Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is a popular chain of ice cream shops and parlors, with over 600 locations in 31 states across the US. The restaurant offers an extensive variety of frozen treats including Italian Ice, Freshly-made Frozen Custard, Sundaes, Milkshakes, and signature creations like Misto and Blendini. Rita's is known for its unique recipe for Italian Ice made with real fruit chunks to perfection. Founded in 1984 by former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo and his mother Elizabeth, today Rita's continues to be a locally owned small business spreading happiness everywhere it goes.

Recent social media posts

It’s spooky season… but we have ONE very important question:If you could create a Halloween-themed Italian Ice flavor, w...
10/31/2026

It’s spooky season… but we have ONE very important question:

If you could create a Halloween-themed Italian Ice flavor, what would you call it? 👀🎃👻

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

🎃 Candy Chart or Trade Pile? 🍬What do you do with your Halloween haul?📊 Candy Chart: Ranked every piece from 👑 to 🚫🔄 Tra...
10/30/2026

🎃 Candy Chart or Trade Pile? 🍬

What do you do with your Halloween haul?
📊 Candy Chart: Ranked every piece from 👑 to 🚫
🔄 Trade Pile: Saved the good stuff for negotiations with siblings/friends
Which one were you? 👀

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

Fall called, and it has a few more treats coming your way… any guesses?!Mark your calendar for November 2.Availability a...
10/29/2026

Fall called, and it has a few more treats coming your way… any guesses?!

Mark your calendar for November 2.

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

10/27/2026

Connor Wood We’d love to see you enjoying some Rita’s 👀

Zombie’s Blood Ice is heading back to the grave! 🧟‍♂️🩸Which Zombie’s Blood Ice treat are you getting before it is gone? ...
10/26/2026

Zombie’s Blood Ice is heading back to the grave! 🧟‍♂️🩸

Which Zombie’s Blood Ice treat are you getting before it is gone? 👀

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

Serving chills tonight. 🌕Come grab your treat under the moonlight!Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.
10/25/2026

Serving chills tonight. 🌕

Come grab your treat under the moonlight!

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

The first sip sets the tone for the day. 🥤Follow the straw from 1, 2 or 3 to find your 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰® Shake, then comment the fl...
10/24/2026

The first sip sets the tone for the day. 🥤

Follow the straw from 1, 2 or 3 to find your 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰® Shake, then comment the flavor you landed on!

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

10/23/2026

Trick or Treat? Definitely treat. 👻

Even ghosts know the best stop on the block is Rita’s.

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

Let the debate begin 👀Guess the generation behind each pic.Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.
10/21/2026

Let the debate begin 👀

Guess the generation behind each pic.

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

Cupcake cravings, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® style🧁✨For National Chocolate Cupcake Day, dig into cupcake-inspired favorites like Confetti C...
10/18/2026

Cupcake cravings, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® style🧁✨

For National Chocolate Cupcake Day, dig into cupcake-inspired favorites like Confetti Cupcake 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰®, Unicorn Cupcake Gelati and Chocolate Cupcake 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘪®.

Which one are you picking!?🧁

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

10/17/2026

Our newest team member works the night shift. Every shift. 👻

Benefits include unlimited Zombie’s Blood Italian Ice. 🩸

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

Chat, comment your go to order! 👀Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.
10/16/2026

Chat, comment your go to order! 👀

Availability and hours may vary by shop and day.

Calendar cleared and 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® plans secured🍧Which one fits your October plans?
10/15/2026

Calendar cleared and 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® plans secured🍧

Which one fits your October plans?

Your keyboard said it, not us. 👀If 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® is on your mind, stop by and grab the treat you’ve been thinking about.
10/09/2026

Your keyboard said it, not us. 👀

If 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® is on your mind, stop by and grab the treat you’ve been thinking about.

Zombie’s Blood Ice is back from the grave! 🧟 Stop by 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® and get a taste before it disappears again.
10/05/2026

Zombie’s Blood Ice is back from the grave! 🧟 Stop by 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® and get a taste before it disappears again.

