On a hectic Friday night, it can be almost impossible to find a place to sit and enjoy yourself and the company of others. But just off Independence Parkway is Rita’s Italian Ice, a Friday night’s saving grace.

Rita’s is a cross-cultural dessert business offering more than eight types of desserts, so at first, the menu can seem foreign to someone used to only picking between just ice cream flavors. Although there was only one employee working, he was more than helpful about explaining the menu, what exactly for example Italian ice, gelati, and a blendini are, and introducing us to the extensive list of toppings. Not to mention he did an excellent job at recommending flavors and was very patient with allowing us to try a number of samples.

Best known for its Italian ice, which is smoother than a snow cone but more chilled than a slushie, it seemed like the appropriate thing to try for a first timer. The sizes and prices were reasonable compared to other ice cream or smoothies chains in the area, in fact we only paid about $6 for two regular sized ices.

With my chocolate addiction, the “Chocolate Chocolate Chip” ice caught my attention. Eating chocolate ice was a little odd at first, but the consistency and chocolate chip add-ins positively set it apart from your typical gelato or ice cream. The majority of things on the menu are also trans fat or sugar free, meaning it’s okay to enjoy a little more Italian ice than you normally would.

For a Friday night, the place was not busy at all, only one other family came in for the 20 minutes we were there. This might have been a product of the limited seating, but it sure did make it easier to converse with others. Sitting down, customers can see advertisements of their products along the walls, and their signature red, green and blue across the room isn’t overwhelming; but just enough to lift your spirits alongside the sound of children’s laughter coming from the game room in the back.

A visit to Rita’s will exceed your expectations. It’s no wonder their slogan is “Ice, Custard, Happiness.”