Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices

So many choices and a perfect treat after a day at the beach. Loved the milk shake and tried the water ices. I tried mint chocolate chip and it was so good!

Decisions, decisions…
Mint Chip. Coconut. Sour Cherry. Carrot Cake. Malibu Sea Breeze. Spumoni. Lemonade. Root Beer. Mango. Strawberry Margarita. Java Chip. Cantaloupe. Mai Tai. Just a few of the flavors of italian ice at Ralph’s. Of course there are the old tried-and-true’s like Chocolate and Vanilla as well. And, as if that wasn’t enough to make your head spin, Ralph’s has soft serve, «cream ice» made with lowfat milk, classic hard-​packed ice cream, smoothies, etc.
You might want to start considering your options now, because it could take until next Wednesday to settle on just one.
Until yesterday I was unfamiliar with the Ralph’s chain. Don’t let Ralph’s humble mom-​n-​pop appearance fool you, there are actually dozens of Ralph’s Italian Ice locations all over, mostly on beaches and highways in NJ/​NY/​PA. This one is a roadside stand conveniently located on Route 36, the well-​traveled road out to Sandyhook.
$ 2.25 buys a generous serving of italian ice. I commented how inexpensive that seemed, and the teeny-​bopper behind the window informed me that Rita’s is nearly $ 5 for the same amount, and Rita’s has less flavors to choose from. How about that salesmanship; clearly Ralph’s employees are loyal.
So after tasting about a half dozen flavors (my orthodontic equipment-​adorned italian ice pusher was more than happy to doll out as many samples as I liked) I settled on the sugar-​free mint chip: smooth, cool and refreshing, with little chocolate chips throughout. Somehow it didn’t have that «sugar free» chemical taste. Perfect for a hot day… good decision.
I will definitely stop here again… great decision.