Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor

Ice cream shop · Baltimore

Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor

Ice cream shop · Baltimore

1

301 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21202

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Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null
Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor by null

Highlights

Italian ices & frozen custards with friendly service  

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301 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21202 Get directions

ritasice.com

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301 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21202 Get directions

+1 443 468 1685
ritasice.com

$ · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 9, 2025

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@eater

The Best Soft Serve Ice Cream in Atlanta | Eater Atlanta

"Rita’s serves more than just Italian ices at its shops, they also carry old fashioned, frozen custard soft serve. Flavors include vanilla, chocolate, coffee, light vanilla, strawberry, and orange cream. Frozen custard is served in a cup or a cake cone. There’s also a location in Suwanee." - Beth McKibben

https://atlanta.eater.com/maps/best-soft-serve-ice-cream-atlanta
View Postcard for Rita's Italian Ice Inner Harbor

Jasmine Hanks

Google
Yesterday, I took my Ace to get his first pup cup. He really enjoyed himself. The two young lady’s that were there, was so inviting and had great hospitality. 10/10

Tiffany Dayemo

Google
Rita’s Inner Harbor recently catered one of my office’s events. They were kind, receptive, and helpful with all instructions. They went out of their way to make the event a success. I would definitely consider them for another event in the future.

Stephanie Radday

Google
We had a large group order of 47 ices after a Harbor Cruise and the Rita's team handled it seamlessly! From the pre-orders to the pick-up, everything worked out great with professionalism from all Rita's staff involved. I highly recommend this location.

Mary G

Google
This Rita’s establishment is right along the pedestrian path of the inner harbor. We ordered gelatis- there was hardly any ice cream mixed in with the water ice. We went back to show them and the girls insisted it was made correctly, and they didn’t fix it. I would not recommend.

Alexander Graham

Google
Limited options to choose from. Unfortunately, I didn't want to really eat anything from the inner harbor. The way it was looking so ran down and dilapidated.

Junxiao Shi

Google
Strawberry ice cream? No, we only have chocolate and vanilla. Strawberry is only available as *ice*, not ice cream. Hot fudge? No, we are out of it. How about caramel? Wet walnut? No, we don't have it either. How about peanuts? I ordered a large but why it's a regular (on the receipt)? OK we'll make the large (but won't charge you again). It's a prime location, but quality is sub par and half of the ingredients are out of stock.

T Bryant

Google
Delicious!!! With great service! My daughter got Cotton Candy and it was yummy! I followed them and for the free kids cup of Island Fusion and it was really yummy too!

Mary R

Google
Love Rita's in general but this location is perfect since nothing beats enjoying a frozen custard or Italian ice on the pier and enjoying the day. Really popular on the weekends so sometimes lines but weekdays during work, it is nice to just come by for a snack during lunch. The prices are a little higher than Rita's located in the suburbs but well worth it for the quality and getting to enjoy it right on the pier. Staff has always been friendly but they are busy so highly suggest looking at the menu on the side first before lining up or trying to decide once you are at the registers.
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Baleigh P.

Yelp
As someone visiting in town who likes to partake in old time memories, I'm am beyond disappointed in this Rita's. Visiting for the month and trying to take advantage of advantage of stopping by everyday after work. Unfortunately, like today, this Rita's is closed during normal business hours. I went to get some in the last 10 and nov one is present. Not even a sign to inform you. This is disappointing because it has happened 3 times already
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Barbi B.

Yelp
I absolutely love the combo of Italian ice and frozen custard! I got the gelati: cherry Italian ice and frozen vanilla custard with rainbow sprinkles. The custard is so thick and delicious and is perfect with the Italian ice! I know this isn't very Baltimorean of me but I definitely like these better than snowballs. Sue me! The Italian ice is more fine and goes down smoother. But that's just me. And when you're strolling through the inner harbor in July, it's kind of the perfect thing to have!

Bonnzzaii S.

Yelp
Best flipping ice cream ever! The workers were very nice and let me sample a couple of flavors. I will definitely give an arm and a leg for this ice cream!

Jennifer S.

Yelp
Drive across town to get some Rita's and they were closed. Need to change their adverts- said it was open til 8, came down at 7:30 and they were closed.

James F.

Yelp
They never want to make the frozen coffee, just say they are out. Always Doesn't matter when
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Terrell B.

