Loard’s is old-school ice cream done right. This isn’t artisanal small-batch whatever — it’s the kind of ice cream parlor where kids press their faces against the glass, parents remember doing the same thing decades ago, and the menu has barely changed since the Eisenhower administration.
It’s also one of only two surviving Loard’s locations in Lamorinda — the other is the Loard’s in Orinda, across from the Orinda Theatre. Together they’re the last East Bay outposts of a regional chain that, in its prime, scooped from San Leandro to Walnut Creek.
The Loard’s Experience
You walk in. There’s a long glass case. Behind it, tubs of color in a precise order that the staff have memorized — pinks, browns, marbles, the occasional acid green of mint chip. There’s a kid in front of you taking ninety seconds to decide. You give them the ninety seconds, because thirty years ago that was you.
Scoops are generous and hand-dipped, not machine-extruded. Cones are real waffle cones or classic sugar/cake. There is a candy counter (Loard’s was historically a candy maker as much as an ice cream shop). The wall is hung with the kind of mid-century parlor signage that you cannot fake. The lighting is honest. The vibe is pure Americana.
The Flavors
Loard’s runs about 40+ premium flavors across the two Lamorinda stores at any given time. The Moraga case carries the classic Bay Area lineup — what was on the wall in 1962 is mostly still on the wall today, with a handful of seasonal rotations.
The Classics (almost always available)
- Chocolate — the benchmark, slightly old-school in finish
- Vanilla — actual vanilla bean, not a placeholder
- Strawberry — the pink one, with real fruit
- Mint Chip — the Loard’s mint chip is famously mint-forward, not toothpaste-soft
- Coffee — strong enough that adults order it on purpose
- Rocky Road — original recipe, the marshmallow ratio is correct
- Cookies & Cream — the kids’ default
- Mocha Almond Fudge — quietly the local favorite
The “Why Loard’s Is Still Loard’s” Tier
These are the flavors you remember from childhood that almost nobody else still makes:
- Burgundy Cherry — dark, syrupy, unmistakable
- Black Walnut — the grown-up choice
- Butter Brickle — toffee-crunch nostalgia
- Bubble Gum — yes, with the pieces (kids only, mostly)
- Black Raspberry and Black Raspberry Marble
- Cherry Vanilla
- Caramel Cashew
- Banana
- Butterscotch Marble
Sherbet
Champagne, Lime, Orange, Rainbow, Raspberry — the orange sherbet is, somehow, exactly the orange sherbet of childhood. There is a small but vocal lavender-haired cohort that orders an orange sherbet cone every Saturday.
Seasonal & Dairy-Free
Pistachio is on rotation in summer. There’s a dedicated dairy-free menu (check the case the day you visit — selection rotates and is smaller than the premium lineup).
What to Order
- A single scoop — sounds modest, but the Loard’s “single” is a generous traditional scoop, not the apologetic stingy modern version. You will be fine.
- Hot fudge sundae — the house standard. Real hot fudge, real whipped cream, a maraschino cherry that you do not have to pretend to like.
- Black & White Shake — chocolate ice cream, vanilla syrup, blended hard. The grown-up move.
- Banana Split — three scoops, a banana, three toppings, the works. This is shareable. Don’t pretend it isn’t.
- Ice Cream Cake — Loard’s takes special orders for birthdays. Call ahead at least 48 hours. Generations of Lamorinda kids have blown out candles on a Loard’s cake.
Toppings
Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel, Chocolate, Marshmallow, Butterscotch, Whipped Cream, Pineapple, Strawberry, Nuts, Cookie Chunks, plus 23 candy toppings at the candy counter. Children will spend a long time at this counter. Build that time into your schedule.
Why Locals Love It
- Consistency. Same flavors, same scoop size, same vibe, for decades. The chocolate today tastes like the chocolate in 1998.
