Rita’s Italian Ice

I’ve been to several places similar to Rita’s. Italian flavored ice with custard (similar to ice cream) on top. I like it a lot (: but nothing special compared to other places I’ve been. The only thing I didn’t like about this places compared to, let’s say… Frostbites…would be that they put one flavor on top of the other (because of the shape of the cup). I like when I can eat both flavors at the same time without digging deep into the cup.

If it were based on flavor of taste this would be 5 stars, however I gave it 4 stars because it does have authentic Italian texture of «Italian ice». It does taste good though but if you have grandma visiting from Sicily I wouldn’t take her here for authentic Italian ice. If you and friends want great dessert then this is the perfect place for you.
The staff is very nice and taste great. I only downgraded it one star because it isn’t as authentic as I tasted a true Italian restaurants/​eateries.
I would recommend this place to others– no problem :)

Walked in and was able to try multiple flavors since I’m indecisive. I ended up getting lemonade and passion fruit Italian ice. It was very good and so were the other flavors. The only negative thing I can say is it is very expensive. I paid over $ 5 for a small.
Located next to a Chipotle and a Starbucks so with that being said parking can get a bit tricky.

I’ve been to several Rita’s Italian Ice locations around Southern California and this is one of them. Not really exceptional, but certainly a delightful place to get Italian Ice.
Parking: I managed to find parking on the roof.
Seating: There are three tables inside, I think there is room for improvement here.
Flavor selection: I am enjoying this pineapple, although I probably should have done as was suggested to me at the Arcadia location and added the vanilla frozen custard to make it more like a Dole Whip. Oh, I forgot to check if the frozen custard is being dispensed or the soft serve. Is our long national nightmare of egg shortages abating?
I would say however that this location is operating with fewer flavor selections than I am used to. It really makes me want to praise the other locations. Like… obviously this wasn’t bad because I got pineapple and I’m fine with that. But sometimes there are so many choices that I have several flavors I have to choose from and that of course fills me with the idea that I might want to return and try other things.
Posted hours say they close at 10pm which is nice. I do like late night Italian Ice.
There is a restroom in the back. You’ll have to ask for the code.
There is basically nothing else I can say about this Rita’s Italian Ice. Good, not great. Would return. Would recommend to others. Would not drive across the county for.

We first had Rita’s years ago in Maryland. We loved it there and were pretty excited when they made their way out to California. With the rich, smooth custard and fun ice flavors, it’s one of our favorite frozen treats!
We’ll take Rita’s over an ice cream shop or Yogurtland about 75% of the time. Admittedly, we don’t go to ice cream shops that often because they have been known to give me the waterpoops, but that’s another story for another day. Rita’s doesn’t give me the waterpoops.
While it’s called Rita’s Italian Ice, I really think the custard is the star of the show. It’s SO good! It’s thick, creamy, and some of the best stuff you’ve ever had out of a soft serve machine. Whatever you get at Rita’s, make sure you get some custard too.
Pro tip: With some of the desserts, you can get multiple ice/​custard flavors. They won’t tell you that off the bat, but ask! If you’re deciding between two flavors, it’s a great way to try more flavors!

Attention all Mid-​Western transplants!
This is as close as you’ll get to real frozen custard in LA. They might not have all the toppings and combinations but you can cobble together a serious dessert with what they have. And the frozen custard itself is on point: super creamy, almost buttery.
Everyone else: it’s awesome.

This place is great. The guy was super friendly and encouraged us to sample a few flavors. He recommended the gelati which is custard on the bottom then Italian ice then custard on top. I got orange ice with orange custard. It tasted like a creamsicle. My girlfriend had coffee custard with peanut butter marshmallow ice. It was super tasty and very light. We highly recommend.

Item ordered: Gellatini — Cantaloupe Ice with Vanilla custard
Great dessert! The flavors change, but I had cantaloupe ice and it was really good. This was my first time, and I wasn’t sure what to expect with the vanilla custard, but I liked it! With the Gellatini they layer the custard and the cantaloupe ice. I like that there were small chunks of cantaloupe in the ice. I had the regular size and it was too much for one sitting for me. I took it home, put it in the freezer and it was still great the next day.