Yelp
Rita's usually delivers delightful frozen treats, but my Blendini order was met with an audible sigh from the cashier. A more enthusiastic service would certainly enhance the overall experience.
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Candace H.

Yelp
I love to get Rita's while visiting up North so of course when my family and I came to visit the harbor I suggested that we all get gelati from Rita's. great treat for hot days on the water. We had an assortment of different flavored and they all enjoyed them very much. This location is a bit slower than others that I have visited.
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Nicole J.

Yelp
Skip this location. Owner is rude to customers, they are out of just about everything and laugh about having nothing, doesn't take gift cards and they are priced a lot higher than all other Rita's. Lots of better places in the city.
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Rachel S.

Yelp
Must be premium Rita's because items you can buy at home for under $5 are easily $10+ at this location. I understand prices are raised in tourist locations but for the reality of what Rita's has to offer this was a little extreme.
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Carlyn P.

Yelp
I came here during Light City so you can only imagine the lines. But I was impressed with how fast they moved the line. It seems that they properly planned and had more than enough competent staff. The staff were efficient and knowledgeable about the product. In particular, it was nice having a staff member who could even share which flavors worked best together. There were so many staff crunched in that small space but it was organized chaos. They were sharing the credit card machine and even that was quick. The location is very convenient. I love that we could walk the harbor and with ease grab ice cream on the way. There are also benches there so you can grab ice cream, sit by the water, and people watch or read a book. I ordered a regular Blendini with mango ice, vanilla custard, and nilla wafers. Very good. This cost $7 which was a bit much. Because of it's convenient location, the prices are much higher than those on the street. But it is what it is. Enjoy your ice cream on the water.

Nyla H.

Yelp
Love it here! The employees are amazing and so is the mango gelati. I frequent this location and am never left unsatisfied

Stephanie B.

Yelp
This review is for location at BWI only. I ordered a small custard with cherry topping. It only came with ONE cherry for $1.50. When I asked why there was only 1 cherry, the worker said that they were out! But she still charged me $1.50. She should've not charged me or offered me a different topping. I mentioned this to her and she just stared at me and said nothing so I left. The place is over priced as it is but to be charged $1.50 for a single cherry is ridiculous. I paid $9 for a small cup of custard in a bowl
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Donald P.

Yelp
Without a doubt, the worst Rita's experience I've ever had. Rita's HQ should be embarrassed by the quality of water ice that was served to us at this location on June 10th (~8:30pm), during a comfortable 80 degrees summer evening. The Cherry/Mango Gelati I ordered was certainly not frozen enough because as it was handed to me, with pools of red liquid on top. Even when I got to the bottom Mango flavor, it still tasted like Cherry because it has practically melted into everything else. Management at his store should pride quality over profit, and if pulling a flavor off the menu because it's not ready, then that's what you should do. The biggest shame was that I treated my cousin's family to Rita's and they were quite disappointed too.
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Angela W.

Yelp
Wow, flavor is so off. I ordered the watermelon flavor and it taste like the watermelon went bad and they tried to cover it up with a ton of sugar.... overly sweet rotten watermelon taste. Avoid.
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Anil S.

Yelp
Always busy. But today evening wasn't busy. Crew help me with menu. I had a large custard cone. Taste was very poor. Price is very high compared to quality.
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Frances H.

Yelp
Def not $ more like $$ and portions for custard were disappointing given price. For how much space they left in the large cup we might as well have paid less for a regular. Tasted fine but wouldn't go back
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Nicole L.

Yelp
Yummy water ice and gelatos. Be warned, they have two different menus posted (one of the flavors available today and one for the everyday flavors). They take credit cards, and they're really nice too. Open until 10 pm. Perfect little place for a nice chilly break in the evening.
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Minh D.

Yelp
Great Italian ice! On a 100 degree day, this is bliss! Orange cream is delicious. Rich, creamy, cold, smooth, fruity, and yummy! You can do whatever flavor combination you want wit the gelati. They need a Rita's on the West coast. Not much left to say except I'm craving it everyday!
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Marissa E.

Yelp
Not following Covid-19 policy. Employee not wearing mask. I was looking forward to enjoying ice cream downtown by the water but refused to eat at a place after seeing someone preparing ice cream with no mask.
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Rami Y.