Fall plans? Add 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® to the list. 🍂🥄Pumpkin and Apple Butter are serving up all the flavors of the season through Oct...
10/02/2026

Fall plans? Add 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴® to the list. 🍂🥄

Pumpkin and Apple Butter are serving up all the flavors of the season through October 4.

Make your next fall stop a sweet one.

Coffee run, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 style. ☕🍂Celebrate National Coffee Day with a $1.99 Small Frozen Coffee from 12 till 4 pm through the...
09/29/2026

Coffee run, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 style. ☕🍂

Celebrate National Coffee Day with a $1.99 Small Frozen Coffee from 12 till 4 pm through the 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 app.

Pumpkin Frozen Coffee, anyone? 👀🎃

This offer must be claimed in the 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 App and can then be redeemed in shop or when ordering through the app.

From creamy Concretes to Frozen Coffee and Milkshakes, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 seasonal lineup is bringing all the cozy flavor.Which one ...
09/27/2026

From creamy Concretes to Frozen Coffee and Milkshakes, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 seasonal lineup is bringing all the cozy flavor.

Which one are you getting?

09/24/2026

Consider this your coffee break, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 style. ☕️🤎

Creamy, frozen and topped with whipped cream, 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 Frozen Coffee is calling your name.

09/22/2026

First day of fall = $2 off any pumpkin treat from 2 till 5 pm🎃🍂

This offer must be claimed in the 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 App and can then be redeemed in shop or when ordering through the app.

A little something extra to celebrate fall. 🙌

Pumpkin or Apple Butter, which team are you on? 🎃🍎Fall favorites are back at 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 for a limited time, and we need to k...
09/14/2026

Pumpkin or Apple Butter, which team are you on? 🎃🍎

Fall favorites are back at 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢'𝘴 for a limited time, and we need to know which one wins.

🎃 Pumpkin Frozen Coffee or Pumpkin Pie Concrete
🍎 Apple Butter Milkshake or Apple Butter Concrete

Drop your pick below. 👇

Address

239 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
19147

To reach the South Street area of Philadelphia through public transportation, take the subway and get off at 2nd Street Station. Walk south on 2nd Street until you reach South Street. Alternatively, take a bus that goes to South Street.

For those driving, parking is available in nearby garages, but street parking can also be found with some effort. Take I-95 and exit at Washington Avenue. Follow Washington Avenue for several blocks until you reach a right turn onto 7th Street. Follow 7th Street for several blocks and turn left onto South Street.

The ice cream shop and ice cream parlor should be easily accessible by foot from these directions!

Opening Hours

Monday 2pm - 8pm
Tuesday 2pm - 8pm
Wednesday 2pm - 8pm
Thursday 2pm - 8pm
Friday 2pm - 8pm
Saturday 12pm - 8pm
Sunday 12pm - 8pm

Telephone

+12156293910

Alerts

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What people say

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, located on South Street in Philadelphia, has received mixed reviews from various sources. According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Rita's has been serving up frozen treats for over 30 years and is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. However, a review on Yelp from last month suggests that the quality of their ice cream has gone downhill.

A review from Philadelphia Magazine praises Rita's for their unique flavors and variety of options. The article notes that they offer both Italian ice and frozen custard, which is a rare combination. Another review on TripAdvisor from earlier this year also raves about the variety of flavors available at Rita's.

On the other hand, a recent review on Google Reviews complains about the long lines and slow service at Rita's. The reviewer states that they waited over 20 minutes for their order and were disappointed with the quality of their ice cream.

Customer comments published online echo these mixed reviews. One customer on Yelp says that they love Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard but have noticed a decline in quality over the past few years. Another customer on TripAdvisor recommends trying their "gelati" - a combination of Italian ice and frozen custard - but warns that it can be messy to eat.

Overall, it seems that opinions are divided when it comes to Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard. While some reviewers praise their unique flavors and variety of options, others complain about long lines and declining quality. It may be worth checking out for yourself to see where you fall on this spectrum.

No information available yet about how recent each review is as no specific dates were mentioned in any of the reviews or articles found online.

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