I always knew OF Rita’s but never got around to trying them out until recently. Basically the frozen custard is
and is a fun play on textures if you add the Italian ice.
I liked the classic flavors of an orange dreamsicle but honestly can’t go wrong with that custard!

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I came here because my 11 year old daughter begged me to go in after eating at Blaze Pizza next door. We were recommended the Gelatti (Italian Ice layered with frozen custard) so we decided to try it out. I thought it was good (I got strawberry and mango) but ended up only eating half and giving the rest to my daughter. I didn’t like the combination of the ice with the custard (but each component on its own was good). My daughter on the other hand loved it. I forgot which flavors she got but she enjoyed it.
I will definitely come back to get Italian Ice and custard separately though!

This place is yummy!
My friends & I came to this little center (which, by the way, is great)! While everyone was getting dinner, we skipped dinner & went for dessert.
I didn’t know what custard was, they told me its ice cream with egg in it lol
Ice & Custard-​The ice is good, I think the flavors could definitely be more varied. I was in the mood for something really sweet & chocolatey, so i got the blendidni with cookie dough ice & chocolate custard. My friend got a fruity drink, gelati, & said it was delicious.
Service– They were all really nice, when the lady at the counter saw I was taking the picture she told me to use the Rita Ice man (or something) lol I thought it was nice!
Décor– It is very open & bright
Parking — Huge lot ! The lot is really busy though since there are various food places in this center

I’ve never had Rita’s before and now that I have… I am hooked.
Other notes:
–Cherry and passion fruit will just about blow your top off.
–Next to Chipotle.
–Plenty of parking, but will get super crowded quick.

YUMMMMMMMM!!! My friends and I stopped here on the way back from a day at the beach in the hot sun. Such a smart move by us!
I got the Blendini and I was def not disappointed! The flavors I chose were the peanut butter marshmallow Italian ice with the vanilla custard… with mini reese’s pieces mixed in… I chose right!
My friend also got the Blendini with peanut butter marshmallow Italian ice and chocolate custard. Still good, I’m just more a vanilla type. My other friend got the strawberry kiwi (I think) ice with vanilla custard on top and mini gummy bears on the side (in a cup). They were all delicious.
I’ll definitely be stopping by again on a hot day this summer.
They also give you 5% off if you check in on Unilocal

This place is our «go to» whenever we crave for a decent Italian ice. Anyone who’s tried FROSTBiTES hopefully will understand what I’m talking about. This place is only about two
Miles away from us so it is very convenient. Don’t get me wrong, they do have great flavors (like their strawberry ice).

A while back, bf & I were at Blaze Fire for dinner. I saw the sign for Rita’s and wanted to go so badly, because I’d never had it before and heard such good things. Unfortunately, they were not open at the time. :’(
A few weeks later, Rita’s finally opened! I’ve been here only a few times, and have only tried the blendini and gelati. For blendini, I’ve gotten the chocolate strawberry ice with vanilla custard and reeses bits. Yummmm! :) The custard and ice mixes together well, and is just the perfect blend of creamy and refreshing. The chocolate strawberry flavor has bits of chocolate as well, and I really enjoy it, but it might be seasonal since I didn’t see it during my most recent visit. I’ve also tried the mango ice, and that’s also really gooood! Perfectly sweet and tarty. I enjoyed the flavor so much that I got it in my gelati as well. :)
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the flavors. I tried testers on most of them, but went with the fruity ones because I was craving something tarty. They all go well with the custards though.
As for gelati vs. blendini, my bf prefers gelati because he likes separating the ice and creamy custard. I like blendini because I like tasting chunks of reeses (or whichever topping I added) with the ice and custard. I also love watching them make the blendinis But honestly, they’re both goood. I’m actually shoveling spoonfuls of custard into my mouth as I type this review… ;)
Hands down, Rita’s over traditional ice cream for me! Also, thumbs up for awesome service each time. Only downfall is the parking lot can get pretty crowded. But it’s next to tons of lunch/​dinner options as well!

I love Ritas, and this location is the standard Rita’s fare. If you have been before, I’m sure you’ll keep coming back. If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat.
Frozen custard like oft serve, well its actually significantly better than soft serve (you’ll see) mixed with their Italian ice to form a gelati is a very unique frozen dessert that is sure to leave you happy as a clam. If it’s your first time, try one. I recommend the dairy ice like the cookies and cream, as opposed to the fruity options.
Regardless, you’re sure to enjoy it. My only complaint I have is that I wish that I was getting more custard and less ice.

