Not a personal fan :( Tried coming here as I love Italian ice but the flavor I wanted wasn't available and when I asked if they switched flavors every day (so I can come back a different day to try) I was told they switch out flavors as they run out/sell out of an available flavor for the day which sucks because then I'll never know when I'll be able to try the flavor I wanted. Overall, tried a couple of options and ended up with the blue berry and green apple - it was okay, I'd give it a 3/5 but not something I'd crave or see myself getting again. read more

I have heard of Rita's for quite some time now but never got the chance to try it. After lunch with hubby and our friends, we wanted dessert. We saw someone walk past us with Rita's and it looked so good we decided to go and give it a try! Hubby and I ordered a Gelati. I only had a small because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish a bigger size. I got half and half custard (chocolate and vanilla), with green apple and lemon Italian ice. I really really love the custard! It's soo smooth and delicious! The Italian ice is good as well! It's a great combination, but for me, I believe that I will enjoy them separately more. Next time depending on what I'm craving, I will most likely come back for more, because that custard was just spectacular! Yumm! read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

How have I live here this long and never visited Rita's ?! I ordered the vanilla gelato and mango ice combo! It was SO GOOD! Perfect for a hot... actually even a cold day! I "accidentally" got a large and could not finish it.... I put it in the freezer and ate it the next day and it was still good! I can't wait to be back to try the other flavors! Kudos to the worker there for dealing with my indecisiveness like a champ haha! She was super sweet and nice! I will be back soon :) read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Frozen custard in a waffle cone was DELICIOUS - smooth and creamy. Customer service - awful. I walked in and waited at least 5 mins thinking the person working there was in the back on a work thing...when I finally called out he came out, not looking up, playing some kind of game on his phone. I told him what I wanted (it's a good thing I knew because I doubt he would've been keen to help me choose something), he made it, rang me up, and while ringing me up - still playing his game! It was $10 for the cone and again, it was really good but I had to take off 2 stars because I couldn't believe the level of service I received. Don't let me even get started with the fact he didn't wash his hands. Luckily for me he didn't touch the actual cone because it was wrapped in paper but I doubt he would've touched it otherwise. Pretty gross. read more

Rita's suck in comparison to Joes Italian in Anaheim. I was expecting a close comparison. I didn't ask for an Icee like the ones you'd get from a 7 eleven though that's pretty much what I received. The Italian ice didn't hold its form. I was expecting Italian ice especially as advertised as being a pioneer for the best Italian ice on the market. Yes, I was expecting way more. Now, if one can get a Joes Italian franchise up north it'll be the next best thing since sliced bread . The one plus and take away from this experience, is the middle eastern gal working the shift alone was sweet, cute and nice. read more

I was super stoked for Italian Ice to finally come to the Bay! I think there have been a couple of very small places that have come and gone or have been nowhere near where I live (to be fair, this isn't anywhere near I live either, but it wasn't far from where I was going that day). When they had their 1 year anniversary, I finally made it over to check it out! They were serving $1 Italian Ice and $2 Gelati all day for the occasion. I was pretty disappointed that there were only 6 flavors and almost all of them were already out. Considering they were open for at least another 4-5 hours when I got there, I think they should have restocked. I think in actuality there were only 3 choices when I was there, so that was disheartening. There really wasn't much of a line which was great. In fact, they seemed to be outside the store with balloons and signs promoting the anniversary with additional staff encouraging people in the shopping plaza to come in, so I don't feel like they were overwhelmed with the turnout that day so I don't think that explains the lacklusterness. The flavors I tried weren't very good unfortunately. They were overly sweet, but also not flavorful? It was a weird combo. The Mango flavor was decent though, so I got that one with vanilla frozen custard. The gelati combo is the jam though, and if you're coming here, I definitely suggest the upgrade! There's not really any seating here which was awful because it was freezing that day (super weird for mid June!) and we had to eat ours in the plaza huddled under another business's awning. It was incredibly windy in this plaza since it's right on the water. I wanted to LOVE this Rita's because as a native East Coast girl, it's something I crave and get nostalgic for, but unfortunately, this just missed the mark. I've been to other Rita's locations before, but there's usually way more flavors (like easily at least double). The cooler here only accommodates 6 flavors, so this was not just a one-off for the anniversary. I think this is the norm at this location. They do serve regular ice cream and some other stuff too, but I didn't drive all the way over there for ice cream. I came for the Italian Ice! Rita's, I want you to stay in the Bay and expand even to the the other side of the Caldecott, but please oh please, you gotta commit to Italian Ice and Gelati and get these Cali folks on board. Do yourself a flavor and serve more (and better) flavors. Thank you! read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Mango Italian Ice + Vanilla Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Wow ! All I can say. I pass this place all the time and never thought to stop although I love italian ice. I was here for the tree lighting and decided to stop. They have so many options. I opted for cherry and mango no custard , the perfect combo it was so good my mom went to get her own. My kids opted for the blue one no custard. The blue one was okay perfect for kids. The small is a good enough size its almost $5. We all really enjoyed it and will definitely be back. read more

