I enjoy the various options here. I am personally partial to the rootbeer gelato. The custard and rootbeer mix perfectly. However hey the soft serve sundaes are also delicious. The staff there are usually younger girls I'm guessing on their side jobs between school. This can lead to tedious interactions have to re explain your order to a slightly ditzy girl. But at the end of the day this place will satisfy most if not all of you desert needs and is nice to pick up on the way to the beach. (In the summer the beach traffic is horrible so the treats help pass the time) Highly recommended.
(4)
Brett N.
Why 5 stars? Because this is the best ice cream ever. --- --- --- This is a mandatory stop anytime I'm at the beach. Every single time, I get a MISTO SHAKE and it is possibly my favorite dessert of all-time. The cool thing is that they change the flavors constantly, but there's usually about ten different ones to choose from. I'm shocked that the location in Tampa and the other location in Clearwater shut down - this place is amazing, but I am selfishly glad that more people don't know about it, because it should have lines wrapped around the building every day.
(5)
Mike M.
Ok so Italian ice and custard don't sound like they would be amazing but somehow they are. I planned on ordering just the Italian ice, but I'm so glad I tried it! I don't remember the flavor, but I don't think it matters much I'm sure it's all a fantastic treat!
(5)
Christopher G.
This does not taste like frozen custard, it's more like cool whip. I prefer purdy's. Dollar for dollar even mcdonalds is better.
(1)
Shannon S.
Misto is a great treat.
(4)
Eric A.
Oh how we love Ritas! Especially since it's about 2 minutes away which isn't necessarily a good thing. My wife and I are really fond of the chocolate milk shakes which aren't to thick or thin. The shakes are kind of expensive but totally worth it. Our daughter loves all the different varieties of Italian Ice they make in house. The kids size is just the right amount for her. We also noticed they now carry sundaes that you can get unlimited toppings! That is next to get on our list. If you are heading to the beach or on your way back on a hot day, make sure you stop and cool down with some ice cream or Italian Ice from Rita's. Oh yeah and the staff is always friendly and courteous and always have smiles on their faces.
(5)
Duane D.
If you want a real italian ice in Clearwater -- this is the only place to go. The ices are great. They also do chocolate and vanilla custard (like soft ice cream). I recommend the watermelon italian ice!
(4)
Katie S.
I am a big fan of frozen treats, so naturally, Rita's was a leading contender to steal my heart. It did. I had Rita's for the first time at a Clearwater Threshers game back in 2012, and it was love at first bite. More often that not, I make a point to stop in at the Clearwater location when I find myself in the area. The Mango is my absolute favorite, and the Georgia Peach is excellent as well. Make it a Gelati and you won't be sorry: this magical creation consists of a layer of frozen custard on the bottom, followed by your choice of italian ice, follow by a dollop of frozen custard on top. It. Is. Beautiful.
(5)
Terry M.
Closest you're gonna get to a real NY Italian ice. Fresh ingredients ... you can taste real bits of fruit. I love this place!
(5)
Ken J.
Miserable HOT day in Florida... Just became much better after gulping down a few mango ices! Their Blendini is off the charts also!! Nicely done Rita!!
(5)
Jenni E.
Gelati is a thing that I have only found in Florida...why - I have no idea. I can't see this not selling like hotcakes no matter where you were. Gelati is this amazing thing with frozen custard on the bottom, flavored Italian ice in the middle and frozen custard on top. The result is a creamy, icy delicious thing that I have only been able to find in Florida. Rita's is also this great place that rotates flavors of their homemade Italian Ice daily. When I come to Florida, this is a must-have for me. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to buy a Rita's and bring this amazingness to Chicago. I know we ourselves are frozen 1/2 the year - but people here still eat froyo and ice cream - why not gelati?
(5)
Jessica W.
An absolute fraud! It doesn't deserve one star, it deserves no star. Rita's doesn't have custard at all. I asked for a blendini with all custard and was charged the upcharge for all custard. I saw a sign, far from the menu, after I paid for my 'all custard' that said they did not have custard. The sign stated that custard is being replaced with soft serve. I should have been told that they did not have what I ordered. The sign stating that they did not have custard should be placed by the menu. McDonalds sells soft serve. I certainly did not drive to Rita's for soft serve. Extremely disappointed!