Yelp
Three words: overpriced tourist trap. Blendini costs nearly $8. The ice cream was okay, but certainly not worth $8! You're better off going to the grocery store and buying ice cream. Do yourself a favor and just keep walking past this place.
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Kris L.

Yelp
The prices at this Rita's are a bit more than others, but the quality is just as good. The gelatis are amazing (water ice on top of custard) but my fav is the passion fruit and lemonade mix of water ices. Love ritas and wish I could go everyday!
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Lisa C.

Yelp
The people at the counter were friendly and patient with customers that had questions about their custard n complied whenever people asked for some samples of the various flavors they offered. I had a sample of their original custard and it was too creamy & sweet for me so I decided not to get that. I got the passion fruit ice, which tasted more like guava than passion fruit, but it was still VERY good! I recommend it =) Perfect for a hot summer day!
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Sedine S.

Yelp
They don't have this in California. Or they do, but the one location I know of is really far. My co-worker raved about this as well since it's a staple on the East Coast? Not sure. The line was long. The sun was out. This sounded refreshing. Just went with the ice and no custard. Not knowing if this will be good, we didn't want to cough up almost $5 for a regular size. So we asked if we could order the kid's size. The employee was very kind about it, given that we aren't kids. Good stuff. Can be a little sweet with all the syrup. I can see how it can be overwhelming if you had a huge cup though.
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Steven D.

Yelp
Synopsis: Atmosphere: N/A Service: 4.5/5 Taste: 5/5 Price: 3/5 Selection: 4/5 This Rita's is located in the inner harbor, so there is no way to judge atmosphere because it is free standing. The service at this Rita's was very well done, once you get up to order. Be fore warned, you will be waiting awhile to get your order because this place is usually busy. That goes double during prime time. Once you get to order it is nice and quick. The taste of what I got was very delicious. I got a gelati and it had a nice balance of slushie and custard. Also, the slushie held the syrup nicely. It didn't sink all to the bottom like slushies tend to do. The selection is just like every other Rita's, and there is a fair amount to select from. I don't have complaints here. The only complaint I do have is price. The price is the same as every Rita's, and it is quite pricy for ice cream dishes. You will pay over $6 for a large anything, so make sure you have deep pockets haha. Overall, if you want ice cream and have the money to buy it from Rita's, I would recommend this place to you.
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Rebecca S.

Yelp
Slow, sloppy service and expensive prices. Cashier took order but didn't ask size and left counter to fill cup. Ordered A gelati which is a combo of custard and flavored ice. The two machines are not on same side of kiosk. So custard was inconveniently located for server so she skipped it and put a blob on top. so my daughter got to the bottom of cup and learned the entire cup was Italian ice with no custard! Rita's is normally a treat and this location is a disappointment. Thumbs down.
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Gwendolyn P.

Yelp
I love Rita's ice and this would be a wonderful addition to the inner harbor if they didn't decide to price gouge. How sorry I feel for innocent tourists with kids in tow who will get sucked in to paying over $30 for a quick Italian ice stop. The most inexpensive item on the menu is over $6. Can we keep in mind that this is for flavored ice - - flavored ice. What shocked me was how many people were eating this at the harbor. There are really not that many other choices for ice cream treats so they are pretty much the only game in town. The owner of this franchise should be ashamed of himself. The inner harbor is a beautiful place for families to explore the best of baltimore - - yes make a profit -- - but be reasonable about it.
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Tiffany A.

Yelp
EWWWWWWWW, DO NOT GO TO THIS RITAS!!!, This past Sunday, 7/29/18, I was waiting to get on the lunch cruise (that docked at noon) and I walked over to get some Rita's as I love their ice cream, however as I began to walk that way, I saw the cashier hold her arms out to a strange dog walking with it's owner. The dog owner picked the dog up and placed it in the window, and the cashier started petting the dog!!!!! YUCCCCCKKKKKK, and the dog was licking her hands... AND, after their friendly hello, she NEVER WASHED HER HANDS TO SERVE CUSTOMERS AGAIN!!! This is so NASTY AND SICK!! I will NEVER patronize another Rita's ever... As my children are allergic to dogs, however in food service you should not be playing with any pets and if you do, wash your hands, and sterilize the window for customers that do have allergies!!!! OMG!!! NEVER NEVER... Bye Rita's!!!
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Angel H.

