14 Rita's Italian Ice Flavors, Ranked

When looking for a warm weather treat, one might look for the country's best soft serve or the perfect watermelon recipe to ring in the season — but there are many who would argue that the end-all-be-all summer treat is Italian ice. Italian ice is a time-modified version of Sicilian granita, an ice-based dessert brought to the country by immigrants. Most people can recognize it as a bed of finely shaved ice covered in flavoring. It's largely dairy-free, but there are some flavors that incorporate some creamy ingredients, too. One of the most popular places to get some of the treat is at Rita's Italian Ice, so I thought it was only appropriate to rank its flavors and provide some insight into the best ones available.

In order to do so, and to do so honestly, I conducted personal taste tests of all the flavors ranked here. My criteria primarily focused on the perceived quality of the flavor. Was it too cloying? Too tart? Too subtle? If it was based on another product, like a candy brand, how representative was its actual flavor? These were the guiding thoughts as I ate my way through Italian ice galore at this popular chain. 

Only the bold would dare challenge a beloved dessert like mint chocolate chip ice cream. The creamy sharpness and sweetness of the cult-favorite ice cream flavor might lead one to question why anyone would bother trying to improve upon a classic. Rita's tried to recreate this ice cream in ice form — and it didn't fare well. 

There are many ways to enjoy mint chocolate chip-flavored anything. Even if the ice cream form doesn't really evoke too much of the mint, the flavor has a unique coolness that's accentuated with flecks of scrumptious chocolate. This Italian ice version, however, tasted like astronaut food. The dairy-based powder mixed into ice to give it an ice cream-feel instead gave this product a distinct re-hydrated feel that was not pleasant on my palate. The chocolate chips were unexceptional as well, leaving nothing good enough to truly savor from this flavor. 

Vegan chocolate may have captured the hearts of dairy-free eaters around the globe, but there are some of us who still cling to the milky chocolate of pre-plant-based times. Because Italian ices are, by and large, dairy-free, Rita's chocolate ice was met with a small degree of skepticism. I quickly found that this feeling in my gut was warranted.

The chocolate ice was fairly sweet, almost sickly so, and the chocolate flavor was less like pure cacao and more like Easy Bake Oven chocolate. Perhaps it's a fundamental mismatch of ice and chocolate. On a hot day, like when I sampled this flavor, the ice melted relatively quickly and watered down the ice. It also seemed like this flavor was less forgiving than others when it came to melting. It wasn't inedible, but chocolate purists, snobs, and devotees who want a top-notch, dairy-free chocolate dessert may be better off trying this vegan chocolate ice cream recipe at home.

I have had an aversion to grape-flavored candy ever since I was little. The taste of the artificial grape flavoring, combined with its mysterious dark-purple color, has disappointed more times than I'd care to admit. Meanwhile, real grapes are practically a ceaseless source of joy. 

Nerds are one of those classic candies for which I've made more than a few exceptions. However, I found that Rita's Nerds grape Italian ice was a letdown compared to both the candy and the fruit itself. The artificial grape taste I was dreading was alive and well in this frozen dessert. Its aromatic, medicinal qualities were, unfortunately, very much at the forefront. There is certainly a current of Nerds grape that runs through this flavor, but it plays second fiddle to those other, less desirable tastes. Given the choice between the actual Nerds candy and this frozen variety, I'd choose the candy every time.

I sampled two cherry ices from Rita's, and it's clear that one didn't fare as well as the other. Unfortunately, Rita's straight-up cherry is the lesser of the stone fruit-flavored ices. Upon inspection, the cherry flavor seems to be devoid of any visible or textural connection to actual cherries. The same goes for the flavor; Rainier, Stella, and Bing were nowhere to be found. The reasons why cherry-flavored food doesn't often taste like actual cherries are numerous, but it was still a disappointment that this Italian ice was presented without a trace of the fruit.

But just because the flavor was lacking in what nature might call "cherry" does not mean it was unrecognizable. This heap of red ice tasted strikingly similar to another frozen cherry dessert: a cherry Icee. Though Icees are a perennial favorite, an Italian ice that tastes just like one of them is at a disadvantage because it isn't quite as slurpable. Plus, if the first perception of a flavor is that it tastes like a different product, it probably isn't doing enough to stand on its own. While some folks may view this flavor quite favorably, I didn't get a great impression from it.