***Rita’s is a good frozen treat and their stores are a welcome addition to the Los Angeles area***
Los Angeles is filled with residents from other states (probably more so than anywhere in the country). Because of this, there is such nostalgia and love for brands and chains that are popular in the East Coast and Midwest but are nowhere to be found in Southern California. The Chicago-​based sandwich shop Potbelly is one I like and I imagine it will eventually come to Los Angeles given that they have already expanded to Arizona.
Rita’s is another popular franchise that did not start in Los Angeles. It is very popular in the Mid-​Atlantic states and it seems like a perfect fit for Southern California given that Rita’s features all natural ingredients and they sell Italian Ice and frozen custard (definitely more fitting with Southern California’s all-​year-​round warm weather than Philadelphia, which has hot summers but can also have brutal winters).
I have seen several Rita’s stores pop up in the last few years and I know it is definitely something East Coast people now in Los Angeles have been craving. It is also a great addition to the dessert scene in Los Angeles since it does offer something unique. Rita’s sells Italian ice, which is similar to a slushie, but Rita’s Italian ice is much softer, smoother and creamier and features (for the most part) natural tasting flavors like mango and Georgia peach. A few of their fruity flavors have a popsicle like taste to them.
Rita’s most popular item is their gelati, which features a base of soft serve frozen custard, Italian ice and then a dollop of soft serve frozen custard on top. The ice mixed with the ice cream-​like frozen custard works very well and will remind many of Dairy Queen’s Mister Misty floats though I think Rita’s version tops that Dairy Queen item.
On this visit, I had their black cherry cheesecake gelati with vanilla frozen custard. It was good. The black cherry cheesecake Italian ice was light and not too strong or tart. I really enjoyed the black cherry pieces – so much better than the syrupy, artificial tasting maraschino cherries often found in ice cream parlors.
The vanilla frozen custard was good. It was rich and thick. It definitely had a custard flavor and mixed with the ice well to make a sweet treat that felt both light as well as indulgent. I prefer their light vanilla custard, but it was not available on my visit. Instead, this Rita’s was offering an additional regular frozen custard flavor like strawberry in addition to their always there vanilla and chocolate.
Prices are not too bad since you get a good gourmet treat. Their gelati goes for a little less than what 2 scoops of ice cream would cost you at a gourmet ice cream parlor and I think the overall portion size is similar.
Service was quick and friendly.
This Rita’s has a clean and new interior.
There are many frozen treat spots in Los Angeles and Rita’s is a good addition to the area. Their frozen desserts offer something unique as well as good quality ingredients and delicious flavor combinations. If you have not been to Rita’s yet, it is definitely worth a try.
This Rita’s is in a popular order-​at-​the-​counter chain dining plaza that also offers a Pei Wei and a Blaze. Parking here is free, but this parking lot can get incredibly busy.

I tried the FROZEN ICE here, and sampled the Sweedish Fish, the Mango and the Lemonade.
I ended up doing a combination layer and in a large size.
It’s very good, quite refreshing !!!
I want to try the frozen custard one day soon.
Parking isn’t terribly difficult in the area, and where Rita’s is located there’s lots of food like Blaze Pizza, Starbucks, and Chipotle in the same complex /​area.
The service was fast and friendly here.

The people are super friendly and spent a lot of time with each customer.
They are very good with kids. They speak to them and allow them to make requests and choices. My granddaughter was allowed to sample taste three different kinds of ice.
The final product was exactly what the picture looked like.
The one troubling thing that I hate to mention — since all else was good — is that the floor was incredibly sticky. The bottom of my flat shoes got stuck to the floor with every step

Wow… Absolutely delicious!
I had never heard of this place and decided to give it a shot since I was next door at Blaze Pizza and wanted dessert. I was pleasantly surprised to see a line inside.
The worst thing about this is the poorly designed menu that is slightly confusing, and the staff appeared high as a kite.
But my gosh was it delicious! I really enjoyed the Italian ice + custard. I got the mango ice and vanilla custard combo and it was so good. They were perfect together! $ 4 for a little cup that was more than enough.