Rita’s Ice & Custard

It was near 100 degrees outside and I was actually looking for something to eat when I stumbled across Ritas. Heck with food. The idea of having something cool and refreshing won out.
I grew up in Eastern PA about an hour from where Rita’s got started but Rita’s didn’t expand into my hometown until after I moved away so this is my first experience with them.
This store is located right off of Monroe Rd in a part of the Galleria shopping center (Jimmie Johns on one side and Tony’s Pizza on the other).
They list the daily ice flavors on the wall right where you order. There were lots of fruity flavors today: Peach, Wild Black Cherry. Key Lime, Lemonade and a few others. I decided to go for a combo of Wild Black Cherry and Key Lime. I was sort of looking for the cherry limeade thing.
The cherry had bits of real cherries in it which was a pleasant surprise. The ice was flavorful but not overly sweet which is my problem with a lot of frozen desserts. And the combo did the trick in cooling me off from an insanely hot day.
The only thing that could have made this better is if they could have swirled the flavors together. Something to work on, maybe!

OMG! This place’s signature item — a layered parfait of creamy lusciousness and refreshing tasty ices should not be missed, unless one wants to live longer!

It’s great to see Rita’s livening up this corner of Plaza-​Midwood. While chain businesses are usually not my faves, for some reason Rita’s chain-​status doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Maybe it’s because the people who work here are so darn nice – just like you would expect to see at a local mom and pop ice cream parlor.
I, unfortunately, missed the free custard week, but walked down here with my family in tow for a little Saturday night treat last week. Despite having a line out the door and down the sidewalk, everyone who worked behind the counter was so nice and helpful – no pushiness at all. And the owner of the place seemed so thrilled that everyone wanted to be there. Adorable! There were lots of kids there, of course, but everyone really seemed on their best behavior. The place just had a great energy to it.
I got the lowfat vanilla and strawberry swirl custard, and it was really good. Given the excellent texture and flavor or the vanilla, it was really hard to believe it was lowfat (well done!) It seemed that everyone around me had bought the gelati (a mixture of custard and italian ice), so maybe that’s one to try next.
So, nice work, Rita’s. Glad to have you in the hood.

I was pretty blown away by Rita’s… after finding my hunger to not be satisfied after my dinner meal, we headed over to Rita’s after realizing that Matthews does not really have a good frozen yogurt place in its vicinity… or at least one that is listed on Unilocal (we didn’t try too hard).
There is a Rita’s up near my work location in the University area but I’ve never been so it was pretty cool coming in and trying a new place out.
We walked in about 10min to closing but the staff greeted us warmly and there was a sort of a big line (a big family was in front sampling the different flavors). They let us cut in, but I didn’t know what I wanted myself and the girl behind the counter gave us the standard run-​down. I decided to go with the Gelati with mango ice and the vanilla custard on top… AWESOME. The custard on it’s own was very creamy… dunno if I would be able to handle it on its own, but it complemented the ice very well.
Definitely a fan — will have to come back and the flavors are ever changing apparently.

LOVE Rita’s! I thought they only had Rita’s up north so when I moved here and drove past I had to turn around quickly and get my butt over there. I get the Cherry and Vanilla Gelati every time I go. I really want to try one of their many other flavors but then I start to get food anxiety and worry about if it will be as good as the cherry so I stick with old faithful and it’s always terrific. This is a perfect treat for your mouth on a hot day or if you’re a weirder like me, in the winter.

My love affair with Rita’s started when I was still in college in MD. My friends who grew up there introduced us and there has been no looking back since! We’ve rendezvoused all over MD and at the Jersey Shore and to my surprise she followed me when I relocated to Charlotte.
I love this location, the staff are always so helpful and the manager is really friendly. And they are open year round, unlike the locations I used to frequent back in the day. Cookies and cream, cream ice is AMAZING! I love it and I so rarely happen to catch it. Another fave is the pink grapefruit water ice, but again very hard to find. But seriously I could eat any of the water ice, and I usually get 2 flavors in one cup. Or if I am not in the mood for ice, well the custard is so creamy and delish you can’t go wrong with a twist and some sprinkles!