- It’s a destination, not a stop. Families end up at Loard’s after Little League at the Moraga Commons fields, after youth swim meets, after a trail walk at Lafayette-Moraga Trail, after Saturday-night dinners at nearby La Finestra or Chef Chao.
- It’s a piece of mid-century Bay Area history. Loard’s was founded in 1950 in San Leandro and grew into a beloved regional chain. Most locations have closed over the decades; Moraga and Orinda are among the last operating stores. When longtime residents talk about Loard’s, they’re often remembering childhood trips to now-vanished East Bay shops.
- Cash and cards both work. Lines move quickly. The staff knows what they’re doing.
Local Lore
Loard’s started as a candy company in 1950 and added ice cream shortly after. At its peak, the chain had a dozen-plus locations across the East Bay — Alameda, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, San Leandro, several Oakland stores. One by one, most of them closed through the 1990s and 2000s as real estate rents went up and the third-wave ice cream wave (Salt & Straw, Smitten, the gelato boom) shifted attention.
The Moraga store opened in Rheem Center and quietly outlived almost all of them, partly because Rheem rents stayed reasonable and partly because Moraga is exactly the kind of generationally-stable suburb where a hand-dipped scoop is still a Saturday plan. The fact that there’s also still a Loard’s in Orinda — across from the theatre, in the Theatre Square ecosystem — means Lamorinda is, structurally, the last stronghold of a vanishing Bay Area institution.
Seasonal Note: Mid-June 2026
With sunsets now past 8:33 PM and the kind of warm-evening weather that pulls families out for after-dinner walks, this is Loard’s peak season. AUHSD graduation week, end-of-school-year celebrations, the Moraga Commons concert series (now mid-stride after the Sun Kings opener — next up Thursday June 18, the Purple Ones Prince tribute), and the post-Memorial-Day shift into full summer rhythm all funnel through here.
Expect a line:
- Saturday afternoons, post-game wave 3–5 PM — noticeably heavier this Saturday (June 13, Miramonte/Campolindo grad Saturday) as out-of-town grandparents get walked through Rheem Center between the ceremony and the dinner reservation; a fully-Lamorinda way to fill the 3–5 PM gap
- Saturday/Sunday evenings, post-dinner wave 7–8:30 PM — tonight’s tail is the heaviest of the month as families spill out of La Finestra, Chef Chao, and Penninis toward the 9 PM close
- Concert Thursdays (through August 20) — the pre-Commons stop adds a 5:30–6:15 PM wave on the way to the bandshell
The Friday and Saturday 9 PM close is your friend if you want a quieter scoop after the family rush dies down.
Heads-up: Loard’s Moraga is closed Mondays. If you’re routing a weeknight treat through Rheem Center, Tuesday through Thursday 11 AM–8 PM is the sweet spot — same scoops, no weekend wait. If it’s specifically a Monday craving, the Loard’s in Orinda is open 11 AM–9 PM seven days a week.
Good to Know
- Closed Mondays — confirm hours if you’re planning a Monday stop, or detour to the Orinda store
- Cash and cards accepted
- No table service — it’s counter ordering, find a seat or take it to go
- Expect a line on warm evenings and after youth sports games
- Great post-dinner stop after eating at nearby Moraga restaurants — Town Bakery & Cafe, La Finestra, Chef Chao, Penninis
- Easy walk-up parking in the Rheem Center lot
- Ice cream cakes: custom orders, call 48 hours ahead for pickup
- Pairs naturally with an early-evening walk on the Lafayette-Moraga Trail, which runs right past Moraga Commons a few blocks away
The Verdict
If you live in Moraga and you have never taken your kids to Loard’s, that’s a small civic failure you can fix this week. If you live in Moraga and you’ve taken your kids fifty times, you already know — the next visit is the one you’ve already pre-justified by mentioning the Little League game on the way home.
Loard’s isn’t trying to be cool. It’s been here longer than cool. That’s the point.
Related: Loard’s Orinda · Moraga restaurants · Things to Do in Lamorinda · Raising Kids in Lamorinda