Rita’s Italian Ice

Okay, I still can’t taste the difference between frozen custard and ice cream. They are pretty much the same to me. I like them both. LOL Maybe custard is a little thicker, but they really are the same. Gelato too.
I haven’t had their ices yet, but I’ve had their custard. I’ve tried the chocolate and the coffee custards. If you’re a coffee drinker, get the coffee one! That one is so good. The chocolate is ranked second best for me. There are usually four flavors of custard every day. And you can also get them in a swirl.
Rita’s coffee custard has like a vanillaish coffee taste to it. So the taste of the coffee isn’t too strong. An added shot of espresso wouldn’t hurt.

I’m not crazy about ices but there’s something special about a cup of ice topped with custard on a warm spring afternoon.
Something about the flavors, temperatures and textures just makes this feel like home. This is what you’ll remember when you’re wasting away on your deathbed.
Tell your friends and family you love them by treating them to Rita’s — for today, you feast on ice.

I went with my friend down in Florida to try this for the first time. When I Went to this one in Kettering I got be mango Italian ice layered with vanilla custard. The portion is awesome for the price. Having a brain freeze didn’t stop me from chugging the last bit half melted at the bottom.

Consistently great food items and friendly customer service! From the first time I visited here not knowing what to order, the folks behind the counter pointed me in the right direction and I keep coming back for more.

Whenever we have been here they have always been very helpful and kind. They have a nice patio area where you can eat your items. I would recommend for everyone (plus they welcome dogs:-))

Maybe I should have tried an Italian ice, since this is what’s in their name. After waiting almost 10 minutes with one couple in front of us (painfully slow service) I ordered a strawberry milkshake. I took maybe 2 sips and had to throw it out. Instead of using fresh ingredients they pump flavored syrup into plain ice cream and blend it. It was sickeningly over sweet and inedible. Disgusting.

Tucked in the shopping center of what used to be Moto photo just outside the Greene, I’ve been going to Rita’s for years now since high school.
But I’ve been the a couple of times in the last few days and their service is consistently impeccable.
The clerks are always so friendly, even right before they close. They greet you with an offering of samples (flavors of your choice). One time I requested 4 at once because I just wasn’t sure. And the people working there didn’t even hesitate.
The swedish fish Ice is the best and had been there for years! I always get a gelati (custard of your choice on the bottom/​ice of your choice/​more custard on top) with vanilla and Swedish fish.
The custard is the lightest, airiest, creamiest, while simultaneously being rich, custard you’ve ever had! Plain vanilla is just my favorite, any day.
A new thing is they’ve put in tvs for menus!

We managed to make it to Rita’s ten minutes before closing on the day they were giving out free Italian ice, so the fact that they’d run out of the «upgrade» (gelati for $ 1) was understandable. We just went to the to-​go window and got a brownie ice and a mango ice. (They were nice enough to let the people carrying the golden retriever puppy inside; first day of spring or not, it was pretty chilly.) I wasn’t overwhelmed by it; it tasted mango-​ish, though I couldn’t identify the other note to the flavor, and it left an odd taste in my mouth as if it contained stevia. DBF enjoyed his brownie ice, and said that it had chunks of brownie in it rather than simply being chocolate-​flavored.

We’ve been huge Rita’s fans for many years, been to many different locations across many states. But THIS particular location is exceptional when it comes to the following reasons:
1.) Customer service.
Employees are friendly, patient, personable, make great eye contact, & are very patient (despite giving out countless samples to customers who waffle back and forth on what flavor to get, or know what they want but still want a taste anyways :) Also, they never appear bored/​disinterested/​distracted (i.e. Playing w/​their cellphones/​texting/​staying in the back instead of storefront/​etc).
2.) Store layout/​design is spacious & comfortable, allowing for potential long lines or larger groups without feeling crowded or claustrophobic while still maintaining an inviting & comfortable atmosphere.

My personal favorite place for something cold. Rita’s ice cream is made from custard, so for people who are lactose intolerance! The Italian ice is something everyone should give it a try! Combination of both gives you the «Gelati», which is the best ice dessert you can get with very reasonable price. There are endless choices for it, you just have to try it in person!

The menu changes regularly, so keep an open mind when you go… especially if you’re after your favorite Italian ice. Don’t be afraid to try samples. My current obsession is the twist custard in a sugar cone. There is nothing on this earth better! And who would have thought that custard and ice would be good together? Oh my, that’s tasty too. Get to Rita’s now before they close for the season!

The day Rita’s opened it became my favorite dessert place! I have always enjoyed Italian Ice and theirs is hands down the best I have ever had. Since they first opened they have continued to add new flavors (and retire some good ones) which makes going back always a treat!

The staff here seem nicer than humanly possible. They happily got us multiple samples an helped us find something we all loved. I ended up getting the Pumpkin Pie Blendini, which I never would have chosen without a sample, but it was amazing. They even gave us a free frozen treat for our dog. I would recommend Rita’s to anyone.