For you sweet lovers… try it out!
They have different flavors almost everyday so you can keep coming back and try a new one each time.
I love the Gelati which is custard with the Italian Ice layer and I’m a huge fan of Cherry… it takes me back to the days of the Creamsicle… come on you loved Creamsicles growing up.
Nice: You can actually sign up and they will email you when they make your favor flavor so if you are craving it, they will let you know when it is ready. Also, If you’ve got kids they will let you try ever flavor if you want before your kid makes the a choice and waste your money.

I have been on the prowl for custard. Sweet, creamy, bad for me custard. I’ve really missed it since my days at UW in Madison, WI. Thanks to Rita’s, I’ve gotten my fix!
Rita’s is just the ticket for a scorching hot day — it’s bright and cheery interior just cooled and calmed me down instantly. The ice offerings are laid out in front, behind the clear case, while the custard options are spun out of a soft serve machine behind the counter. There were a plethora of options and combinations to choose from, and I was sincerely awestruck. Thanks to the sweet girls who worked at Rita’s I was able to taste a few different options and put my order in for a kid’s size cup with swirl custard, crushed Oreos and hot fudge.
Oh.My.Goodness. It was tasty and creamy and down right heavenly. The kid’s cup is 4 ounces — which was plenty for me, especially with the toppings I chose. Custard is definitely different than standard ice cream and it was such a treat to take a trip back to my ‘sconnie days.
I give a hell yeah to Rita’s. Great custard, tasty ices (I tried hubs’ delicious Gelati — flavored ice topped with a scoop of custard) and sweet service.

In typical Charlottean fashion, Rita’s Italian Ice was brought to us by our Northern bretheren who missed their ices and custards. Being a NC native who never tasted frozen custard, I was enthusiastic about trying this Philadelphia chain. Now I’m certain that ices and custards will become part of our diverse ‘New South’ palate.
Whoa, is it good! Italian ice, or as they call it in Philly «water ice», is not quite a sorbet, but not quite a Icee slushee. It’s fruity, but not artifically flavored. The water ices come in several varieties, including mango, raspberry, and a rotation of exotic fruit flavors. Frozen custard has the consistency of soft-​frozen mousse. The custard is available in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and sometimes coffee. I would highly recommend the mango ice and vanilla custard gelati. It’s the perfect mix of cream and fruit.
The staff is young and perky. They’re quick to offer the ‘frequent flyer miles’ card for regular patrons that entitle you to a tenth item for free. The only dislike I have is the price. The gelati is nearly $ 5 and smallish. Still, it’s somewhere I would go on regular basis to branch out from my regular frozen staples, like ice cream and yogurt.

While visiting Charlotte from home on the west coast,
this was certainly one of the stops I liked most.
Do try the gelati; it is ever so nice,
with its decadent custard and smooth tasty ice.
The great many flavors can make it tough to choose,
but each of them’s awesome, so you really can’t lose.
Check out the selection; try a sample or three…
the service is perfect, as friendly as could be.
Younger customers aren’t overlooked ’cause they’re small;
they’re perhaps those accommodated most of all.
With cartoons on the tube and a handy stepstool,
this would be a fine place for a treat after school.
has the current info,
like flavors of the day, to keep you in the know.
I can’t wait for Rita’s to arrive in CA;
I’d be tempted to try something new every day.
product: 5 stars
value: 4 stars
service: 5 stars
P. S. You can sign up in-​store for «favorite flavors» emails, to be notified on days they’re selling your fave!

Italian ice or custard. If you like either, you NEED to try this place! If you like both, you can get both in one cup! (Gelati) The flavor is outrageously perfectly good. What they’re known for is the Mango flavored Italian Ice. I had that with Vanilla flavored custard, and I had not had such a great dessert in a long while. This place will cheer you up when you are down. The taste is heavenly, the service is quick and friendly, the interior is clean and fun. GREAT place for kids. That is if you don’t mind them running all over the place for the next several hours. =)