Mario’s Italian Lemonade

This place is just what the doctor ordered as the cure for a hot day. The flavors I got — lemon and pomegranate — were spot on, the price was fair, and the crowd was fun. Go there and be healed.

This my place to go anytime I’m in Little Italy. And for those that try and go here and see long lines… don’t worry! Line moves super fast. Keep in mind that is cash only but they got like 15 different flavors. Lemonade of course… watermelon, Piña colada, blue raspberry, strawberry etc. Lemon did taste a little bitter at times and sweet on other sips but enjoyed the strawberry flavor.

Love this place! Great hidden gem in the city. Best time to go is at night during the week. Always packed during the day especially in the summer. Open until midnight, don’t forget to bring cash!

I went on the first day of its opening for this year on May 1^st and it was packed. The line was long and out to the streets. I’m not from Chicago and was just visiting but I heard a lot of great things about this place and decided to check it out. I got the pineapple and watermelon flavors in a medium cup for $ 3. This place is cash only and you can do up to 2 flavors in the medium and large cup but you can only choose one flavor in the small.
I have never tasted a more fresh Italian lemonade ever! I loved the chunks of fruit that’s actually in the ice. It’s so refreshing and I could definitely see why this place is the go to on a hot summer day. I’ll definitely be back to try the other flavors!

Mario’s is definitely a must-​stop for anyone in Little Italy/​University Village, and anyone that goes to UIC. My first time here was as a freshman at UIC (back then the prices were almost half what they are now). But it tastes just as good now as it did back then.
They have seasonal flavors that come and go throughout the spring/​summer (pomegranate, mango, peach) You can go with the standard Lemonade, I love the watermelon and the strawberry, and the piña colada is good as well. Heck I’m sure if I tried all the flavors I’d say they were all good.
There’s almost always a line, but it moves quickly, and their refreshing icy lemonade is definitely worth the wait.

Love coming to get Italian ice here! Absolutely delicious Italian ice! Lemon and coconut are really good.

Whenever I’m visiting Chicago I come here for Italian Ice ! It’s good ! I usually stick with the watermelon and lemonade mix. Lime is pretty good too.

Get ready for a wait. Although very worth it. Try the seasonal Italian Ice choices. I love the pomegranate, the fruit cocktail or the piña colada the most (: a Chicago must !

When my friends who went to UIC for undergrad wanted to take me to this «lemonade stand», I was a bit skeptical at first but boy, did Mario prove me wrong. This is one legit lemonade stand. If I had a stand like this as a kid, I wouldn’t need to be in grad school right now.
This is a great place to stop by on a hot humid Chicago day to grab a yummy shaved ice dessert to cool off. Even on a rainy day, this stand was poppin’! We pulled up and had one person stay in the car while we went to the stand and bought some yummy heaven icy delight. Although it is a bit «wtf, $ 2 for a small cup of ice and fruity flavoring», it is totally worth it. I got the watermelon lemonade slushy and they use the legit stuff, I even tasted pieces of watermelon and lemon rind in my slushy.
Definitely a local flavor and a must try if you are in the neighborhood!

Refreshing, great flavor must have. Lemon & watermelon cools you from the inside out. No other Italian ice compares. Don’t let the lines scare you they move way quicker than the traffic on 90. Cash only.

Best Italian Ice ever! You won’t find anything else even close! Chucks of real fruit and lemon rinds! Yum! Flavors are awesome. Definitely a must try!
Sometimes the line is extremely long, but I wait every time!

Marios is more than just a neighborhood Italian ice place for me. Let me take you all back to a much younger and slimmer version of myself, high school aged Julie. My friends and I knew when Marios opened it was time for summer. I spent countless Friday’s racing through I-​55 traffic to grab a blue raspberry Italian ice and cashews. Fast forward, and most is the same. Except the aforementioned changes in myself. Marios is consistently the summer go to spot for anyone from the southside and beyond. The Italian ice is delicious with some lemon slices to give it an extra zing. Gummy bears and cashews are another personal favorite in case you’re in need of some extra flavors on the side. Blue raspberry, grape and watermelon are my personal favorites for the ice but you can’t go wrong here so go for the gold and try them all.

I been coming to Mario’s Italian ice for decades now. This place make you feel a little bit Italian. My favorite flavor now is pineapple. It is perfect. I tasted my sons Luigi chocolate flavor it was good. My son Michelangelo had cantaloupe. My mom had watermelon this flavor used to be my favorite. I love grape and blue berry flavors too
When you have this Italian ice it welcomes you to summer. I come here as much as I can during the time it is open. The people working here a young people very friendly and will give you flavor tasting upon request. I have had other Italian ices but for sure Marios is number one in the whole entire world. Yum yummy delicious and refreshing.
I give it 5 stars because I love it

Best Italian ice in Chicago and probably anywhere around! Our family favorite and a treat during the Summer months. Opens May 1^st.

