Rita’s Italian Ice

Rita’s and frostbites are pretty similar. My go to is the passion fruit/​mango with vanilla custard, perfect on a hot sunny day. Lots of flavor and not too sweet. Check in on Unilocal and get 10% off

Came in for our traditional, annual 1^st day of spring free ice. This might be the least busy Rita’s in the country, but that’s good for me!

Maybe I just came by at the wrong time with the wrong counter help, but I paid $ 5.29 for what was the smallest «Blizzard-​style» ice cream I’ve ever had. Way too small a portion for the price. The custard didn’t even come up three quarters the way to the top of the cup including the Snickers topping he threw in there. It tasted good, but for that cost it should be a bigger serving.

Rita’s is the greatest! Suggestions: go there and get dessert. It’s cheaper, and probably more delicious than the $ 10 option at a gourmet restaurant. My favorite is the gelati: vanilla custard with wild cherry ice. The chocolate custard is also very good by itself.
My suggestion: when you go, use Unilocal,they give you a 10% discount. Buy if you’re reading this, you probably are anyway… Also, download the Rita’s app for your phone, and you can save up for a free one :-D.

What can I say besides that I love all Rita’s locations. This one is a little bit tinier and there’s absolutely no indoor or outdoor seating which makes it a little tricky to enjoy your custard or ice. Parking is very limited.
My favorite is the gelati with wild cherry ice and vanilla custard. The custard is pretty heavy and honestly the mini is plenty to enjoy. Great when you can’t decide between slush and ice cream or froyo on a hot day! Plenty of flavors you can sample for free before you decide.
Lastly, extra kudos for his location for having the Disney pandora station on!

Tried this place after hearing so many good things and seeing it on Amber Rose’s Instagram page.
I tried their small blended custard option with chocolate yogurt, Reese’s and a dash of peanut butter.
I was expecting a more Dairy Queen taste but to my surprise it actually tastes less sweeter which I liked.
They have so many options and combinations to choose from.
The ladies here are all so sweet, helpful, and Patient especially if you can’t decide what you want to order.
Prices aren’t too bad, a little on the pricey side but I’m also frugal. A small blended custard will run you about $ 4.80 or so.

My man loves the Oreo shakes.
I think the gelatis are decent, but am largely here out of convenience for a frozen novelty. The gelatis have frozen custard layered on the bottom, italian ice in the middle, and topped with frozen custard.
Most of the chocolatey/​cake italian ice flavors are fairly chemically. Even the fruit flavors leave a bit of a chemical aftertaste. I like the dark black cherry, though.
The frozen custard is good — light, not too heavy like Shake Shack’s frozen custard.
Because of the egg shortage (avian flu, anyone?) they are currently serving frozen yogurt instead of the frozen custard — meh.
Service has always been cheerful and helpful.

The custard is seriously outstanding. I’m not sure how they make is so well, but the texture and taste is creamy, smooth, and refreshing.
The ice is pretty unique in flavors — not my favorite, but the mix between the two goes so well together.
My last visit I got the largest size, which was massive. There are 3 sizes — if you aren’t feeling that hungry, get the kiddie size!
Perfect for hot, sunny days and sad, mopey days. Either way, Rita’s is really a great dessert place to go to!

Love their Italian ice and vanilla custard. Mango and vanilla custard or just the custard are my favs! Kind of like a soft serve ice cream from mickey d’s except thicker and creamier. The Italian ice is perfect for the heat (kind of like slushy) and the custard adds perfect creaminess and milkiness. Mox them together and it reminds me of the Creamsicle I used to get when i was young.
The workers are very friendly and will help you if it’s your first time or you just don’t know what to get. Ask them!

