Rita’s Italian Ice

Nothing better than a Rita’s to cap off a stroll in Newport Beach. Coconut ice and vanilla custard was awesome.
Great customer service from the Jersey girl behind the counter.

Had a couple coupons for this location so decided to check it out. They have good gelati that is perfect for a hot day on the beach. The ice was silky smooth and the vanilla custard had the perfect amount of sweetness. The mango and blood orange gelatis were my favorite. Will definitely be back next time I head to the beach!

First time trying shaved ice and I have to say I am not disappointed. The flavors have just the right amount of sugar and the sizes offered are pretty generous for the price.
I got half mango and half orange sherbert!

During a hot day outside, when you want something to drink but kinda eat at the same time… look to Rita’s Ice.
Rita’s serves Italian Ice which is like an icee, but it seems the ice is more finely cut. It’s flavored ice, and it’s very refreshing. They scoop the ice out of tubs that look like ice crea tubs, but instead you’re getting your food/​drink in the form of what looks like an icee.
Customer service I had at this location was very nice and they had a 10% discount with a Unilocal Check-​In. It’s something fun to get when you don’t quite want ice cream and don’t quite want soda/​juice… instead you can try Rita’s ice and look to different flavored ice’s to try.

Whoah! Did I just find my new favorite frozen treat?
My dad and I came in to check it out and they have at least 15 flavored Italian ice, we chose Blood Orange and Tropical flavor, then had them topped with the soft serve frozen custard. The custard was creamy and not too sweet, and the Italian ice complimented perfectly with a good tang! Totally hitting this place up again and bringing my friends.

I was quite disappointed coming here, after hearing such great things about their Italian ice. First off, the presentation of the ice cream is quite messy, especially with the ice cream melting onto your hands 3 seconds upon receiving it. The Italian ice however, was good, but the vanilla custard was a bit to heavy. I wouldn’t drive out here again for the ice cream, and even if I was in the area, I’d probably rather just drive to frostbites.

I came here with a friend today for the first time because I heard that it was better than Joes Italian ice. Well, joes was actually better. I got the cookies n cream with vanilla custard whereas my friend for the Swedish fish and that one mango flavor. It honestly disappointed me because it melted so quickly and it was messy to eat. The custard itself was delicious but the Italian ice became bland and watery. I will not be coming here any time soon.

I always see pictures so this has been bookmarked on Unilocal for a while! I randomly saw it while walking around Newport.
I got the margarita and banana ice with vanilla cream. It was so good! I’ll definitely be coming back to try more flavors! I’m glad it was empty because I can imagine it getting very crowded.

On a nice bike ride in town with my 7 year old son and neighbors decided to go to Rita’s for dessert. Were glad we did because it was delicious. I got cotton candy ice with chocolate frozen yogurt. The kids got different flavors and had a chance to sample a few flavors before they ordered. The service was great and friendly staff with a positive attitude. My son won’t stop talking about Rita’s. Were going back soon.

I got the small mango& fruit punch with custard on top it cost $ 5 each
way overpriced for flavored slush (all syrup) too sweet heavy custard on top
I didn’t like it and the reason for the two star it’s the service
Not even worth trying

Walked in with a friend who previously tried Rita’s and wanted me to try it. Im happy I did when I walked in I was greeted promptly and the attendant behind the ice cream was really friendly. She broke it down and I went for the gelato which include both shaved ice and their creamy custard ice cream. I got the large for 4.99 so very inexpensive. It is a little on the small size the only place to enjoy your Italian treat is outside on a bench.

It was okay the ice cream is Dreyer’s the shave was good but over all so so I have had better.

This was an awesome experience. The service was great — not only did the employee ask us if we had been there before but when she found out we hadn’t, she proceeded to tell us about it and our different options and what would be good to try for our first time. We got the mango ice with vanilla custard and it was amazing. I would suggest doing a mixture of custard and italian ice as I feel like the italian ice would be a little overpowering on its own without something to balance it out. A very tasty, light treat!

Honestly don’t understand why this place has 5 stars. Aside from being in a good spot, this place does not have anything going for them. I ordered the gelati. The ices that I sampled tasted really artificial and the custard resembled cold whipped cream. You’d expect if ice and custard was the only thing they sold it would be good… But it wasn’t. Although it tasted okay when eaten together, it was still a disappointment.
Also, staff looked like working there was the last thing they wanted to do.

Why was this the first time I’ve ever tried Rita’s? I love fresh fruit and any dessert that it’s included in– I will definitely try. Rita’s is amazing. That’s all I have to say. By far, one of my favorites.

Great new spot to get yummy treats! Custard is so creamy and mixed with the flavored ice, yumm…

Is this place still open? I tried calling the phone number in my iPhone map app and it said the number isn’t working. Also, I just walked by and the listed hours in the window are sunday through Thursday 12−8pm which is what Unilocal has and fri/​sat were different hours I didn’t pay attention to.

Stopped in because of positive Unilocal reviews. Sampled the Italian Ice and while i appreciated it was a healthy choice and not too rich, I wished it had better, stronger flavor. Could barely taste anything.
I went for vanilla custard and it was okay. It was honestly so rich (especially compared to the ice) I couldn’t even finish it.
It was great to get something as we walked around the pier right around the corner though.

It’s good and location is nice, because it’s right down the street from me. Staff is very helpful and are more than willing to have you try samples. Got the mango misto, which is mango mixed with custard. Also tried a Chocolate Covered Cherry shake. I usually go to Joe’s by Disney but this one is in the neighborhood, so I see myself popping in here more frequently.

As an avid fan of Joe’s Italian Ice located in Anaheim, I was excited when a similar product was coming right down the street to Newport Beach. Italian ice with custard is an outstanding combination that beats any sno-​cone or frozen yogurt that I have ever had. Rita’s is in a location that relies on foot traffic so don’t load up the family in the SUV and head I over because it will be nearly impossible to find a parking spot.
The product itself is good, but far away from the genius of Joe’s. The ice is a little on the mushy side and gets that way more so because of the paper cup it is served in. Paper does not insulate well and the heat of your hand melts the ice even faster. The wild black cherry is a winner, offering real cherries in the ice. The price you pay for the sizes is also a bit expensive. If you are at the beach by Newport Pier and looking for a cool refreshment, give it a shot. They have a good product and hopefully will succeed.