Rainbow Italian Ice

What can I say? It was hot on the first day of the Summer Soul Festival and we wanted to cool down. My daughter & I were in the mood for some ice cream. We walked by Rainbow Italian Ice and were given samples of their many flavors and we enjoyed each & every spoon full.
We decided on the rainbow flavor. $ 4 for a good size and the best part? It doesn’t melt as fast as ice cream does. Service was super friendly and the price was right. If ever I see them again at a festival or in the neighborhood… I will definitely be back :)

I was hanging out at the Last Sunday Festival [last one of the summer] and I was walking home from getting books for school. As I was walking down Telegraph, this rainbow colored tent was calling to me. I thought, since they were giving free samples — what is there to lose?
As I tasted the mango ice, it was like heaven. It wasn’t sorbet, but it wasn’t shaved ice either. It was something in between and I like it. I decided to pay the $ 3 for the cup. They offered to mix flavors for me, but I like my things pure so I decided to go with the mango that I tried.
Perhaps, it’s just a marketing technique, but I love the dairy free. I feel like I’m lactose intolerant, so no dairy is great!
If they’re there next summer, I’ll definitely drop by and get some more!

owner is rude. I will never deal with this place again. He lies and he disappoints kids.
I hope he continues to do poorly

I love Rainbows.
I love Italian Ice.
I love Rainbow Italian Ice.
Reasonably priced and delicious.
Bonus: the sugar-​free and fat-​free flavors are just as delightful.
A must have regardless of the weather.
Although there is no indoor seating, perhaps this is a good thing. Grab some and take a stroll. Good times, Good Gelato.
Delish!

It’s refreshing, without weighing you down/​making you thirsty (as ice cream does). Not quite worth $ 4 for the big cup, but a splurge every now and again.
I would NOT recommend the sugar free flavors — they have NO flavor really. As a type 1 diabetic, I get the allure for the sugar free to save on carbs, but still have a treat — so not worth it. Just get the normal flavors and take the extra insulin. I made the mistake of not trying the sugar free first. DAMN! Got piña colada (yummo), then sugar free lemon and cherry (both awful). SO and I still choked it down. More like eating frozen water.
Don’t think I’ll ever purposely go to Lakeshore JUST for Rainbow Italian Ice, but if I’m in the area and wanting something cool/​refreshing, I wouldn’t hesitate stopping in again.

I attended the Sweet Shoppe event where Rainbow Italian Ice had its own booth. The rainbow flavor was wonderful! I love the smooth texture and the just-​sweet-​enough taste. Next time I’m in the area, I’ll definitely check out the place and taste again!

This is the real deal … Just like the stuff I grew up on in New York.
Love the sugar-​free stuff as well. Fat-​free, dairy-​free, sugar-​free and it tastes great. What more could you want?

I will definitely choose this over ice cream and yogurt any time of the day.
not only because its healthier, but it tastes great!!! I am definitely a fan!
Plus the owner is soo friendly.
Great service and great product equals 2 thumbs up!

I like to stop in here for a little love scoop after I hit the Cheesesteak shop. Mostly because the proprietors are so goddamn friendly as well as generous with the samples. I love all the fruity flavors and they are more than happy to mix it all up for you.
These guys are relatively new to Lakeshore and they are a good little mom & pop kind of place. I can promise that you will walk out of there with a smile on your face.

I recently went on a
style trip to Chicago and one of the foods I cannot get out of my head is the Italian Ice from Teddy’s Red Hots. They used real fruit in their tart yet sweet, icy cup of glory, scooping generous portions into a non-​recyclable cup with a plastic spoon (go Midwest!).
With the intent of recreating that blissful eating experience, I headed over to Rainbow Italian Ice to check it out (thanks for the heads up, Toni M.!). Unfortunately it wasn’t at all like what I know Italian Ices to be. Still good, just not what I was looking for.
The texture of the Italian Ice at Rainbow is much more like sorbet, but creamier, still without any dairy. While very good, I don’t see myself craving it anytime soon. Additionally, the flavors were a bit too simplistic. While I love a good, tart mango, the flavors at Rainbow had a somewhat synthetic taste to them and could have really benefited from real fruit.
Rainbow was good, it just isn’t anything I am going to crave anytime soon (especially for $ 4). See ya’ll in Chicago, I guess.