If you're like me, you get nervous anytime you hear "sugar-free." Though they may have less calories, sugar-free desserts frequently miss the mark in terms of flavor. The Rita's sugar-free dragon fruit flavor was a pleasant surprise compared to a lifetime of mediocre sugar-free offerings. However, it still didn't stand up to the more favorable options from the Italian ice chain.

The dragon fruit's flavor is somewhere on the spectrum between a pear and a kiwi, with a bit of tang and a subtle sweetness to it. Under-ripe dragon fruit can sometimes veer into flavorless territory. And as was the case with this Italian ice, it nosed into blandness ever so slightly. Perhaps a mix of under-ripe dragon fruit and water, which further diluted the flavor, led to this. It felt like I was drinking a bottle of pale pink mineral water. It wasn't bad, and for a sugar-free option, it was fairly appetizing. But it's unlikely one I'd order again considering the other, better options on the menu. 

Combining the flavors of many different fruits might seem like a one-way ticket to flavor success, but it requires a keen attention to detail to balance these competing flavor notes. Rita's tries its hand at that balance with its Island Fusion flavor, which seeks to unite passion fruit, banana, and mango. Though imperfect, it juggles these individual elements with a surprising amount of grace.

You have to give Rita's some credit for not going all-in on a flavor solely dedicated to passion fruit. This ice has a strange melon-like color to it, and despite being quite sweet, it has a harmonious flavor with just enough acidity to cut through the sweetness. While some other folks might not be head-over-heels for this flavor, mainly because it's too sweet or has too much doing on, I thought it was far from being a bad option, especially compared to the lower-ranking offerings on this list. 

Cotton candy is one of the flavors on this list that most readily evokes the word "cloying." When it's served light-as-air at fairs and festivals, the saccharine flavor many not really bother you. But the denser the product, the more sickening it becomes. That's why the prospect of a cotton candy Italian ice was somewhat unnerving. However, my fears about Rita's cotton candy ice were unwarranted. It's simply delicious.

The bright blue ice is certainly as sweet as cotton candy should be, and perhaps is a little too sweet for sugar-sensitive palates. But it somehow managed to strike a balance between everything cotton candy should be and everything Italian ice should be. Its flavor was like a piece of cotton candy-flavored bubble gum, but slightly subdued. I mean this in the most complimentary way possible, because the fact that Rita's somehow managed to make cotton candy Italian ice borderline refreshing is an achievement indeed.

The person behind the counter at Rita's informed me mango was one of the most popular flavors at that location. This came as no surprise, as the flavor profile of mango is incredibly dynamic and well-suited to dessert. Its milky, zesty, sweet flavor (with a slight herbaceousness and greenness to it) is also rather refreshing to enjoy on a hot day. I was surprised when I sampled the Rita's mango Italian ice flavor; it was extremely delicious, yet comprehensively unsustainable.

The flavor was quite explosive. From the first bite, the ice is unmistakably mango-forward, super-sweet, and fairly tart. All these dials were cranked about a notch or two higher than they should have been, as the intensity began to break after a few spoonfuls. It lacked some of the range of the mango itself and missed that grassy-green quality entirely. Plus, there wasn't any sort of visual indication to confirm that real mango was used in the recipe. These factors were the minor detractors of an, overall, very good flavor. If you have a robust sweet tooth and a craving for a frozen mango treat, this one will certainly satisfy you. 

Lemon and ice: Is there a pairing more perfectly suited to warm weather? The simple duo is a time-honored combo — mainly because of how refreshing it is. But the abundance of reference material puts a lot of pressure on a single institution's frozen lemon offering. Within this context, Rita's lemon Italian ice is a solid, if not underwhelming, entry.

The major strengths of the lemon flavor are that it has a balanced sweetness and refreshing quality to it. On this point alone, the lemon ice distinguishes itself as a must-pick flavor. However, the actual citrus undertones were a little bit too subtle to make much of an impact. The effect was that it tasted like finely shaved ice with lemon, rather than a dessert in which lemon takes center stage. It was very tasty regardless and is a good selection for those who want a bright, but not necessarily bombastic, flavor.

There is a wide chasm between the taste of artificial peach and real, revered Georgia peaches. Rita's Italian Ice makes the jump from the American South to the south of Italy rather flawlessly. The iced Italian format is entirely congruous with the Georgia peach flavor.