(1)
Brittany C.
Yum! Who doesn't love Rita's on a hot hot day?! This is the perfect after beach treat. You are leaving Clearwater and it is right on the way out of town. You order in the drive-thru or at the walk up window. There is no inside or bathroom for guests so don't come here looking to change out of your wet suit. If you've never been, Gelati is the way to go. Mistos are also nice if you want more of a blended drink. Mango or cherry are the best ice flavors. The custard is very thick and whipped tasting so don't expect a typical soft serve texture.
(4)
Melissa A.
Do not come here and order a delicious Italian Ice with creamy custard on the top and bottom. I'm telling you, DON'T DO IT. Because if you do, you will become an addict much like myself. It's $4.00 for a small so it's pricey but that's why they call it a treat. My personal favorite is the black cherry and the florida orange.
(5)
Michele J.
I have cravings for their pina colada or mango ices! Rita's is number one! I have tried the custard with ice...and it is also amazing. What makes Rita's so special is that it is a slushy icy treat. It is not a sno-cone or brick of Italian ice that you need to scrape. Rita's slush has even little pieces of fruit in the slush. My mouth is watering now thinking about the flavor.
(5)
Reid I.
After a long day of traffic traveling to Clearwater beach, we stopped by Rita's. This is the first time I heard of this place but is nicely located on a corner just before hitting the downtown area. I had trouble choosing what to order so they gladly let me sample a few flavors. I ordered the cherry gelati. Very refreshing and tasted sort of like icee but better. My thirst was quenched and was happy with the drive back.
(4)
Prof J.
I had a half cotton candy and watermelon gelati...and it was ok. The custard cream was too thick and the flavored ice was generic tasting. Plus a medium sized two flavored gelati was $4. Anything that's out of the machine and priced that way is a bit overboard. I mean it's frozen ice for crying out loud. I wish they had a seprocks snow in Clearwater...they'd make a killing.
(3)
Carrie F.
Fantastic! This place is only 6 minutes from my house. I am originally from Philly & love this piece of home.
(5)
Lauren C.
I pass by Rita's everyday on my way to work but due to my attempt at avoiding sweets, I only come here as a treat and not on a regular basis. There's no indoor seating here, either you order in drive thru or sit at one of the outdoor tables. They have about 10 rotating flavors on the menu as well as custard and shakes. I love the black cherry ice with chocolate custard mix, but really the flavor combos you can make here are endless. Rita's is a fun place for everyone to enjoy, especially on the way to the beach
(4)
Nat W.
I can't believe Rita's is franchised. They have various items for reasonable prices. My favorite is frozen custard. It is very creamy but not heavy and not too sweet. I made a mistake ordering a large size....it is huge and I obviously could not finish. Good place to grab a dessert to cool you down after the beach!
(4)
Joori J.
How does nobody know about this place on Yelp?! This place was situated like a block away from my hotel and I was so sad that I had only heard about it 2 days before I left Clearwater. But no worries, you bet your ass I made my one and only visit to Rita's worth it! I ordered their signature frozen custard with strawberry and vanilla. I never get sprinkles on my ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt, but when the girl at the drive-through asked me, I decided to go big or go home...in 2 days. I guess Rita's decided to go big with the sprinkles too because they covered that sucker up with it! (check out the picture) By the way, how freaking awesome is it that they have a drive-through creamery?! It may look like regular frozen yogurt, but the consistency is much thicker and creamier than froyo. I ended up saving some of it and putting it in my freezer. I came back to it in the middle of the night to find that unlike ice cream, it doesn't harden, so I still got to enjoy all the creaminess at 2am! This Clearwater location was the first to open in the state of Florida. Rita's please come to California!!!
(5)
Jeff S.