My fam liked it, I was okay without. I’m weird about sugary stuff.
They offer a sample taste before you commit, which I always appreciate. And the staff person was pleasant.

I always thought Oakland was more like «home» than any other place I’d been in California. Grand Lake especially so. No wonder – not only do they have cheesesteak place with Amoroso’s and Tastykakes, but now they have a water ice vendor.
OK, it’s not quite like something you’d get on South St., but it’s closer than anything I’ve seen on this coast. Smooth, but not as creamy as sherbet. Less grainy than a snow cone. Tart as well as sweet. It’s dense and compressible with a lot of liquid in the mix.
Only downside is that the two flavors I tried (watermelon and lemon-​lime) had a fairly conventional «fruit flavor» profile and the bright artificial coloring to match. Maybe subtle flavors might not sell as well, but perhaps they can try. A plain natural lemon would be wonderful, and would compete well with the gelato options in the ‘hood – lighter, less sweet, less viscous. The staff said that the place would be expanding soon (looks like they opened while still under construction) and that more flavors would be available.
But I’ll be back, especially now that the one month of summer is upon us.

This is why you need to go to Rainbow’s Italian Ice…
Italian Ice, Water Ice– whatever you want to call it… If you’ve ever been to the East Coast and had the pleasure of trying it then you probably haven’t forgotten it. From Rita’s in Philadelphia, to the street carts in NYC– Italian Ice always makes it on your East Coast ‘To Do’ list. Living in the Bay Area, you’ve searched high and low, far and wide, online and locally to get your hands on some more of it! You’ve gone to Gelatto shops with «Italian Ice Cream!» plastered across their front window– but it just isn’t the same! Alas, you found yourself defeated in your search for Italian Ice close to home– or anywhere on the West Coast for that matter.
That was… Until the Italian Ice GODS shined down a teeeeny little light in Oakland’s Grand Lake district, opening up a teeeeny little shop called Rainbow Italian Ice to save all of us!
While driving down Lakeshore Avenue a few days ago my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the words «Italian Ice» on Rainbow’s storefront. My body went into shock mode and my hands immediately swerved the steering wheel into a parking spot, nearly hitting a bicycler. I threw the car into park, jumped out of my car and jay-​sprinted across the street. As I approached Rainbow, two kind workers were waiting at either side of the door to welcome me in. They were standing there smiling, as if I was entering a massage parlor and they knew there were about to satisfy the 3 year long tension I’d built up inside since my last Italian Ice fix.
As they offered me a free sample, I was ready to find out if this was true Italian Ice or just Italian farce. «Cherry, cherry, cherry!» I Unilocaled like a panting puppy. The worker handed me over my sample, and as the Cherry Italian Ice hit my lips and melted on my tongue, I knew that my days of living in a Water Ice free world had finally come to an end! Rainbow’s Italian Ice was an acceptable and TRUE ITALIAN ICE IN THE BAY AREA! I won’t have to move to the East Coast after all!
OK– Sorry for the incredible long, detailed story– but I hope I’ve painted a picture in your head… Italian Water Ice is not ice cream, it’s not frozen yogurt, and it certainly isn’t gellato. Italian Ice is sort of a cross between crushed ice and sorbet– and it’s damn good. Rainbow’s is the closest thing, scratch that, the ONLY thing I’ve had on the west that can compare to that Italian Ice on the east. It’s a little thicker, not as watery as I remember, but it’ll be my new go to spot on hot summer days… They have several flavors, and prices are $ 2 for half cup and $ 4 for a full cup. I’m advising all of you to try Rainbow’s immediately!

First of all, let me say that I’m glad this place is here. I love italian ice (or water ice, as it is properly called). That being said, this company has a lot to learn. The consistency is all wrong. Its too syrupy and creamy. Its not supposed to be like ice cream. Its supposed to be a little bit more icy. I think this problem comes from artificially flavored syrups. Good water ice or italian ice is made from real fruit and juice and a simple syrup (water and sugar).
These were really sugary. Really sweet. They needed to be more tart to taste like real fruit and not just like frozen sugar-​water.
Cut down on the artificial syrup and use real fruit. It would solve two problems and be more honest than sayings its healthy because it has no fat. Yeah, theres no fat in syrup, but theres a shitload of calories. Otherwise I might as well save 3 bucks and get a slurpee from 7 Eleven.
So again, I’m glad its here. I’d rather have bad water ice than no water ice. I just wish you’d make that extra step and become what Ritas is.