Rita’s = Love

Simply amazing. Heard it was phenemonal so had to take the kids. and it was. I got the sugar free Cherry Ice with custard and the kids got the Dreamsicle like orange ice with custard. Just a great desert. Everything about it. They arent skimpy either. They load the bottom of the cup with frozen custard also. They had so many different flavors and they give out samples as well.
Just a great place on a hot day to go sit down and chill out on something better than ice cream. Not expensive at all either…
Its right next to the Greene Shopping Plaza off 75.

ohmigod! ohmigod! ohmigod! I feel like a little kid again.
I used to go to Rita’s Water Ice on Frankford Ave. just on the edge of Philadelphia and Bucks County, Pennsylvania and I haven’t been to another since 1996. I saw one in Ft. Lauderdale, FL once but couldn’t stop at that time.
Well, this time, I found it and they’d changed the name a bit. It’s probably because no one says «water» like Philadelphians since we add the extra «r» making it «warter». I was a bit surprised that there was seating and an indoors, too. Wow, this wasn’t Rita’s at all. You didn’t go up to the building, lean over, and yell your order through the little sliding glass window. Broken memories!
I lingered outside a moment where there was a «Flavor of the Day» sign. I wasn’t aware of all this extra business. I wanted warter ice! So, I walked inside and they greeted me, and asked if I wanted a sample. I declined, and said that I wanted a Lemon Ice. «We just ran out.» Grrrrrr. «Chocolate?» «Ummm, brownie?» «BROWNIE? Eewwwwwwww» «Raspberry» to which he moved the Blue Raspberry sign over a bit, so I said «Blue Raspberry.»
He scooped, I paid, and I went to sit down. I started to eat, thinking that it couldn’t be as good as I remembered but suddenly, despite my worst doubts, I was feeling happiness at 32 degrees F. There was a saying on the cup «Don’t disturb me! I’m in my happy place.» and that’s how I felt just then.
Now, the place is a bit difficult to find. It’s just south of Dorothy Lane on Stroop Rd, and of course, that’s just south of where Stroop turns into County Line Rd. There were a couple of other establishments in the strip mall, but as it was sunset, I couldn’t see them very well with the sun over the roof. it’s all across from the annoyingly trendy «The Greene», which has all the trendy places in one extremely fashionable, trendy location.

Everyone is friendly at Rita’s.
Rita’s is a million times better than any ice cream/​yougart place inside The Greene. Plus, it’s alot more affordable.
I don’t care for Italian ice, but the custard is really amazing. I crave it quiet a bit. It’s so much creamier than any other frozen custard I’ve had.
Perfect for those hot summer days.

Recently it was extremely hot in the Dayton area so my wife and I decided to stop at Rita’s Italian Ice (plus she had a coupon). We had seen this place many times over the years however we just never stopped however now that we have tasted the goods I suspect we will be stopping again.
The people were friendly, they allowed us to taste the different flavors and then they took the time to explain the different options, what a refreshing change from most fast service stores.

So Rita’s is a chain, but I’m reviewing it like it’s not because there’s only one in the area and it’s not even close to where I live (which is Cincinnati.) Also, it’s freakin’ awesome!
We went down here at the end of a hot daytrip to Dayton to get a frozen treat and I could not have been happier. Tables outside with happy people snacking on snacks, more tables inside. Wonderful.
I was told to get the mango gelati, which is custard on the bottom, mango sweet ice in the middle and more custard in top, so that’s what I got — and it was good. Sweet but not too sweet, refreshing and perfect for the end of a summer’s day. I also sampled other things like the cheesecake ice and pear ice and it was equally as tasty.
My only real issue with Rita’s is that it feels like a chain. If I didn’t know it was before walking in, I did when I got there. Bright colors with silly animations are everywhere. Picture the decorations of a DQ and you’ve got the exact same decorations for Rita’s.
Still, it only bothered me until I stepped outside and began to eat my treat. As that point, I couldn’t care more. All delicious, all the time.

Franchisees: Get a Rita’s to Cincinnati — STAT!
I drive for 90 minutes just for this tasty, $ 3.00 piece of heaven known as a gelato. Rita’s serves other iced treats too, but I’ve never strayed from my first love: shaved ice and vanilla custard (gelato).
Walk up to Rita’s counter and discover about a dozen different containers of brightly colored shaved ice. They offer a variety of flavors, some that rotate with the season. My favorites are: mango, pistachio, birthday cake, fruit punch, peach, passion fruit, and chocolate chip. You can make a gelato with up to three different flavors and samples are available too. Gelatos are built: layer of Italian Ice + custard + more Italian Ice + more custard. Did I mention how delicious it is?
Two sizes are offered: small and large (plus a kid’s size.) For ultimate happiness, I’d recommend getting a large. However, do not consume more than one cup of gelato in one day, you’ll get a stomach ache! (And yes, this includes getting two smalls.)
I absolutely love Rita’s. I really wish they would build one in Cincinnati so I could enjoy them more often!