This is seriously the best Italian lemonade spot in town. Every summer the line is down the block! You can taste how fresh everything is. There are are also chunks of fruit in your cup. If you ordered watermelon, there’s watermelon pieces!
Pros:
Fresh and homemade
So many flavors to choose from
You can mix and match the flavors as well
They make sure the line is moved fast
Very friendly staff!
Cons:
The long line
That’s it!

Whenever May approaches, I cannot contain my excitement!!! Eating an ice cold refreshing treat will soothe your soul on a warm, breezy summer night. Not just any cold treat will simply do! Mario’s is a must and hands down THE place to go to during the summer season! Taylor street is often lively late in the evening, especially at Mario’s. The wait isn’t that long, which is great!
I highly recommend the Watermelon shaved ice. What’s unique about this place is that they include lemon rinds in their shaved ice, giving it a twist to the flavor. I love the fruit chunks they add in as well! Not a fan of Watermelon? No worries! Try the Mango. Freshest of the fresh, my friends!

I’ve been coming here since I was in my moms womb. lol A great Chicago spot to beat the summertime heat and get a fresh Italian ice. Can’t say I have a favorite because I love everything about this
combo is half lemon/​straw with a side of pumkin seeds. ;) The heavy salt covered seeds gives you a bit energy from walking all day down town. While after you time it down with the fresh italtian ice with bits of lemon in it.

Mario’s is my kind of frozen treat. It’s a shame (but makes so much sense) that they’re only open for the summer season, but I miss it even when it’s freezing outside.
The small is only one flavor, where the medium will let you get two!
I’m obsessed with how fresh it is — the lemon rind and fruit bits (the pomegranate is one of my favorite flavors) help keep everything from getting overly sweet.
There tends to be a long line, but people are rather friendly — students, families, tourists — and it moves relatively fast.
Watch out for the bees though! They love this stuff —

Maybe I hyped it up too much, but I was not impressed with Mario’s. I tried it twice and both times I thought the ice was watery and lacked flavor. Luckily it is cheap so I wasn’t too disappointed but with all the rave reviews I was expecting a bit more.

Yummy, yummy, yummy. Brings back memories of childhood and getting Italian Ice with my family. However, when I came here on a date I realized that this is the best casual date location on a summer night. Grab an Italian lemonade and walk around the neighborhood chatting. My favorite is the lemon, but try some of the list of flavors they have available now. A small is actually a lot, but when you finish, you may wish you had gotten a bigger size. Definitely a go to spot in Chicago, especially if you’re in Little Italy.

Oh so tasty. I can’t believe we stumbled onto a line of just one person when we arrived — I remember legendary lines in years past. I also remember much cheaper prices… but it’s darned tasty. Lots of lemon peel in the lemon ice, and small bits in the pineapple version too. I do like that you can get two flavors if you go medium or larger. Medium is huge though!

I enjoyed this alot. We had just had gyros and kababs over at Taste of Greece, and wanted some dessert!
While driving by looking for parking, we had second thoughts because the line seemed so long on a Saturday evening. We stuck with it and ordered two medium lemonade italian ices — one strawberry-​cantaloupe, the other strawberry-​watermelon. Refreshing, sweet, and with bits of frozen, cold fruit hidden inside! I’m not sure if most people end up with lemon rinds in their cups, but we ended up with some — and the bitter flavor from the rinds kind of added an undesirable edge to the taste.
Anyway, I can still see why it’s so popular and why it is such a great summer treat. I’m glad we made it and will keep it in mind on hot summer days!

Saturday night, post dinner plan: Italian ice at Mario’s. I was almost scared away by the long line at 9pm, but so glad we persevered since we were blissfully enjoying our delicious Italian ice lemonades in no time! They can be ordered in small through x-​large sizes, and you could mix two flavors starting from the medium size.
The cantaloupe flavor was my favorite, followed by watermelon. I thought the strawberry tasted artifical and wasn’t a fan. Little bits of fruit and a frozen lemon rind added a more natural and interesting lemon zest flavor. The texture is like a slightly firmer slushy, and there is an option to skim the surface with a spoon or drink it through the straw. Refreshing, light and not too sweet — these are really the quintessential summer treat!

BEST Italian ice in the city! Such an adorable little stand too. FYI, Can be hard to find parking– esp on the weekends. So be prepared to have someone wait in the car while another grabs the orders. Recommend their peach ice– it’s only for a limited time, from mid August until it’s gone. It’s their best flavor! Also recommend the classic lemon, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

This place is really good for what it is — I mean, yes, a little overrated but it’s an Italian lemonade stand! If you don’t know what good Italian ice is, it isn’t the place for you. Italian ice is supposed to be sweet and tart, if you have a preference just ask! They’ll happily accommodate. Their prices are really inexpensive so if you’re looking to just try, you aren’t losing much.
It’s perfect on a hot summer day! They use actual lemons and you can tell when you start eating it because there’s lemon throughout the ice itself. the flavors are made from fresh fruit rather than syrup! There are so many flavors and they’re all very affordable! I’ve never had Italian ice that was so smooth! They really pack it in there as well, even if you get the small!
So far, I’ve had the blue raspberry, strawberry, and the watermelon. You can’t go wrong with any of these! I’m still looking forward to trying the other flavors! On a hot summer day, expect a line.

