Banana Split

[GoneBananaz]

I live in Walnut Creek and I was wondering if any chow hounds knew of any places with great Banana Splits, I've looked around on the site and there are a lot of mixed opinions about good places for this specific dessert.

Currently I'm option for Fenton's in Oakland to get my Banana Split fix. I'm aware that they have large banana splits but what I'd really like is a high quality one, and I'm just not too sure about where the best place to get this dessert is. So please, lend me your knowledge.

I can move around as far as SF, so long as it's in the Bay Area I'm completely open for any suggestions.

[ML8000]

Might also try the original Swensen's on Hyde in SF or the franchises elsewhere and the ice cream is the same.

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Swensen's Grill & Ice Cream
1999 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA

[Melanie Wong]

Be aware the the Swensen's on Hyde has no seating.

[rworange]

In honor of July being National Ice Cream month, Yelp's East Bay Newsletter mentioned The San Francisco Creamery in Walnut Creek. Anyone tried the banana split there? Anyone tried anything there?
http://sanfranciscocreameryco.com/

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San Francisco Creamery
1370 Locust St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

[lmnopm]

T-Rex has a pretty good banana split. I don't know where their ice cream comes from.

[lamster]

This is going to sound completely random but at Le Colonial, they have a banana split dessert that we have gotten several times to share with a group. Its very large but delicious! I think the best part of this one is like Bi-Rite, they caramelize their bananas.

[pastryqueen]

I recently went on a banana split crawl of sorts. My mom, who is in her mid-seventies had NEVER had a banana split! I wanted to make sure she had a great one.

Bi-Rite - full disclosure that I am not a huge fan of their ice cream. . . or their sauces. The banana split had caramelized bananas and that was the best part of the whole thing. It was pretty one dimensional. . the beauty of a good banana split is that all the flavors balance together. . the acid from the pineapple, etc. . . this one just was ice cream, fancy bananas and mediocre fudge sauce. meh.

Picco Pizzeria - this was sort of a lark. . they had this on the menu when they first opened and it was vanilla, chocolate, swirl, bananas, their gorgeous dark caramel, el rey chocolate sauce, blackberry compote and bananas. Not traditional but so good I often dream of it. . not on the menu anymore but amazing (and I bet they'd try to make it for you if they had the ingredients)

Fentons - totally traditional. .they have two sizes and I suggest you get the "junior" size because then the ratios to banana, sauce and ice cream are intact. The regular one is just such a behemoth that it's hard to truly enjoy.

Screamin' Mimis - this one was the best of all. .great ice cream, really good fudge sauce and sauces in general. my mom refused to travel all the way to Sebastopol with me. :)

We ended up at Fenton's for her maiden banana split voyage. . she really enjoyed it and I think theirs is the most traditional - I was really surprised by how much I liked it.

[lexdevil]

Fentons will also add a banana to a regular sundae if you ask. I like their "fudgeana," but it's too big. I just order a small hot fudge sundae + banana when I'm there. Fentons is not a gourmet ice cream experience, but when you want a house of large sizes, traditional sundae experience, they do a solid job. I am still mourning the loss of MacCallum's.

[rworange]

Wow, a banana split crawl. That's impressive.

So, to the OP ... did you get your banana split fix?

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Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Screamin' Mimi's
6902 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472

Fenton's Creamery
4226 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611

Pizzeria Picco
320 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, CA 94939