Rita’s Italian Ice

To bed thy closed we missed them this summer last year we enjoy them so much. Wish that thay will come back next year.

I stopped by this location eagerly ready to devour some Italian ice. Sadly, I found it to be boarded up and closed. The sign, however, is still up and there’s absolutely nothing on the building saying it’s closed, or where the nearest location is. It’s even still listed on Rita’s website as location in Alexandria. And, if you use the GPS app, Waze, it will direct you to this Rita’s.

Love this place. Had my first gelati, blendini, custard cone, everything «Rita’s» at this location. So delicious and I’m bummed it’s closed. I’ve been waiting for it to open to get my free cone :(Open it back!!!

I love this place! There jelato is is best! Specialy the mango.
And the staff are supper friendly.
Overall inexpensive place for a yummy Italian ice cream.
They definitely getting my 5 stars.
Thanks you ritas for keeping me cool in august (:

I love Ritas but… Last night I went to place a order for my family and the Chinese guy literally shut the window and walked off. The other associate proceeded to take the group behind me order. I had to cut the associate off and ask for the guy at the window, we were ready to order. We were told he’s not coming back for another 10mins Rude. He closed the window no words or nothing just walked off as if he didn’t see the 5 of us. This Ritas need some help.

Very fun and tasted place for all ages. The staff is always super friendly. It’s nice you can taste any flavor you want before buying something. Each year they come out with new flavors which always blow me away. Their ice is very good. It’s not quite the same as classic Italian ice you get in New York, but it’s very good.
If you’re a first timer, get a gelati. Then you can try ice and custard. Remember, it’s frozen custard, NOT ice cream. Very different and much better.
If I were to recommend three flavors, they would be: 1. Juicy pear 2. Florida orange 3. Coconut cream. If they have orange custard, GET IT! It’s like eating one of those orange icicles with cream inside. So good!

What can I say? Rita’s easily offers the BEST Italian ice anywhere. You really can’t go wrong here, in terms of the quantity and quality of flavors offered for both their custards and ices. I usually get green apple, wild black cherry, or strawberry margarita ice, although honestly, I’d eat any of their flavor selections. Nothing compares to the sweet, refreshing satisfaction of Rita’s, especially on a hot, humid summer day in the DC area. Rita’s truly is happiness ;)

OMG there is nothing on this earth like the sour apple gelato from Rita’s! Craving it so badly now. SOUR APPLE, yum.

Rita’s is officially opened for the season! This stand offers Italian ice, cream ice, sugar-​free alternatives, frozen custard, sundaes, gelati, Mistos, Blendinis, milk shakes, and a variety of toppings to top your frozen treat. My husband and I shared the vanilla custard with layered caramel sauce — loved the thick drizzle of the caramel, and the layering option that has the caramel woven in and out — yum! The custard itself is more on the heavier side. You can always request samples of their flavors of the Italian ice if you’re curious as well. The female employee here is very friendly and awesome!
+free samples!

I love the cherry italian ice flavor and regular gelato. Convenient location and nice crew always!

We stopped by after a yummy Lighthouse Tofu dinner to satisfy a sweet craving.
We’d never had frozen custard before so we weren’t sure what to expect. I loved the smooth creaminess of the vanilla custard. I got it topped with strawberries in a thick, sweet syrup. I liked the combination of the not overly sweet custard with the sweet strawberry topping.
I’m looking forward to trying other combinations and flavors.

Pros: Gelati and frozen custard were deelish. Staff was polite. Parking was easy.
Cons: It’s a walk-​up window and it can get very cold waiting in line, especially when it is March during the longest, coldest NoVA winter ever.

If you’re craving for dessert and you’re around the Alexandria/​Annandale area, make a stop at Rita’s! The menu ranges from Italian ice, cream ice, frozen custard, sundaes (with unlimited toppings!), gelato, blendinis, milkshakes, and frozen lemonades.
The menu can be a little overwhelming due to the different flavors and combinations you can choose from. I typically get the gelati — Italian ice with vanilla custard on top. I’ve yet to try all the flavors, but my favorites are strawberry, black cherry, and mango. The service is quick and friendly, and there’s limited seating (benches and tables) outside of it.

Fast friendly service. Nothing like some frozen custard on a hot summer day!

My first time having Rita’s and I loved it!
Although it is located in a confusing shopping center, the service makes up for all of its downfalls. The employees were all very nice and helped recommend a flavor.
The only downside is the seating. When we came by, there were about 3 – 4 families already there, so we decided to sit on the curb.
Some of these customers were very difficult to deal with, but the employees were still courteous about it.
Definitely visiting again.

I dunno. I do like me some great ice cream but this place just wasn’t all that (I guess the reviews here made my expectations a tad high).
The people working the counter were great with their descriptions of the different items on the menu but ours just weren’t that great.
If you’re in the area is worth the stop, but its not worth a trip out.

Good service. Awesome custard.

OMG! Coming from Hawaii and being a huge fan of shave ice, this is the next best thing! They always have an awesome variety of flavors and always changing and adding new ones. Today is was 100 degrees and an amazing treat! In the summer I love their fruit flavors, currently cantaloupe, but my absolute favorites are their cream ice flavors. Carmel apple and pumpkin pie are AMAZING!
The service is always great, and friendly, and even if there is a huge line they offer you samples.

My 200^th Review! YEAH RITA’S!
I’m so glad Rita’s is finally starting to expand to other places in the country. I grew up on this stuff in Philly and I still remember going to other places in the country and trying to explain water ice (we call it wooder ice of course) to someone and they just don’t understand. Is it like ice cream? No! Is it like a snow cone? No! Is it like an ice-​ee? NOO! It’s Rita’s and there is nothing like it!
My favorite thing to get is a gelato with the vanilla custard. Seriously… that custard is no joke! I think I’ve tried just about every flavor. The fruity ones are really good too (peach, mango). They also have sugar free options available. The chocolate is not bad although I know many people who dislike the chocolate.
Thank you Ritas for finally expanding outside of Philly and bringing me a little taste of home

One of my Philadelphia favorites is in the DC area. I can’t believe it. WOOO HOOOO!!!
This is NOT your typical frozen yogurt, soft-​serve ice cream joint. It’s Rita’s «Italian ice» or «water ice». When I lived in Philly, this was a seasonal favorite, also the place where Rita’s got its start. It’s seasonal because it’s open only during the summer. The other thing that makes this place distinctive is it’s frozen custard… which uses eggs in addition to the usual milk/​cream and sugar of ice cream or frozen yogurt.
The unrivaled taste and consistancy of the water ice and frozen custard is unbelievably rewarding treat.
There’s the Italian ice, which is not like shaved ice because it’s made like ice cream… that is slowly churned and frozen to develop small ice crystals. There are several different flavors avaiable.
Then there’s the Gelati which is basically a layer of frozen custard, water ice, and topped with another layer of frozen custard. It’s like a 3-​in-​1 treat… because you can eat just the frozen custard, or just the water ice, or mix it together for a whole different taste. I’d say this is Rita’s most popular signature treat.
Then there’s the Mistos, which is basically the same thing as a Gelati, except all mixed up like a milk shake so you can drink it from a straw.
I’m so psyched to find this place and I’m definitely coming back for more. If you feel like a nice cool treat, I can HIGHLY recommend this place.