Yelp
Bad customer service. Blue raspberry Italian ice was good, but other flavors tasted too sweet and artificial. Frozen custard wasn't cold enough and tasted like cream instead. Good location but not worth the price.
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Chanita L.

Yelp
This location is very convenient at Inner Harbor. It's a nice stop on a hot day but it's staffed by teens with no customer service training. The line was long and not well managed. It's also priced significantly higher than most Rita's but that's to be expected with location.
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Nicholas B.

Yelp
Hello, I was at this location with my girlfriend right before they were about to close at 1130 and we didn't understand the whole ice with custard bit. We didn't really know what to get but the young lady helped us out and even recommended the sundae based on our preferences. Even after they closed she still was sweet and polite and served us a delicious Sunday! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH.
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Davon K.

Yelp
I was having a pretty bad day and decided to treat myself. I haven't been to Rita's in a while, but I was still a bit surprised at how pricey this location is compared to others. I was there Monday and they seemed really understaffed. It was a pretty cool day but there was only one worker there at the time-I think her name was Clarity. She handled herself really well. There were about 6 people in front of me and I waited no longer than five-seven minutes in line and to order. She was smiling the whole time, positive attitude-warned me about the situation with ones- and got me on an upsell. I ordered a Large custard instead of a kids-twice the fun she said and even explained the difference from ice cream and offered samples. I got two toppings with my custard-she convinced me to get sprinkles and caramel(mmmm it was so yummy). In other words, the price here is a bit high but the service and delicious deserts they offer are sooo worth it. She even held a conversation with me while making my product-which most businesses don't do AND she was funny too. Thank you Rita's. Definitely coming back again!
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Jen P.

Yelp
I normally like Rita's, but I just wasn't impressed with this one. The wait in line was forever, the signage with the menu was disorganized, and the staff just okay. My custard was okay, but overall, the experience wasn't the fun dessert I wanted.
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Hank C.

Yelp
Friendly staff and if you don't immediately see your flavor, ask! You never know if they have it. They're also very giving with the napkins, I liked that. Plus generous on the amount they sent into the large mango and vanilla that was served.
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Rachael T.

Yelp
There are so many not-so-awesome things to say about Rita's... The lines are always RIDICULOUSLY long and they are sooooooooo slow and it is really insanely overpriced. YET. It is so. Freaking. Good. Their frozen custard is so, so, so creamy that I just cannot walk by Rita's (if the line is reasonable) on a nice day in the Inner Harbor and not stop for a custard. They are lucky it is so delicious, because if it was anything less than droolyworthy amazing, they would have a one-star for service and price!
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Deb L.

Yelp
Next time we'll pass. It was the first really nice day of spring and we were down in the Inner Harbor. The line was long, but doable considering there were three windows open, and should have been moving quickly. Instead, the staff seemed overwhelmed, confused, poorly trained, or just didn't care. The family in front of me got almost all of their order wrong and the server had to remake them all. Mistakes aside, the workers seemed to be moving too slowly considering the crowd that was waiting. My friend ordered two items - it was a good five minutes between when her first item was finished to her getting her second. My server thought peanuts meant Snickers. And my other friend was told they were out of vanilla (???) but then got handed her gelati with vanilla on top. The prices were also more than I've ever seen at a Rita's.
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Dominic A.

Yelp
So good I had to go twice! It was so hot when I was here and this cooled me down. I got the green apple italian ice and it was bomb! The service is really friendly too. We asked for a bottle of water and the lady said not to get it because it's expensive and warm. I give this place five stars because of it's great italian ice and honest service =)
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Laura L.

Yelp
I ordered from the girls here twice today. The first time I was there the girls working there were nice to me, but extremely rude to another couple of women that were there at the same time. The women, one in her 60's and possibly her daughter in her late 30's asked for some water. The girl working there said "yeah, but our water is $4.25, is that okay"? The older lady said "I just a want glass of water, if that's okay"? The lady in the shop said "are you going to buy anything"? The older lady said "no". The girl said "you're going to have to leave then, buh bye". Really? A simple glass of water for an elderly woman? The second time I had my grand boys with me (2 and 4 years). A different girl was short with us while we decided what we wanted and not very nice. Said thanks but was kinda turned away from us, as if to say it out of sarcasm instead of meaningful.
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Patrick A.