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Always wanted to give this place a try. Creamy goodness, I would try the pistachio flavor it was delicious. Service was good but I felt pressured to get more than I needed, clearly not a bad thing if you're up for it. I'm sure this place gets busy in the summer and I'll be back to check on it! read more

Surprisingly not crowded for a warm summer weekend day. Rita's is conveniently located off the shoreline park in a shopping center. Their gelati was a refreshing mix of Italian ice (basically an very finely shaved ice) and creamy custard. They allow you to sample flavors of the Italian ice. I got the blue raspberry and vanilla custard. The custard was pretty heavy and rich, like eating a cold whipped cream, so I ended up discarding most of the custard. The amount I did eat was delicious with the Italian ice and just the treat needed after a visit to the shoreline. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Gelati - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Rita's is THE stop for a quick sweet tooth craving! The service has never been an issue at this location -- the workers behind the counter are friendly and I've been here time and time again. Interior is a little small. It's more of a stop & go type of spot. My go-to order is the gelati with mango Italian ice + vanilla frozen custard, which is really refreshing and never disappoints! The custard is buttery smooth and rich, and good to eat on its own. I've also recently tried the green apple Italian ice flavor, which was good but did have a bit of a syrupy aftertaste. I have yet to try the flavored frozen custards, but they do offer a good variety that all look tasty. read more

Overjoyed that there's a Rita's in my area now! I used to go to Rita's at the top of the hill next to CSUEB (when I was in college), for my icey-creamy fix but now that there is a Rita's in Alameda I don't have to go very far at all. Rita's is totally drool-worthy, picture-worthy frozen desserts and these shops are few and far apart so it's always a good treat to have some. While they are totally perfect for presentation- I do have my qualms with quality of the flavors - they are not as fruity and intense as Flavor Brigade and the custard isn't as cold, but then again Flavor Brigade isn't in Alameda so this new Rita's is as good as it gets in the area! read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

So I'm bumping this back up to 3 stars. I'm all about second(or in this case third)chances. I really love this place. But for while I'd been met by surly servers. Or ones that didn't fill the pint fully when you're paying ten bucks for it. So, I was back at the south shore center picking up a pizza. That's my little pilgrimage there to get mod pizza and Rita's. So I thought; lemme go see what a visit to Rita's is like today. Total 180. The fellow serving was inviting, efficient and friendly. Filled the pint to overflowing. Overcompensating perhaps due to reviews... Perhaps. Dunno. Anyway that's more like it. You just won a customer back. Because I really like the product. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Hole in the ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Drove 30 mins just for them to be closed 30 minutes early? Super disappointing didn't even answer the phone who wanted to check if they were closing. read more

Best I've ever had! So many options to choose from. Friendly customer service Hits the spot every time! Great location too.

If you're looking for a sweet treat while shopping around Alameda's Southshore Shopping Mall then Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is the place to go. All house made and friendly service at this location. I asked what the most popular Italian ice was and the kind worker said it was Strawberry or Margarita/Lime and he let us even sample before deciding on what we wanted. I opted for the Strawberry with Frozen Custard. It was a good mixture of creamy and icey. It got windy towards the end so I couldn't eat mine fast enough. I think they also service ice creams and cakes too! read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Strawberry Italian Ice with Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Love Rita's frozen Italian ice. It's the perfect treat for these sweltering summer days. It's also located in the mall right next to the beach so it's an awesome treat to have under the hot sun. This branch is small and has limited flavors daily. I had the cantaloupe with custard and it was delicious. The custard is thick and creamy, perfect texture, while the Italian ice is never crunchy, melts in your mouth evenly and coated with flavor. It's not like ordinary shaved ice where you get some bland crunchy ice bites. It's way better! However by the end of the cup I was getting a headache from the sugar overload. They don't post it but they have a kids size and I think that's perfect for one serving. The small is a little big. One thing they can improve on is the social distancing measures they take. They serve 2 groups of costumers at a time no matter how big the group is and it felt a little crowded ordering. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