OM Goodness — FINALLY, we have fresh scooped Italian water (yes it is pronounced wudder in South Jersey) here! I first met the owner when my daughters and I were jonesing some water ice, so I googled «water ice» and saw that someone was distributing it here. The owner couldn’t have been more helpful. I wanted to purchase some for my staff — as they were tired of hearing of my ravings and cravings. Since then Michael let me know that we could get some already prepackaged at some of the Safeways and other venues.
My daughters are back east now visiting family and were teasing me about being able to eat water ice! One of my daughters mentioned that she thought she had seen a store in Oakland AND SHE WAS RIGHT! In a word — YUM! and it is about time!

Had them for the first time at Lakefest this weekend. I had no idea what Italian Ice was. I know what shaved ice is and this is nothing like that. I also appreciate that they have 2 sugar free flavors.
Welcome to the neighborhood!

Relax and enjoy
A cup of «RAINBOW» Italian Ice (cherry, lemonade, and blue raspberry)
It tastes like a firecracker popsicle (red, white, and blue colors)!
North Beach Festival in SF
Big crowds, long lines
OMG! 3 BIG scoops for $ 4!
Wow! Yum! My mouth was blue after! haha: D

ATTENTION ALL EAST COAST TRANSPLANTS!!! Well, those from the Philly-​South Jersey area, anyways.
I spent the last five years trying to describe what a water ice is to my California-​born boyfriend (and yes, that’s pronounced wudder ice). He kept asking, is it like a slushie? Is it like a shave ice? NO!!! It’s like a wudder ice! Finally, I’m able to just show him!
We saw a stand for this place at the Temescal Street Fair and I wondered out loud, «italian ice? Is that like a wudder ice from home?» Could it possibly be anything like my beloved Espisitos or Ritas? Well, the owner, Michael, heard my wonders and assured me that it was indeed the real thing! He described himself as a Jersey boy (I won’t hold that against him) and trying to fill a huge need that he saw out here.
Well, my friend, that need is filled! At least for Oakland. Here’s hoping he expands to the city!

Having my sample of this at Tina Tamale’s Old Oakland Neighbors Birthday party/​fund raiser. Was awesome.
Have the mango its delicious, light and fruity.
Taking my first bite, I just sort of went in a daze.
Yummy, yum. Plus being lactose free! Yippee.
I can’t wait til there is one closer to me, the proprietor mentioned there will be one opening on April 1^st. At Stoneridge mall. I can’t wait til, it happens. I am so going to be there and try every flavor that I can.

So I got a marketing degree. Hasn’t come to much use… but I can tell you this: Using subterfuge to shill your wares past savvy Unilocalers, putting up a slipshod website, and not having a storefront is not typically a recipe for success. I guess you really don’t need the degree to figure that out… *sigh. Do I finally put that document to greater use and wipe my azz with it as I’ve threatened lo so many years?
What Mike does have is a great product (awesome Italian ice) and a winning personality… and heartell he’s gonna get a storefront soon. I sampled the rainbow, orange vanilla swirl, cherry, and mango at the OMLF Shop Oakland Kick Off Party, Merchant Celebration, & Oakland Fashion Show. Mango is tops. There’s a list of about 20 more flavors which I shall eagerly try when said shop does open.
For those not in the know, Italian ice is not gelato, ice cream or shaved ice but occupies a space in between. It’s icy and refreshing, yet thick and smooth… think sherbert with pull.
For now, four stars. Five if that shop opens in walking distance.
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***For those who asked, you can find it at these locations:
–Berkeley Bowl Marketplace
–Giovanni™s Salumeria and Italian Marketplace (Fresno)
–J & J Fish & Chicken
–Various festivals and events around Oakland
–Aramark Sports & Entertainment & Services, McAfee Coliseum (at concession stands)