Rita’s Italian Ice

Went to a quick drive to the beach and made a quick stop here. Got to try a couple of samples and opted to order the same flavor as last time. So I got the cherry flavor with custard and it was delicious and refreshing. I’m glad they will be opening a few locations back home.

First time trying frozen custard. The attendant suggested the mango gelati: layered custard with mango ice. Delicious! Like a mango version of a creamsicle, only better.

Yum Love Ritas.
Everything is good. Creamy great tastes.
This location has drive thru which is convenient. We like to go up to window and see the flavors and specials of the day. Have a seat at one of tables and enjoy.

What a let down. Visited at 7pm Nov 16, 2015
2 employees in the shop. Employee «A» up front and working hard to take care of the customers. Employee «B» with the long black dreads sitting in the back eating and watching employee «A» work her ass off.
She sees us looking at her and walks up, stands behind employee «B» with her hands on hip. «A» asked «B» to help make a serving and she does but as she is doing it she got some Italian ice on her hand and licked her fingers then walks over and serves the Italian ice to a customer. GROSS.
We then place our order to employee «A» but employee «B» starts to make mine and I asked her to please stop and let «A» make it because I saw her lick her fingers and never wash her hands. «B» gives me this smart ass look and says «I did in the back» which we know is BS because we watched her the whole time.
As usual … The Italian ice is always delicious.
Employee «A» did not have a name tag but was really working hard and was very polite.
Don’t think I would go back to this location. Who knows what else she has done without washing her hands.

Closest you’re gonna get to a real NY Italian ice. Fresh ingredients … you can taste real bits of fruit. I love this place!

An absolute fraud! It doesn’t deserve one star, it deserves no star. Rita’s doesn’t have custard at all. I asked for a blendini with all custard and was charged the upcharge for all custard. I saw a sign, far from the menu, after I paid for my ‘all custard’ that said they did not have custard. The sign stated that custard is being replaced with soft serve. I should have been told that they did not have what I ordered. The sign stating that they did not have custard should be placed by the menu. McDonalds sells soft serve. I certainly did not drive to Rita’s for soft serve. Extremely disappointed!

Do not come here and order a delicious Italian Ice with creamy custard on the top and bottom. I’m telling you, DON’T DO IT. Because if you do, you will become an addict much like myself.
It’s $ 4.00 for a small so it’s pricey but that’s why they call it a treat.
My personal favorite is the black cherry and the florida orange.

Miserable HOT day in Florida… Just became much better after gulping down a few mango ices! Their Blendini is off the charts also! Nicely done Rita!

Yum! Who doesn’t love Rita’s on a hot hot day?!
This is the perfect after beach treat. You are leaving Clearwater and it is right on the way out of town. You order in the drive-​thru or at the walk up window. There is no inside or bathroom for guests so don’t come here looking to change out of your wet suit.
If you’ve never been, Gelati is the way to go. Mistos are also nice if you want more of a blended drink. Mango or cherry are the best ice flavors. The custard is very thick and whipped tasting so don’t expect a typical soft serve texture.

Gelati is a thing that I have only found in Florida… why — I have no idea. I can’t see this not selling like hotcakes no matter where you were. Gelati is this amazing thing with frozen custard on the bottom, flavored Italian ice in the middle and frozen custard on top. The result is a creamy, icy delicious thing that I have only been able to find in Florida. Rita’s is also this great place that rotates flavors of their homemade Italian Ice daily. When I come to Florida, this is a must-​have for me. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to buy a Rita’s and bring this amazingness to Chicago. I know we ourselves are frozen ½ the year — but people here still eat froyo and ice cream — why not gelati?

I had a half cotton candy and watermelon gelati… and it was ok. The custard cream was too thick and the flavored ice was generic tasting. Plus a medium sized two flavored gelati was $ 4. Anything that’s out of the machine and priced that way is a bit overboard. I mean it’s frozen ice for crying out loud. I wish they had a seprocks snow in Clearwater… they’d make a killing.

I have cravings for their piña colada or mango ices! Rita’s is number one! I have tried the custard with ice… and it is also amazing. What makes Rita’s so special is that it is a slushy icy treat. It is not a sno-​cone or brick of Italian ice that you need to scrape. Rita’s slush has even little pieces of fruit in the slush. My mouth is watering now thinking about the flavor.

Ok so Italian ice and custard don’t sound like they would be amazing but somehow they are. I planned on ordering just the Italian ice, but I’m so glad I tried it! I don’t remember the flavor, but I don’t think it matters much I’m sure it’s all a fantastic treat!

This does not taste like frozen custard, it’s more like cool whip. I prefer purdy’s. Dollar for dollar even mcdonalds is better.

I am a big fan of frozen treats, so naturally, Rita’s was a leading contender to steal my heart. It did.
I had Rita’s for the first time at a Clearwater Threshers game back in 2012, and it was love at first bite. More often that not, I make a point to stop in at the Clearwater location when I find myself in the area.
The Mango is my absolute favorite, and the Georgia Peach is excellent as well. Make it a Gelati and you won’t be sorry: this magical creation consists of a layer of frozen custard on the bottom, followed by your choice of italian ice, follow by a dollop of frozen custard on top. It. Is. Beautiful.

I can’t believe Rita’s is franchised. They have various items for reasonable prices. My favorite is frozen custard. It is very creamy but not heavy and not too sweet. I made a mistake ordering a large size… it is huge and I obviously could not finish. Good place to grab a dessert to cool you down after the beach!

I enjoy the various options here. I am personally partial to the rootbeer gelato. The custard and rootbeer mix perfectly. However hey the soft serve sundaes are also delicious. The staff there are usually younger girls I’m guessing on their side jobs between school. This can lead to tedious interactions have to re explain your order to a slightly ditzy girl. But at the end of the day this place will satisfy most if not all of you desert needs and is nice to pick up on the way to the beach. (In the summer the beach traffic is horrible so the treats help pass the time)
Highly recommended.

Fantastic! This place is only 6 minutes from my house. I am originally from Philly & love this piece of home.

I pass by Rita’s everyday on my way to work but due to my attempt at avoiding sweets, I only come here as a treat and not on a regular basis. There’s no indoor seating here, either you order in drive thru or sit at one of the outdoor tables. They have about 10 rotating flavors on the menu as well as custard and shakes. I love the black cherry ice with chocolate custard mix, but really the flavor combos you can make here are endless.
Rita’s is a fun place for everyone to enjoy, especially on the way to the beach

Why 5 stars? Because this is the best ice cream ever.
— — —
This is a mandatory stop anytime I’m at the beach.
Every single time, I get a MISTO SHAKE and it is possibly my favorite dessert of all-​time. The cool thing is that they change the flavors constantly, but there’s usually about ten different ones to choose from.
I’m shocked that the location in Tampa and the other location in Clearwater shut down — this place is amazing, but I am selfishly glad that more people don’t know about it, because it should have lines wrapped around the building every day.