First time here with a friend as I've heard of Rita's but never experienced it. Neither of us have. Malaysia waited on us and was Super pleasant, patient and has a lovely smile. She allowed us to sample several flavors and never seemed to become bothered. Friend settled on PB custard with Chocolate soft serve. I got the Mango ice with the vanilla soft serve. Let me tell you about this soft serve - it is like something you've never had before. It's thicker than regular soft serve and extremely velvety, It's crazy! It was tasty but I will honestly say either can stand alone - meaning you can't lose if you choose to get either the ice or soft serve and won't be disappointed. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - This is our Awesome server Malaysia - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Worst customer service experience i ever had. the employee literally was so standoffish and unhelpful. we asked if we could have different cups and we're even willing to pay for them and she refused lol. just gave us each cups after to put our drinks in. we wanted the open top lids so we could spoon out the shaved ice. the young lady was not helpful at all. it was so bad i would give it a 0 but i can't so i give it a 1. The cotton candy flavor was good though. i'll just have to go to another rita's read more

A new dessert place in South Shore Center. Thanks for the person who wrote that it was near the play area because I had a hard time finding it. The customer service was excellent. The server kept reminding us to try different flavors. The iced were very flavorful. I was craving ice cream so I stick to those flavors. I ended up with the cookies and cream, but I must admit I wasn't a fan of any of the ice cream flavors. They fell flat for me so Ai can only give 3 stars. They told me they make new flavors everyday. I will have to give them another try. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Kids size. Cookies and cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

This is the best frozen custard everr!!! This is our feel good spot so many fresh and delicious things to chose from. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Peanut butter ice cream with twistso delicious - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

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Location is brilliant... in front of the only play ground at South Shore. Got a hard pack scoop that seemed a little on the small side. Tried the salted caramel and Coffee crunch. Unsure of what's the difference between custard and regular ice cream but good non the less. There's extremely limited seating with one table that has only 3 chairs and a small kids table. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

The Gelati is amazing. Its Custard on Top, Italian Ice in the middle, and Custard on the bottom. The thickness of the custard with its semi sweet taste is a good contrast to the delectable and easy to digest Italian ice. They just work so well together. I highly recommend getting this one. I tried Italian ice on its own because at first, the machine wasn't working and it was decent. It was good, nothing special. But my friends convinced me to get the Gelati once the machine was working again, and wow, absolutely no regrets. Its wonderful. Price is around $5 for everything, and its great! I can see why people go so often. read more

The soft serve custard was good (not great) and my partner wasn't too impressed with the shave ice flavors. But willing to go back and give it another shot for sure. I'll try the custard scoops next time. But very rich and satisfying for what it is! read more

Great water ice for all to enjoy. This little shop serves water ice, soft serve ice cream, good old fashion ice cream. My suggested flavor of water ice is kiwi strawberry but they all tend to taste pretty good. Customer service is great and we always feel welcomed! They have a little playground outside for kids as well. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

The location in Alameda is good af. The one in Brentwood is trash. The employees aren't that welcoming or friendly (at Alameda location) but idc as long as my order is right and good lol read more

I will probably upgrade to more stars if I get to go back and get my own order! Daughter got a large cherry ice with the swirl custard on top. I only got a tiny taste of it, so I can't really tell you how refreshing it is or how it tasted. It's located across the play area for the kids and it's the perfect location for a snack after the kids are done playing. What's a good flavor combo? Give me some suggestions so that I can properly rate them. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Taste: 5 Value: 4 Service: fine So, I'm all about the frozen custard. I've had the most authentic and creamy versions in thw midwest. Needless to say, I was excited to try this combination with Italian ice. Overall, I would say that the combination is a winner. The custard really carries the dessert and the creaminess helps you cut down the sweetness of the Italian ice. Just like boba has current sweetness levels, I think I would say this is 100% and I wish it had been closer to 75%. Mango is the ultimate flavor of all time though! read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Smal little shop with not much seating so be prepared to walk/eat those calories. I tried the hawaiian punch ice and it was good but wasn't feeling it. I got the swirl vanilla/chocolate soft serve and it was great. Not too sweet and just the right consistency. It's pricey but what isn't nowadays?! Located in front of the children's play area. read more