5 stars for the product. 4 stars for the young lady (Yessenia) who waited on me. 1 star for the… service (of the other worker, Tremana)/ambiance/cleanliness/cooth.
I love Rita’s. They introduced me to the custard/​Italian Ice, and I can’t turn back. I did a double-​take when I was rolling down Pico and saw one. I turned in, pretty happy to have an after-​lunch treat.
Problem #1: When I walked in, both servers were engaged with their phones. One was sitting ON the counter. The other was in a chair. The one on the counter tried to hop off as soon as she could to wait on me. The other remained in her seat, not even looking up.
Yessenia was as pleasant as fresh peaches, welcoming me, explaining the options, and feeding me samples. It was here that I got a chance to check out the cleanliness of the restaurant. Just a bit cleaner people, please!
Problem #2: While I was making my choice, Yessenia found that she HAD to get back to her phone to text someone. What is wrong with this generation of children? Really? Control the ADHD for a minute.
Problem #3: Yessenia asked Trevana to help her by getting something out of the back. Without missing a beat, Trevana did not look up, kept playing with her phone, and said, «No.» Wow. To Yessenia’s credit, she turned to me, apologized with her eyes, did it herself, and continued to serve me.
Problem #4: She again lost focus while I was paying, beginning conversation with the seated one while she was still waiting on me.
Again, the product is fabulous. With the correct modeling and mentoring, Yessenia could be a better worker. Trevana and the dustiness of the place ruined it.

The best Italian ice and frozen custard in California! Hands down!
It’s authentic meaning made with real fruit, no nasty artificial syrups that leave your stomach aching.
The frozen custard is so silly and creamy. (It’s almost like frozen homemade whipped cream, my favorite southern dessert!)
My favorite flavor is strawberry and the Georgia Peach.
My usually is a Gelatini which is frozen custard on the bottom, hearty portion of Italian ice and then topped with frozen custard.
Vanilla is the best custard to mix with the ices. It doesn’t over power the flavor of the ice. The chocolate is strong
My family loves the watermelon chip, mango and the lemon flavor Italian ice.

Chocolate custard. Do it. Whoa.
I had it on the brownie ice (with real brownie chunks) and it was fabulous and rich and yummy.
Honestly, the ice alone doesn’t do it for me, but I do like the gelati (custard + ice) combo. I also have to praise the endless patience of the staff, who I have heard explain the concept of a gelati with a smile to confused customers numerous times. I would probably flip my lid and just tell people to read the damn sign, which very clearly explains what a gelati is.
I’m not a fan of the vanilla custard, but perhaps that’s because it tastes too rich and… custardy. I’m just looking for a rich froyo type flavor, I think.
Also I am not really into the thin waxy cups that they serve your treat in — I double-​bagged mine with their napkins and it was still too cold to hold!
Overall a pretty good dessert once in a while, and the 10% with Unilocal check-​in is a nice bonus.

YUMMM I love Italian ice! Italian ice combined with custard is the perfecttt dessert! The tart of the slushy ice goes so well with the thick creamy vanilla ice cream~
This place reminds me of Frostbite in the OC! They offer just Italian ice or Gelati (Italian ice + ice cream) and just the ice cream as well. They have other stuff but I didn’t care to look. I got the Gelati, cherry ice with vanilla ice cream. The cherry ice tasted reallyyyy good but it had yucky bits of cherry skin or something in there. Bleh. I was not a fan of that. But oh my goshhh the custard was deliciouuuuss! The smallest size is still pretty big so I suggest you share unless you have a real big sweet tooth… oh! and they also offer chocolate ice cream but I think the vanilla goes well with everything. Heh.
They have a pretty decent selection of flavors such as green apple, Georgia peach, mango, mint chip, strawberry, etc.
They alternate layers of ice cream and Italian ice so you’re getting a good mix of flavors and textures as you eat your dessert. YAY.
The workers here were so friendly and helpful! Right when we walked in they explained to us the menu and how things work and got us started with some samples.
The only downside to this place is that it’s REALLY small and there is no indoor seating! The night I went it was a bit chilly and since there is only outdoor seating we were freezing while eating our frozen dessert… haha
Parking lot is small, shared by other businesses in the same plaza but I’d say it’s pretty easy to find parking. Strange location for a dessert joint but hey, whatever works!

