of residents and businesses.
Between the lines: In a city where $20 lunches are the norm, there are only a handful of places left in San Francisco where $3.95 still buys you a sandwich and a step back in time.
- The historic shop also offers more than 100 ice cream flavors, with classic scoops like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry alongside Asian-inspired ones such as ube and green tea.
- Banana splits, sundaes and milkshakes round out the menu, as do classic Chicago-style hot dogs.
Catch up quick: Owner Thomas Bennett and his family opened the old-school ice cream parlor and deli shop in 1993 after the former model and restaurant owner from Philadelphia moved to San Francisco to escape the East Coast's chilly weather.
- Bennett, 84, who runs the shop with his daughter Teresa, reportedly chose the name "Miyako" at the time in an effort to draw more Asian customers to a corridor undergoing multicultural change.
If you go: Cash only. Open 11:30am-7pm daily at 1470 Fillmore St.