This was one of my favorite flavors available at Rita's for a number of reasons. The fine texture of the ice perfectly suited the soft, peach notes. Overall, the fruity flavor was understated without being too subtle. That singular peach flavor, boosted by the tiniest hint of florality, made this an easily crushable Italian ice. Plus, seeing bits of peach in the ice was appropriate — given how truthfully you could taste the real peach within the dessert. If it lagged in any category, it may be that it lacked a dynamic profile and was a tad too straightforwardly peach. But then again, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Rita's Italian Ice has a few options on the menu listed under "Italian cream ice." These classic Italian ices include sodium caseinate, a milk derivative, which produces a creamier mouthfeel. This texture perfectly suits the flavor of coconut cream ice. The smoother, creamier texture plays perfectly with the tiniest bit of actual coconut that makes it into the mixture.

Coconut cream is known for its velvety sweetness and whisper of nuttiness. That's exactly what Rita's variation provided. It was so light, I felt as if I could have another without getting sick of the flavor. It was far from excessively sweet, while still coming off, undeniably, as a dessert. As someone who will always reach for the coconut-flavored treats, I had to temper my praise of this flavor ever so slightly due to my (borderline instinctual) gravitation toward coconut. I can say that this ice neither disappointed nor overwhelmed the palate, making the coconut cream flavor a rarity as it was both a refreshing and a flavorful choice.

If your favorite flavor of ice cream, cake, or another dessert is vanilla, you know the stigma that can accompany this choice. Some people may think you're a bit of a square if you opt for a scoop of vanilla over something more exciting. Though, Rita's vanilla-flavored Italian ice is a perfect example of why this classic profile reigns supreme when it comes to frozen desserts.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the ice come out as a warm, light brownish color — which is exactly what I would expect from ice veiled in the extract. Despite the similar shade, the Italian ice packed a less-intense punch than vanilla extract straight from the bottle. And while its flavor was more subtle than other vanilla desserts out there, the taste was unmistakably vanilla and a tad bit woody. Since there wasn't a dairy base here, I figured that it would come out a little bit strong — and my assumptions were correct. 

Rita's vanilla ice is somehow refreshing — and worth facing a pinch of stigma. However, it's very hard to give the top spot to vanilla-flavored anything, as it falls just a hair short in the X-factor category to be ranked number one.

Sweden's favorite fish have apparently swum all the way to Italy for this one. The history of Swedish Fish's intended flavor is somewhat of a mystery; allegedly the original flavor was lingonberry, but it has since been transformed into a kind of conglomerate of berry-esque flavors. One thing's for sure, though: Swedish Fish have a very distinct flavor. So when an Italian ice is Swedish Fish-flavored, you expect, and hope, it delivers the same flavor in a less-concentrated fashion. After all, you can only munch on a few fish before getting tired of them. Rita's Italian Ice rendition of Swedish Fish is anything but neutral: It's a resounding triumph.

Though Swedish Fish can be quite syrupy, the iced version was toned down just enough to be refreshing, and just berry candy-flavored enough to make it impossible to resist. This was one of the few flavors on the list that was truly hard to put down once I started eating it. It tasted exactly like the candy, only without the potency and hard-to-chew consistency. For lovers of Swedish Fish, this is the Italian ice you've been waiting for. But even for skeptics of Swedish Fish, this may be the frozen treat that wins you over. Despite the fact that it goes down easy, though, its candy-forward flavor knocks it just one inch shy of perfection.

The wildest thing about Rita's wild black cherry ice is how delicious it is. In fact, it was the best flavor I tried across several trips to Rita's.

What makes this one stand alone as the top dog? First and foremost, the flavor is balanced and deep. Especially when compared with the lower-ranked cherry flavor, the wild black cherry flavor delivers a rich, dark sweetness with a healthy dose of tartness. It never goes full sour, nor does it delve too far into saccharine territory. In short, it tastes like dark cherries, but is elevated enough to qualify as a dessert. Its taste is not the only evidence of fruit either; there is a hefty amount of real cherry pieces hidden inside of the ice mixture, which adds to the right amount of textural variety. It's no surprise that this one was one of my favorites, and also a fan-favorite among Rita's eaters everywhere. 

Everyone has a different palate and their idea of a great dessert. As such, there is no true way to determine something like the "best" flavor of Italian ice in a purely objective way. However, there are certain widely held standards that were useful in forming this ranking. I looked for flavors that were true to their descriptor, meaning that a mango-flavored Italian ice should indeed taste like mango. I also looked for flavors that weren't cloying, since overly sweet flavors can overwhelm the taste buds and make you feel sick — which nobody wants. Other considerations during my taste test were originality of the flavor, how refreshing it was, and how much the frozen texture of the ice complemented the particular flavored syrup applied to it.