I first tried frozen custard in Wisconsin a few years back and immediately was relieved that we didn’t have anything like it in LA so I wouldn’t be subjected to the temptation. Oh, the temptation has arrived! And it’s a good one and well worth it!
I drive by this location twice a day and after some time, I finally popped in. It’s nothing short of amazingly delish! I tried several different flavors and even brought some ‘samples’ back to the office for colleagues to try. It was a big hit!
I really liked the mango Italian ice and the vanilla custard. Wasn’t too crazy about the sugar free varieties though.
Friendly service and easy parking. Rita’s for the win!

I’ve loved Rita’s since my college days on the east coast and in the years since then, I’ve enjoyed Rita’s any chance that I’ve gotten. So, when I happened to spot this newer location on Pico as I was driving by, I turned around to stop in.
Most of the flavors in the small case were pretty predictable but swedish fish!!! I love the candy but I was skeptical of getting a full cup of ice flavored like the gummies. After sampling it however, I was sold. I ordered a small gelati with swedish fish ice and vanilla/​chocolate swirl custard.
As usual, Rita’s didn’t disappoint. And, with Unilocal’s 10% off, it was only $ 3.50!
There are few desserts that I like more than frozen custard but combining it with italian ice just makes it even better! This location is a «pick-​up-​and-​go» type of spot as there are very few chairs inside or outside. But, it’s clean inside, the employees are friendly, and there’s a parking lot.

Frozen custard = heaven.
I’m not joking, this stuff is like ice cream only 10 times more rich. In a good way. The Italian ice combo is good but I like to get the straight custard.

Be a follower and go with the gelati. It’s simple but not. Vanilla, swirl or chocolate custard and your choice of italian ice. My yummy fave is the black cherry italian ice with vanilla custard. The bomb. Eat it together little by little and you’ll see how it offers the perfect balance.
The blendini is sort of reminiscent of DQ’s blizzard. It’s the same ingredients — choose one custard and one ice but they’re mixed together for you with whatever 1 topping or more you want. Much rather prefer the blend-​yourself version.
Parking is minimal and there is zilch seating except for a few chairs out front. Be prepared to pick up and go. In a little strip mall so not exactly a pick up and browse around while eating/​walking area either.

Great for dessert!!! The custard is very thick and creamy – and packed filled with flavor! I prefer RITA’s over a lot of «artisan» creameries. This place has a very old fashion and authentic feel — leaving you wondering had you been missing out on this sweet treat if you’re just having it for the first time.
Did not know that custard and Italian ice was a thing. Now that I know I need the world to know!!!
I really like the mango flavored ice — it went really well with my custard. There are three sizes and if u get the mix, what they do is put the custard on the bottom, ice in the middle and then custard on top again — so the ratio is just right!!!
Will be back :)

Yummy! Been excited to have a Rita’s open near me! Came here in a Friday afternoon to redeem my birthday coupon for a free italian ice, there were two awesome girls behind the counter and I sampled the lemonade ice, the twist custard and then the lemonade ice WITH the vanilla custard!
I ended up getting a gelati — vanilla custard on bottom, then ice, and then custard on top — upgraded my bday coupon and paid $ 1.58 — SO WORTH IT!
The lemonade ice was super refreshing and had tiny chunks of real lemon in it and tasted super good with the vanilla custard — like a creamsicle, but not orange flavored: D
So many things to try! Will definitely be back — parking is soo easy with their parking lot (YAY) and I don’t think the lot would ever get super crowded.

I’ve had italian custard and custard and ice places a few times and as of late I think confetti in the OC is the best. But Rita’s is a welcome addition to this area (which is west LA but not quite west enough to be Santa Monica).
In particular I really enjoy Rita’s passion fruit ice. It is tart and perfectly sweet. The custard here is pretty creamy and thick so if you’re looking for a light yogurt density then you probably want to stick with just ice.
The lemonade and watermelon are also good ice flavors!