I'm SO EXCITED to see Rita's in Clearwater! I recently moved from the Northeast where we have a Rita's in every town. I live in St. Petersburg and I've been craving this delicious sweet treat. I'm totally willing to drive the 30 minutes to get some awesome sweet ice in my mouth. If you've never tried it, you're missing out. Mango is my favorite flavor. Every time I try to venture out to try a new flavor I always think, "I should have gotten mango."
(5)
Dena P.
How can you not like Rita's Ice!? This is a must try if you haven't had it already and I'll promise you, you'll love it as much as I do. They have all sorts of sizes so don't be afraid and there's also sugar free flavors ice to choose. What sucks is that there's no "inside" area to sit.
(5)
Sarah D.
I think I'm in the minority here. Everyone seems to go to Rita's for the Italian Ice (which is amazing, by the way) but I go for the custard. I crave this custard! The first time I tasted the chocolate, I was in heaven. It's the only thing that can really satisfy my sweet tooth. It's the smoothest, creamiest, richest and most delectable ice cream you'll ever eat. While the custard comes in standard chocolate or vanilla, the Italian Ice comes in a large variety of flavors. All are made with fresh fruit or natural flavors. The selection of flavors changes based on what they've made on any given day. And to top it all off, there are always coupons to be found, which makes this bargain hunter very happy!
(5)
Mitchell F.
Whenever I pass by, or think about Rita's, I think: sticky. But seriously, it's delicious. You've never had Italian ices until you've had Rita's Wish there was somewhere to sit down. Oh well.
(4)
Danan C.
The best desert you could possibly treat yourself to! Aside from tiramisu. They have good portions, high quality and fast service! It seems they primarily hire high school or college girls, but they all have very good manners and good customer service. I get the mango and vanilla almost every single time.
(5)
Maegan G.
Disclaimer: I DID NOT have the Italian ice! I had the custard, which I was not impressed with. It was super bland and not sweet at all.
(2)
C K.
I love this place! My friends and I always come here after a day at the beach. They have cookies and cream flavored "cream ice" which is amazing in a gelati! It's open everyday 12-10 over the summer.
Francois D.
I enjoy the various options here. I am personally partial to the rootbeer gelato. The custard and rootbeer mix perfectly. However hey the soft serve sundaes are also delicious. The staff there are usually younger girls I'm guessing on their side jobs between school. This can lead to tedious interactions have to re explain your order to a slightly ditzy girl. But at the end of the day this place will satisfy most if not all of you desert needs and is nice to pick up on the way to the beach. (In the summer the beach traffic is horrible so the treats help pass the time) Highly recommended.
(4)Brett N.
Why 5 stars? Because this is the best ice cream ever. --- --- --- This is a mandatory stop anytime I'm at the beach. Every single time, I get a MISTO SHAKE and it is possibly my favorite dessert of all-time. The cool thing is that they change the flavors constantly, but there's usually about ten different ones to choose from. I'm shocked that the location in Tampa and the other location in Clearwater shut down - this place is amazing, but I am selfishly glad that more people don't know about it, because it should have lines wrapped around the building every day.
(5)Mike M.
Ok so Italian ice and custard don't sound like they would be amazing but somehow they are. I planned on ordering just the Italian ice, but I'm so glad I tried it! I don't remember the flavor, but I don't think it matters much I'm sure it's all a fantastic treat!
(5)Christopher G.
This does not taste like frozen custard, it's more like cool whip. I prefer purdy's. Dollar for dollar even mcdonalds is better.
(1)Shannon S.
Misto is a great treat.
(4)Eric A.
Oh how we love Ritas! Especially since it's about 2 minutes away which isn't necessarily a good thing. My wife and I are really fond of the chocolate milk shakes which aren't to thick or thin. The shakes are kind of expensive but totally worth it. Our daughter loves all the different varieties of Italian Ice they make in house. The kids size is just the right amount for her. We also noticed they now carry sundaes that you can get unlimited toppings! That is next to get on our list. If you are heading to the beach or on your way back on a hot day, make sure you stop and cool down with some ice cream or Italian Ice from Rita's. Oh yeah and the staff is always friendly and courteous and always have smiles on their faces.
