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The first time I came across Fluffy McCloud’s on my Instagram feed, I had so many questions. Is it a bar? Well… kind of. It’s an ice cream shop, but not just any ice cream shop.
As soon as I found it, I went the following day after dinner. To put it briefly, Fluffy McCloud’s is a mishmash of a 1950s soda fountain and a playroom with a dash of Burning Man. When I walked in, my eyes immediately gravitated towards the Saturn-shaped lamp, the kinetic rolling ball sculpture, and the jukebox with horns. The mirrored walls gave the illusion of a bigger space — very clever!
Opened at the end of August, Fluffy McCloud’s is owned by Nick Fisher, who also owns the bar El Prado right across the street.
Some information in this post was taken from Nick’s interview with TheAngel, an LA-based paid subscription newsletter. I included a link to the full interview at the end of this post.
As a bar owner, Nick wanted to create a late-night hangout spot but without alcohol.
Growing up in Marin County (the Bay Area), Nick used to frequent an old-fashioned ice cream shop in San Rafael called Double Rainbow, which is still in operation. They close at 10pm, but back in the day it was open until midnight. In the interview, Nick fondly remembers having banana splits with friends and smoking cigarettes outside. If you see the pictures, it’s clear that the two alien spaceships hanging from the ceiling inspired the big Saturn-shaped lamp at Fluffy.
Another inspiration to create Fluffy McCloud’s was Pig ‘n Whistle, a soda fountain in Hollywood that closed in 1952. Back in the day, soda fountains were hangout spots where people enjoyed carbonated beverages, ice cream floats, banana splits, malted milkshakes and other drinks. The servers, also known as soda jerks, would create concoctions with carbonated water and different syrups. Additionally, soda fountains doubled as apothecaries, where people could buy herbal and natural products.
Although soda fountains had been around since the late 1800s, they became a quintessential American staple in the first half of the 20th century. Their popularity dwindled in the 1970s with the introduction of fast-food restaurants.
The first time Nick came across Pig ‘n Whistle was in the book As They Were (1982), a collection of autobiographical essays by author M. F. K. Fisher. The following excerpt influenced the Gothic elements you’ll see at Fluffy, like the Gothic-style chandelier, or the silver goblets, which are used to serve ice cream.
Inside, his palace was a wonderland of quiet elegance. The paneled walls were a soft grey, after one passed the long marble counters where people drank through straws from tall silver goblets, and there was lots of gold on the carved edgings and the magical little lights that glowed down onto at least a hundred pictures that had been bought in a cultural frenzy after the Exposition held in 1915 in San Francisco.
Fisher, M.F.K. As They Were.
The jukebox music player is what sets the mood at Fluffy. The horns are a hidden sexual innuendo that imply being horny. Another favorite is the Lactaid pill dispenser from a gumball machine.
The ice cream at Fluffy is 100% organic. According to Nick’s interview with Emily Wilson from TheAngel, he uses whole milk as a base. To make the coffee flavor, he sources coffee beans from Post Era, a coffee roaster based in Atwater Village. For the pistachio flavor, he uses a paste from Italy, and for the fruit flavors, he uses organic fruits from the Farmers’ Market. The most popular flavor, Thelma’s vanilla, was named after Nick’s 100-year-old grandmother. There’s a rotating flavor every month and they carry a few vegan flavors as well.
A bald guy covered in face tattoos took my order. He was so nice in helping me navigate the menu. At Fluffy, the ice cream is either served in a silver goblet (like I said above), or a waffle cone. There are no ice cream cups, and if you choose the goblet, you can’t take it to go. The ice cream is $8 and includes two scoops. You can choose one if you want, but it’ll still be $8.
I picked the vanilla flavor named after Nick’s 100-year-old grandmother, and the Pistachio Yoyoyo flavor. If you’ve never eaten ice cream in a steel goblet, know that it’ll be a very decadent experience. They even use vintage silverware! What a stark contrast to eating ice cream in a paper cup with a flat disposable wooden spoon.
The scoops were very generous and the consistency of the ice cream was very creamy yet soft at the same time. Surprisingly, after I ate the ice cream, I didn’t feel the dairy aftertaste that you get sometimes, nor did I feel heavy. Whenever I order a split scoop from Jenni’s or Salt & Straw, I can feel the lactose in my stomach. But with Fluffy’s ice cream, even though I ate more, I didn’t feel it at all. This speaks volumes about Nick’s ice cream preparation technique.
“I’m honestly not trying to make the world’s best ice cream, I’m just trying to use really good quality ingredients and let that do the talking,” he said.
Although Fluffy McCloud’s is primarily known for ice cream, I was surprised when I kept hearing “banana split” repeatedly from customers who walked in. In the reviews, some people say that the banana split is the perfect late-night dessert after watching a game at the Dodger Stadium. The banana is caramelized and topped with maraschino cherries. So, if you go to Fluffy and you’re feeling adventurous, keep it in mind!
Just like the good old days of soda fountains, Fluffy McCloud’s also offers ice cream floats, sundaes, and a wide array of supplements. Other menu items include a ham and cheese sandwich made with Bub and Grandma’s spelt polenta bread, teas, coffee, and a platter of frozen grapes.
Nick shared in the interview that he wanted Fluffy McCloud’s to appeal to adults and kids. While I was perusing the menu, the first supplement that caught my attention was Horny Goat Weed, which read: “It should help increase the blood flow and improve sexual function.”
I chuckled when I looked up at the shelves and saw toy figures next to the lined up supplement bottles. Next to the ice cream freezer, there’s also a glass display case with more toy figures. This odd dichotomy of sexual innuendos in a family-friendly atmosphere reminded me of the adult jokes in the beloved classic Disney movies.
He said, “You know when a kid gets in the minivan and the parents are like, ‘Where the hell did you get that toy?’ And they’re like, ‘I took it from the doctor’s office. That’s kind of the concept. I wanted something impactful for a kid to remember. Like, what was that freaky place with the weird jukebox and the crazy marble machine and the big Saturn lamp?” ”
When I first got there, I saw a family with kids enjoying a banana split in the animal print booth seats, and two couples were sitting on the stools at the metal counter. One had just been to Triple Beam Pizza, hence the pizza box, and were sharing ice cream in the goblet. The other had just ordered a banana split.
About 30 minutes later, a group of 10 teenagers walked in, guns blazing. A boy with bangs and long hair, who appeared to be the group leader, said out loud, “Do you guys want ice cream or banana splits?” One of the girls said in awe, “Oh My God, this place is so cool!”.
I frequent ice cream shops quite often, but my hat goes off to Nick for bringing his childhood nostalgia dream to fruition in a playfully clever way. Fluffy McCloud’s is bizarre, eclectic and fun. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. If you go to any other ice cream shop, you’ll see that most of the staff are teenagers and college students. The odds of finding a heavily tattooed man as your ice cream server are very slim.
The only drawback at Fluffy McCloud’s is that if it gets too crowded, indoor seating might be scarce. It’s a hit-or-miss! Before the group of teenagers walked in, there were only three people, which allowed me to appreciate the space and even sit in one of the animal print seats before I left. You can also sit outside, but for first-timers, eating inside is part of the experience.
Fluffy McCloud’s: @fflluuuffffyyyyssss
Address: 1814 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Hours: Monday- Friday 2pm-12am, Saturday-Sunday 12pm-12am
Source: Wilson, Emily. (2023, September 20th). Fluffy McCloud’s is a Little Piece of Heaven on Sunset Boulevard. The Angel.