Custard was good. But employees were rude. We came in and there was no one else in the building. Both the girls in there gave dirty looks to me and my BF. And one of the girls was just sitting on the back counter on her phone ??? Idek if she worked there but she was rude either way. Ambiance was attitude filled. read more

Oops, another long overdue review... The first time I tried Rita's was at a friend's house in SoCal, when it was 101 degrees out. Needless to say, Rita's was a welcome treat. I was excited to find out that Rita's would be opening at Southshore. Rita's is located near the play area. If you're coming from the parking area, it'll be in the little alleyway (or whatever it's called) between Bed Bath & Beyond and Sweethoney. I went when Rita's had its soft opening. Their ice and custard are both really good, but my favorite is the blood orange ice. The store is pretty small and there's not a lot of seating, but there's plenty of outdoor seating at Southshore so it's not a big deal. read more

If someone is willing to pay $5 for a "latte" please don't complain about prices here. Great staff, mango ice was the best! And the custard was really really delicious Will definitely come back again for custard on top of custard read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Something mango I've ordered, but that Custard... it is DELICIOUS - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

I had the vanilla frozen custard, pie crust pieces and toffee pieces in a waffle cone. 11/10 Very creamy and delicious read more

My favorite place to drop by is Rita's! My first visit was so memorable because of the smoothest and creamiest soft serve I've ever eaten. Yesterday, $4.89 for a small cup. It has gotten smaller in portion but it is still the best. It will be a place to stop by no matter what. Chocolate soft serve. Yummy. read more

Awesome place and great location right in front of a small children's play area. The staff are always friendly as well. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Menu with lots of yummy options. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

Walking through the Center, I noticed a line in front of this store next to Children's Play area by Bed Bath & Beyond. Decided to check it out and it was the Alameda store opening for Rita's Italian Ice. From reading the wall placards, Rita's originated in Philadelphia and is known for its Italian Ice and Frozen Custard. Their other menu items include milkshakes, sundaes, frozen custard cakes, custard cookies and layered gelati. You can choose from a variety of Italian Ice flavors and the frozen custard comes in soft serve vanilla, chocolate and swirl and hand-scooped in a variety of flavors. To celebrate its grand opening today, they were offering small Italian Ice for $1 and Frozen Custard for $2. I got a swirl Frozen Custard in a cone. Compared to regular soft serve ice cream, the Frozen Custard tasted richer, thicker and denser. It's was very good, but at a regular price of $4.49 plus tax for a small, it is on the pricey side. I will probably be back to try the Italian Ice. read more

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The gelati is delicious and my favorite. The cones are good too but only order the small. If u order the large you will get the same amount as a small so don't waste your money. read more

Pros: friendly and fast service Good creamy soft serve Good Italian ice Many flavors Cons: tad bit too sweet but that's what dessert is supposed to be, I suppose read more

Hey Rita, Confession. First time I came by and visited you... I was upset. Oh so upset. Nothing to do with you mind you. I was upset at my friends who never told me about you. Upset that nobody told me of this incredible goodness that is this Frozen Custard, Ice mix called the Gelati. What in the world, how is this so good. If you offered me just flavored ice, i would have balked. But this soft serve custard and blood orange ice combo just blew my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Oh why are you so good and why are you so expensive. Ah.. just take my money and come to me! read more

Rita's is a great addition to South Shore and just in time for summer fun! I have been to Rita's in Maryland, Castro Valley, and Fremont. Cute, clean shop. The servers were patient and helpful with suggestions. There are a lot of options and flavors to sample. A little bit on the pricy side. I had a scoop of blue Cotton Candy frozen custard. It was thick and creamy. I tried a scoop of red Swedish Fish Italian Ice. Both were to my liking. There is limited seating inside. There are some chairs outside that are more for lounging and watching the kids on the play structure. Not sure where you would sit and chat with friends on a hot weekend. Beware: Don't wear white to Rita's. I dripped the red Italian Ice on my shirt. read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard - Swedish Fish Italian Ice and Cotton Candy Frozen Custard...Mmmm - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Alameda, California

I used to go to the Rita's when I lived in New York, they always had the Swedish fish flavor. So when I moved to California and found one I was so excited. Then I found out that they don't always sell the same flavors, so I would call them to ask what flavors they had that week. Again and again I was met with aggravation in there employees voices. My great memory of Rita's when I was little was ruined by that. I still like some of the flavors but the customer service was awful. How can you call yourself a family friendly establishment when you have people who work for you who seem like they hate their job. read more