(5)Duane D.
If you want a real italian ice in Clearwater -- this is the only place to go. The ices are great. They also do chocolate and vanilla custard (like soft ice cream). I recommend the watermelon italian ice!
(4)Katie S.
I am a big fan of frozen treats, so naturally, Rita's was a leading contender to steal my heart. It did. I had Rita's for the first time at a Clearwater Threshers game back in 2012, and it was love at first bite. More often that not, I make a point to stop in at the Clearwater location when I find myself in the area. The Mango is my absolute favorite, and the Georgia Peach is excellent as well. Make it a Gelati and you won't be sorry: this magical creation consists of a layer of frozen custard on the bottom, followed by your choice of italian ice, follow by a dollop of frozen custard on top. It. Is. Beautiful.
(5)Terry M.
Closest you're gonna get to a real NY Italian ice. Fresh ingredients ... you can taste real bits of fruit. I love this place!
(5)Ken J.
Miserable HOT day in Florida... Just became much better after gulping down a few mango ices! Their Blendini is off the charts also!! Nicely done Rita!!
(5)Jenni E.
Gelati is a thing that I have only found in Florida...why - I have no idea. I can't see this not selling like hotcakes no matter where you were. Gelati is this amazing thing with frozen custard on the bottom, flavored Italian ice in the middle and frozen custard on top. The result is a creamy, icy delicious thing that I have only been able to find in Florida. Rita's is also this great place that rotates flavors of their homemade Italian Ice daily. When I come to Florida, this is a must-have for me. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to buy a Rita's and bring this amazingness to Chicago. I know we ourselves are frozen 1/2 the year - but people here still eat froyo and ice cream - why not gelati?
(5)Jessica W.
An absolute fraud! It doesn't deserve one star, it deserves no star. Rita's doesn't have custard at all. I asked for a blendini with all custard and was charged the upcharge for all custard. I saw a sign, far from the menu, after I paid for my 'all custard' that said they did not have custard. The sign stated that custard is being replaced with soft serve. I should have been told that they did not have what I ordered. The sign stating that they did not have custard should be placed by the menu. McDonalds sells soft serve. I certainly did not drive to Rita's for soft serve. Extremely disappointed!
(1)Brittany C.
Yum! Who doesn't love Rita's on a hot hot day?! This is the perfect after beach treat. You are leaving Clearwater and it is right on the way out of town. You order in the drive-thru or at the walk up window. There is no inside or bathroom for guests so don't come here looking to change out of your wet suit. If you've never been, Gelati is the way to go. Mistos are also nice if you want more of a blended drink. Mango or cherry are the best ice flavors. The custard is very thick and whipped tasting so don't expect a typical soft serve texture.
(4)Melissa A.
Do not come here and order a delicious Italian Ice with creamy custard on the top and bottom. I'm telling you, DON'T DO IT. Because if you do, you will become an addict much like myself. It's $4.00 for a small so it's pricey but that's why they call it a treat. My personal favorite is the black cherry and the florida orange.
(5)Michele J.
I have cravings for their pina colada or mango ices! Rita's is number one! I have tried the custard with ice...and it is also amazing. What makes Rita's so special is that it is a slushy icy treat. It is not a sno-cone or brick of Italian ice that you need to scrape. Rita's slush has even little pieces of fruit in the slush. My mouth is watering now thinking about the flavor.
(5)Reid I.
After a long day of traffic traveling to Clearwater beach, we stopped by Rita's. This is the first time I heard of this place but is nicely located on a corner just before hitting the downtown area. I had trouble choosing what to order so they gladly let me sample a few flavors. I ordered the cherry gelati. Very refreshing and tasted sort of like icee but better. My thirst was quenched and was happy with the drive back.
(4)Prof J.
I had a half cotton candy and watermelon gelati...and it was ok. The custard cream was too thick and the flavored ice was generic tasting. Plus a medium sized two flavored gelati was $4. Anything that's out of the machine and priced that way is a bit overboard. I mean it's frozen ice for crying out loud. I wish they had a seprocks snow in Clearwater...they'd make a killing.
