COCOBOMB's Entire Ice Cream Program Is Vegan, and It's Open Until 11 on Convoy

Overview

COCOBOMB doesn't have a vegan option. All of its ice cream is vegan.

Their own line: "Made from a rich coconut base and crafted in a variety of refreshing flavors, our handcrafted ice cream is 100% vegan, gluten-free, and made for everyone to enjoy."

That's the whole programme, not a token flavour at the end of the case — and it happens by construction rather than by substitution, because the base is coconut instead of dairy. Which means nobody at your table has to order the one sad sorbet.

The rest of the menu is where it gets interesting. They describe themselves as "where authentic Thai flavors meet modern tropical desserts," "inspired by the vibrant taste of coconut culture" — and the Thai dessert list is the real thing: Lot Chong, Bua Loy, Ruam Mit, pandan coconut cream pudding, sticky rice with banana. Those are not easy to find in San Diego.

Here's the practical reason to put this in your phone.

The Convoy shop is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Late dessert on Convoy, seven nights a week. That's a short list in this city, and it makes COCOBOMB the natural second stop after dinner anywhere in Kearny Mesa.

They name one thing as the house dessert: the Coconut Sundae, $11. Their words: "Our most-loved dessert for a reason" and "the signature treat everyone comes back for."

The Thai Desserts

This is the section worth travelling for, and most of it is $6 to $9:

• Coconut Cake — $11.50
• Mango with Sticky Rice — $11.00 · Lot Chong — $9.00 · Ruam Mit — $9.00
• Bar Bin — $7.50 · Bua Loy — $7.50
• Soft-Bake Coconut Pie — $7.00
• Steamed Sticky Rice with Banana — $6.50
• Thai Coconut Jelly — $6.00 · Pandan Coconut Cream Pudding — $6.00
• Coconut Pudding — $6.00 · Thai Tea Pudding — $6.00

If you've never eaten Thai dessert properly, order the Bua Loy or the Lot Chong — those are the traditional ones, not the crossover items, and at $7.50 and $9 they're the cheapest education on the menu.

If you want the familiar thing done well, mango with sticky rice at $11.

The Ice Cream

All of it coconut-based, all vegan, all gluten-free:

• 1 scoop $4.00 · 2 scoops $7.00 · 3 scoops $9.00
• Coconut Sundae — $11.00 — the signature
• Bread Bomb — $7.00
• Cups to take away: 4oz $4.00 · 12oz $9.00 · 16oz $12.00

Two scoops at $7 is better value than one at $4, and the 16oz tub at $12 works out to the best price per ounce if you're feeding people at home.

The Drinks

Coconut, mostly, and the coconut ones are the point:

• Fresh Young Coconut — $8.00 — served in the coconut
• Coconut Water — $7.00 · Coconut Milk Smoothie — $8.00
• Matcha Coconut Water — $8.50 — the most unusual thing on the list
• Coconut Coffee — $7.50
• Thai Iced Tea — $6.00 · Pink Drink — $6.00 · Iced Cocoa — $6.50
• Iced Matcha Latte — $7.50

Standard coffee, for anyone who came along reluctantly:

• Espresso $4.25 · Hot Americano $4.75 · Iced Americano $5.25
• Hot Latte $5.25 · Hot Caramel Macchiato $5.25 · Hot Mocha $5.50
• Iced Latte $5.75 · Iced Caramel Macchiato $5.75 · Iced Mocha $6.00

The Two Locations

They're quite different, and the difference matters.

Convoy Street — 4690 Convoy Street, Suite B103, San Diego, CA 92111

• Sunday–Thursday noon–10 p.m. · Friday–Saturday noon–11 p.m.
• This is the late one, and the one in the middle of Kearny Mesa's restaurant district
• Doesn't open until noon — it's an evening shop

Linda Vista — 2379 Ulric St

• Every day 10 a.m.–7 p.m. · (619) 991-5533
• Opens four hours earlier and closes three to four hours sooner
• This is the daytime one — the better bet for an afternoon coconut

So: Linda Vista before seven, Convoy after. Neither overlaps with the other's best hours, which between them covers 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

How to Visit

• Convoy: 4690 Convoy Street, Suite B103, San Diego, CA 92111 — noon–10 p.m. Sun–Thu, noon–11 p.m. Fri–Sat
• Linda Vista: 2379 Ulric St — 10 a.m.–7 p.m. daily — (619) 991-5533
• Order online for either location through their site
• All ice cream is vegan and gluten-free
• Prices above are from the Convoy menu

Good to Know

• Everything frozen here is vegan. No need to ask, no need to compromise.
• Convoy is the late stop — 10 on weeknights, 11 on Friday and Saturday.
• Convoy doesn't open until noon. Linda Vista opens at 10.
• Two scoops at $7 beats one at $4.
• The $12 16oz tub is the take-home order.
• Order a Bua Loy or a Lot Chong if you want the genuine article.
• Get a Fresh Young Coconut at $8 if it's warm — it comes in the coconut.

The Takeaway

Finish dinner on Convoy, walk over before eleven, and order the Coconut Sundae and a Bua Loy to share.

What makes COCOBOMB worth knowing isn't that it's a dessert shop on Convoy — it's that the whole frozen menu is vegan and gluten-free without ever being marketed as a health product, and that alongside it they're serving Lot Chong and Bua Loy and pandan pudding to a city that mostly can't get them. It's a Thai dessert shop that happens to work for everyone at the table.

For more spots worth knowing, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is COCOBOMB? Two locations: 4690 Convoy Street, Suite B103, San Diego, CA 92111, and 2379 Ulric St in Linda Vista.

What are the hours? Convoy is open noon–10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Linda Vista is open 10 a.m.–7 p.m. every day.

Is the ice cream vegan? Yes, all of it. It's built on a coconut base rather than dairy, and the company describes it as 100% vegan and gluten-free.

What's the signature dessert? The Coconut Sundae, $11, which they call "the signature treat everyone comes back for."

How much is the ice cream? One scoop $4, two scoops $7, three scoops $9. Take-away cups are $4 for 4oz, $9 for 12oz and $12 for 16oz.

What Thai desserts do they have? Lot Chong and Ruam Mit at $9, Bua Loy and Bar Bin at $7.50, mango with sticky rice and coconut cake at $11 and $11.50, steamed sticky rice with banana at $6.50, and coconut, pandan coconut cream and Thai tea puddings plus Thai coconut jelly at $6 each.

Do they serve coffee? Yes — espresso from $4.25, lattes from $5.25, plus a coconut coffee at $7.50 and a matcha coconut water at $8.50.

Is it gluten-free? The ice cream is described as gluten-free. The Thai desserts aren't individually labelled, so ask in the shop.