Fenton’s is as much an icon of Oakland childhood as Lake Merritt's Fairyland and the Tilden Park choo-choo. But while the vibe here is old-fashioned and tot-friendly, the sweet-toothed crowd is proudly all-ages. High school playas and their girls, serene dads monitoring fidgety kids, and elder couples in Cadillac road-touring finery all make Fenton's their porch and parlor for the afternoon.
On Piedmont since the 1960s, the place probably has had a cumulative design budget of about $100 - it's just a vast, high-ceilinged room, a jukebox, two walls full of red vinyl booths, some old photos, and a massive ice cream counter.
Here, if you're wise, you get your dessert first. Because while some patrons might make the mistake of ordering savories, most folks go for the brass ring:
homemade ice cream from a selection besting ol' 31 Flavors. And Fenton's product is quite good -just a little chewy, not too icy, and very creamy. Coffee and toasted almond excel - the genuine articles, not drowned out by sugar. Unusual flavors like banana nut and black walnut hearken back to older-fashioned tastes; and then there are more updated crowd-pleasers like Heath Bar crunch and mocha almond fudge.
While you may scream for ice cream a la carte ($3.25 one scoop/ $4.95 two scoops), elaborate ice cream confections are the real draw. A few bucks more will buy you a simple sundae ($3.95) with standard-issue whipped cream, cherry, and fudge or caramel sauce. Both toppings, while no doubt beloved by kids, are tastefully grown-up - the chocolate is fudgey with just a note of bitterness, the caramel properly tasting just a jot burnt. For something a little less heavy and more invigorating, seek out the ice cream soda ($4.50, or $5.25 for the larger Fenton's freeze), refreshingly cut with soda water, or a thicker milkshake ($5.75).
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 No clownin’: Fenton’s is home grown Frozen Circus
Among Fenton's signatures is the black and tan ($5.95), which hooks you up with the excellent toasted almond and vanilla ice creams, caramel, fudge sauce, and whipped cream. We never thought of ourselves as minor leaguers but ended up ordering a "sundae for the sedate," according to the menu, the banana junior. Creamy, satisfyingly sloppy banana split with butter brickie, maple nut, and coffee ice creams. Apparently the real action lies with the much larger banana special ($8.75) -besides "ice cream," the next most common word on the Fenton's menu is "jumbo."
Order more than ice cream and you're wandering even further into high-priced diner territory. I'd rather not fork it over for a serviceable but very ordinary ham and cheese sandwich ($5.95) with a side of potato chips and a tinned pickle. Fenton's club ($6.95) was a towering threesome of meat (turkey, ham, and bacon) but there are too many better ways to feed yourself than on these sandwiches. Ample as they are, made with plastic-baggy bread and deli counter brick cheese.
Fenton's is one of the few independent ice cream parlors left standing in post-Haagen Dazs, post-Ben & Jerry's Oakland. True, there's the Elmwood Pharmacy, the Montclair Malt Shop, and the Double Rainbow on Claremont heading up the short list. But these places, though cozy, have fewer flavors and fewer seats. When it comes to frozen treats, especially with young 'uns in tow, Fenton's remains the circus of choice.
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