Italian Lemonade is BOMB. Like… holy cow.
Mario’s is one of my favorite spots in this big ol’ city. Dropped by here after a painful sushi lunch next door, and this made up for it right away. On a hot summer day, these are PERFECT in quenching your thirst. Ranging from small cups at $ 1.75 to a big bucket for $ 7, you get shaved Italian ice with wonderful fresh fruit pieces inside.
The pomegranate is the BEST. Watermelon is fantastic as well. Blueberry was tasty but wasn’t my cup of tea– definitely wish I had just gotten another pomegranate.
The only sad thing about Mario’s is that it’s going to close in a few weeks for the Fall-​Spring. Super Sad! But I get it, they need to take their business over to somewhere warmer like Miami.
But every year I continue to live in Chicago, I will be back here to enjoy the best dessert ever.

I have nothing else to say except two (2) words: ten (10) star!
Ok, it will not make any sense to stop my review here. Mario’s Italian lemonade is truly a Chicago institution, without a doubt. Please do NOT tell anyone that tonight was my very first visit. Trust me, I will certainly become a duchess for the number of check-​in at Mario’s, as long as I commit to put $ 2.75 in cash aside for a medium-​size cup every single day.
If you are insisting on playing your Super Mario Brother video game at home and refusing to head out to Taylor St. (Little Italy), you are for sure missing out the summer fun.
We were fortunate enough to get to the window and place our order rather quickly. Pomegranate and cantaloupe were our picks (tough decisions by the way). Not only did I see generous pieces of fresh fruit in the cup, but also visualize many biological components of the fruit. For example, I encountered many pomegranate seeds and they were very delicious and refreshing!
The quarter piece of frozen lemon was an awesome touch! OMG, I will have to upgrade to a larger size next time.
Mario’s also sells lupini beans. Hubby grew up in Roma and knew exactly what they were while I was relatively clueless. I guess I will have to make a point of trying them next time.
There’s usually a bus directly coming from Streeterville near the Water Tower Place (#157 Taylor/​Streeterville) until the end of PM rush hours. If that doesn’t work out, the CTA 60 (Blue Island/​26^th.) bus runs late and has a terminal stop at Millennium Park. If you prefer to take the «L,» the CTA Racine Blue Line station is approximately fifteen (15) to twenty (20) minute walk.

This place is a bit overrated. I tried the pomegranate and watermelon. The pomegranate was too sour for me and the watermelon was just okay.
I would be interested in going again to try new flavors but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Marios is over rated and over priced and the flavors are weak and bitter and my self being Italian can find a much better Italian ice somewhere else like teddy’s red hots in downers grove il

Everyone is a critic to the haters who would love their lemonade with more sugar garbage in it — blah … Go move to another city please, you don’t belong here !
This place has not changed since I’ve been back in the early 90s! I used to go here when I was a little girl after playing the fire hydrants and eating a big beef sandwich. Any real Chicagoan knows this place and doesn’t bash it. It’s just tradition and keep that tradition going because this stuff is awesome on a hot summer day !!! I recommend the piña colada, watermelon or fruit cocktail !

Mario’s is a classic summer staple event in Chicago.
Yes, I categorize it as an event because it is a big deal to go there. It is a summer place and Chicago celebrates summer like no other City. Our last visit was a rainy summer night and even though it was raining, there was still a line! The place is good! This is where real Chicagoans go. For those that do not live close and need to drive, sometimes you are lucky and find meter parking, sometimes you double park. In any case, the staff is always pretty nice, open til midnight on the weekends, the price is reasonable and the flavors are delish!

Mario’s italian lemonade is truly one of Chicago’s greatest mom n pop shops. The line is literally outta control in the summertime, which happens to be the only time of the year when its open (boohoo) Perfect prices, and perfect sizes, a jumbo container of your favorite flavor will only cost you $ 6 and some odd cents, (i mean rllllllly) its super fresh, these kids are churning it all day long. I wish they made ice cream, ughhhh.
Real fruit pieces, real authentic italian ice, and made with real love.
Whaddya think?!

My sister kept telling me that this was a «must-​stop» kinda place during my weekend visit and she was right! This small frozen lemonade stand in University Village produces incredibly delightful and refreshing flavors that keep the crowds lining up even in chilly and rainy May weather.
At her suggestion, we got mediums ($ 2.75) with half strawberry and half piña colada. With fresh fruit in each sip or spoonful, the flavors were really bold. This afternoon treat had just the right amount of sweetness and it was very light, which was a welcomed contrast to our heavy meals.
The place is cheap, the employees are efficient, and the lemonade is good!

I really LOVE their Itailian ice! yumyum! Fresh fruit so it’s not syrup + ice.
Costs have increased so it’s $ 1.75 for a small… just a quick fyi