(3)Carrie F.
Fantastic! This place is only 6 minutes from my house. I am originally from Philly & love this piece of home.
(5)Lauren C.
I pass by Rita's everyday on my way to work but due to my attempt at avoiding sweets, I only come here as a treat and not on a regular basis. There's no indoor seating here, either you order in drive thru or sit at one of the outdoor tables. They have about 10 rotating flavors on the menu as well as custard and shakes. I love the black cherry ice with chocolate custard mix, but really the flavor combos you can make here are endless. Rita's is a fun place for everyone to enjoy, especially on the way to the beach
(4)Nat W.
I can't believe Rita's is franchised. They have various items for reasonable prices. My favorite is frozen custard. It is very creamy but not heavy and not too sweet. I made a mistake ordering a large size....it is huge and I obviously could not finish. Good place to grab a dessert to cool you down after the beach!
(4)Joori J.
How does nobody know about this place on Yelp?! This place was situated like a block away from my hotel and I was so sad that I had only heard about it 2 days before I left Clearwater. But no worries, you bet your ass I made my one and only visit to Rita's worth it! I ordered their signature frozen custard with strawberry and vanilla. I never get sprinkles on my ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt, but when the girl at the drive-through asked me, I decided to go big or go home...in 2 days. I guess Rita's decided to go big with the sprinkles too because they covered that sucker up with it! (check out the picture) By the way, how freaking awesome is it that they have a drive-through creamery?! It may look like regular frozen yogurt, but the consistency is much thicker and creamier than froyo. I ended up saving some of it and putting it in my freezer. I came back to it in the middle of the night to find that unlike ice cream, it doesn't harden, so I still got to enjoy all the creaminess at 2am! This Clearwater location was the first to open in the state of Florida. Rita's please come to California!!!
(5)Jeff S.
I'm SO EXCITED to see Rita's in Clearwater! I recently moved from the Northeast where we have a Rita's in every town. I live in St. Petersburg and I've been craving this delicious sweet treat. I'm totally willing to drive the 30 minutes to get some awesome sweet ice in my mouth. If you've never tried it, you're missing out. Mango is my favorite flavor. Every time I try to venture out to try a new flavor I always think, "I should have gotten mango."
(5)Dena P.
How can you not like Rita's Ice!? This is a must try if you haven't had it already and I'll promise you, you'll love it as much as I do. They have all sorts of sizes so don't be afraid and there's also sugar free flavors ice to choose. What sucks is that there's no "inside" area to sit.
(5)Sarah D.
I think I'm in the minority here. Everyone seems to go to Rita's for the Italian Ice (which is amazing, by the way) but I go for the custard. I crave this custard! The first time I tasted the chocolate, I was in heaven. It's the only thing that can really satisfy my sweet tooth. It's the smoothest, creamiest, richest and most delectable ice cream you'll ever eat. While the custard comes in standard chocolate or vanilla, the Italian Ice comes in a large variety of flavors. All are made with fresh fruit or natural flavors. The selection of flavors changes based on what they've made on any given day. And to top it all off, there are always coupons to be found, which makes this bargain hunter very happy!
(5)Mitchell F.
Whenever I pass by, or think about Rita's, I think: sticky. But seriously, it's delicious. You've never had Italian ices until you've had Rita's Wish there was somewhere to sit down. Oh well.
(4)Danan C.
The best desert you could possibly treat yourself to! Aside from tiramisu. They have good portions, high quality and fast service! It seems they primarily hire high school or college girls, but they all have very good manners and good customer service. I get the mango and vanilla almost every single time.
(5)Maegan G.
Disclaimer: I DID NOT have the Italian ice! I had the custard, which I was not impressed with. It was super bland and not sweet at all.
(2)C K.
I love this place! My friends and I always come here after a day at the beach. They have cookies and cream flavored "cream ice" which is amazing in a gelati! It's open everyday 12-10 over the summer.
(5)