When Lafayette resident Elise A. told neighbors about an old-school lunch spot with a great milkshake on social media, the replies poured in. “My suggestion is BLT, fries, and a milkshake. Oh, so good!!” she wrote, praising the service and the luck of snagging a space in the small lot.
Others chimed in with decades of nostalgia and practical tips: go early, try the Black & Tan sundae, and don’t sleep on the crab sandwich. Jenny W. put it simply: “Been going since the 50’s — an Oakland legend.”
They’re all talking about Fentons Creamery, the Piedmont Avenue institution that’s been scooping since the 19th century and — if the neighborhood chatter is any indication — winning a new wave of East Bay fans.
A sweet landmark with real history
Fentons traces its roots to 1894, when Elbridge Seth Fenton founded the creamery in North Oakland. The business added a restaurant and soda fountain in 1922, and later moved a few blocks to its now-familiar corner on Piedmont Avenue. Today, the Oakland flagship still serves house-made ice cream and sauces at 4226 Piedmont Ave.
If Fentons looks familiar beyond the Bay Area, there’s a reason: Pixar slipped the creamery into its 2009 hit Up — a wink from local filmmakers who helped put an accurate version of the shop on screen…