Yelp
I went here twice in one day, cuz it was that hot. And the product was that good. Get the gelati! Frozen custard on the bottom, your favorite italian ice flavor in the middle, and more frozen custard on top. When in baltimore, this is a must. It's tooo good. minus a star cuz of the wait.
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Amit A.

Yelp
The line was long and when we got to the front, they told us they were out of vanilla. The service was slow and really poor. The kids working there had no sense of urgency to get people their orders. The price is also really high. This place is totally NOT worth it.
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Jacob W.

Yelp
First I'd like to point out this is my first experience with Rita's. Ordered Gelati and loved it! Service was excellent, greeted upon arrival at the kiosk, the young man offered us samples first thing and was happy to give the 4 of us samples of ice, and was very patient with us. I ended up with the watermelon/mango ice with vanilla custard which was amazing. The ice was a bit more of an icee or slushy consistently vs. the hard Italian Ice I was expecting but it was very good. I'd recommend this location on service and product quality. The kiosk is located on the stroll-way at the inner harbor, beautiful views of the harbor at night from this spot.
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Rita P.

Yelp
I am not sure why, but a server lied to us and said they did not have any more custard. It was kind of weird because the guy in front of us had just walked away with a custard and people in other lines were getting served custard. I'll never know why that lady lied to us, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth.
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Kendra L.

Yelp
The service was impeccable. I was offered a free sample and when I made my order the staff member repeated it back to confirm that she had it right. The custard was yummy.

Nazik M.

Yelp
I thought the prices for the quality of the ice cream was honestly ridiculous. The portion sizes were not good at all for what we paid, I feel like we could go right down the road and get larger sizes for better prices. The staff neglected to let me know that they did not have gummy bears, instead our server said nothing until I found out on my own. The staff should definitely talk more to the customers and explain instead of ignoring the given request.
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Samantha H.

Yelp
Waited 30 mins in line just for them to be out of both flavors I wanted. Suggested for them to slide out the flavors they're out of they didn't and people walked away without ordering anything. Had to repeat what I wanted three times. Not even worth it.

Star D.

Yelp
Robert, What a great personality. Thanks for providing me with exceptional, fast, pleasant service. Your boss should know that you are representing his franchise in a very credible way. Your appearance is clean and neat, how you greeted your customers was very efficient and consistent. Your outside station with your samples was very good. I'll say this your going to be the reason a lot of people come back to this particular location. A raise should follow this outstanding employee. Secret Star Shopper-

Abriah D.

Yelp
I cannot begin the happiness that I was served here today! They made sure to sample me with all the flavors I was unsure of & believe it or not I was satisfied with the new flavors I've tried today. They were Tropical Punch, Kiwi-Strawberry, Green Apple, and Island Fusion! My order was made in less than a minute & delivered happiness along with perfection. The lines went quickly, beautiful view of the inner harbor, and last but not least the amazing people to order with! Thank You Clarity, Cherokee, & the whole Rita's team!
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Spencer B.

Yelp
Just don't. Inexperienced staff who do not listen to what you want. Waited in line for a half hour for mango, to find out there is no mango. They didn't feel like letting customers know.
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Nicole C.

Yelp
Dont even waste your time or your money. Went on memorial day waited in line for forever. Bought a shaved ice for my nephew. We literally stayed in line and ordered more shaved ice as he taste his. He complained that it was to sweet. I taste it and it was horrible. Way to sweet to eat. So I asked could he swap his out for something else. A lady wearing a hijab said "No because he licked it" how else was he supposed to know that it was way to sweet? So six bucks down the drain. Customer service is poor. Cashier was slow. Would never go back there again.
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David Q.

Yelp
Ok, let me start by saying I usually only write reviews when its really good or really bad! This one was REALLY BAD!! BEWARE!!! First and foremost let me cut to the chase all the signs say custard...everywhere! God I love custard! I was even willing to pay $6.25 for a small cone. But guess what...the rude kid behind the counter, says we no longer sell custard only soft serve ice cream! Man my kids were bummed, so I asked on this beautiful 85 degree day, ok how much for a small soft serve, he says same price $6.25 for a small cone! Are you kidding me? Keep it! Hope this helps so there are no suckers down the road.