Ray’s Italian Water Ice

Fun place to take the kids.
Long lines moved pretty fast.
Shakes looked pretty good.
Water ices were average. Do not recommend the chocolate flavor.

Cannot say enough good things about this spot. The medium custard cone was ginormous and the best vanilla I’ve had on the east coast to date! I’m in Williamsburg today, and before I head back to Seattle tomorrow, I will be making the hour long drive back to Richmond just for the custard here. That says a lot. :)

I live all the way in Midlothian but travel out of the way just to go to Ray’s! It’s just that good. The custard is so fresh. I prefer it over gelato and ice cream. The water ice has many different flavors but I have to say that mango is my favorite. My only complaint is that there is no Ray’s in South Side!

We really enjoy going to Ray’s. Italian water ice & Frozen custard
Black cherry, and sour apple favorite flavors

Ray Rays, as our family likes to call it, is a place of pure deliciousness! I am a huge fan of the Rocket, layered creamy frozen custard & any flavor of Italian ice (my faves — coconut, mango, or cherry). Try it once and I promise, you will return to consume more. As Laura R. mentioned, I do wish Ray would appear more cheerful — he is indeed, an ice cream god!
Cheers!

In short pump stop by for a Italian ice /​custard treat… iceee are good and service is quick… dining al fresco

I have tried Ray’s a few times from their offerings at Libbie Market, but had no idea they had a location in Richmond. I drove 20+ mins to get there, but it was so worth it. I had the black raspberry custard and it was so thick and delicious. My boyfriend loved that he could choose dark chocolate for many of the flavors. I only deduct a star because the layout is a bit awkward without an indoor seating area.

Great! A lot of options! Cookie Dough Dark is delicious!

Rays Italian water ice has been around for years, and is still great. They have a large menu, from custard, to milkshakes, to hand scooped ice cream, to Italian ice, to sundaes. They almost always have everything, and rarely ever make a mistake. If you tell them that they made one, then they will fix it immediately.
The line can be long sometimes, but only because they do so many fundraisers for local schools. The line goes at a decent speed, but can fell like forever.

One of the best parts about moving to the west end is the convenience of living so close to Rays. The hubs had never had frozen custard before I introduced him to Ray’s, and now he’s obsessed. So far, we’ve only stuck with the Ray’s Rocket with italian ice and creamy vanilla custard. Can’t wait to keep going back to try everything!

I’ve been going here for years. My favorite thing to get here is a rocket. It’s flavored shaved ice with soft serve ice cream. This soft serve is nothing like I have ever had before. Soft and creamy/​whipped goodness. Everyone I take here loves it and returns.
It would have gotten five starts but Ray always seems so grumpy. Smile Ray, your an ice cream god.

Ray’s is awesome! My favorite place to go for dessert in the West End, hands down. They have man different options as far as desserts go.
They have the classic water ice, which is usually offered in about 15 different flavors each day. You can get this layered with chocolate, vanilla, or swirl custard (The Ray’s Rocket – my favorite!!). You can also get the Italian Ice mixed with chocolate, vanilla, or swirl custard (The Ray’s Freezie– also one of my favorites!)
They also have many different flavors of custards, which are handscooped. You can also get the custard in a cone, and then dipped into a flavor (such as chocolate, caramel, cotton candy, etc., almost like a magic shell consistency) or a candy crunch. Or you can get the custard with different mix ins, such as kit kats, snickers, etc.
Ray’s also has some other dessert options: banana splits, brownie sundaes, and frozen bananas.
Everything at Ray’s is delicious! They will let you sample almost anything. I definitely recommend it to anyone who has a sweet tooth like I do!
Be aware that Ray’s is ALWAYS crowded with middle and high schoolers, as well as college students… and families, and adults, and senior citizens… basically everyone in the West End knows about Ray’s and how good it is. Basically, what I am saying is that you should expect a wait. It never takes more than 15 minutes at the most to get your order however. Just don’t go on a Friday or Saturday night!!!

My favorite ice cream spot in Richmond! The rays rocket is the best with layered water ice and custard.

There may be a line in Saturday afternoons but be patient, it’s totally worth it!

Great neighborhood place to come after dinner or just walk here for Italian ice or custard. It reminds me of the Italian ice shops in NJ. There’s many choices of flavors. Stop by and try. You’re sure to find a flavor you’ll enjoy.

Was recommended to this place and it definitely hits the spot. Even on a rainy night, the place still had a good number of customers. I got the midnight craving dark and pistachio and it was a good combo.
They also have a frequent flyer card that give you $ 5 for every $ 30 that you spend.

Friendly people, lots of flavors (custard and ice drinks), and fast service! I got the chocolate chip cookie dough in chocolate custard and a mango water ice. It was a savory adventure that slayed my thirst and won the night!

I found Ray’s by accident, but I will be returning!
They only have a walk up window, but there are several benches and tables if you want to sit outside. The service was fast and friendly and they take credit cards. They had a large variety of flavors of both italian ice and custard. I had a medium Rocket with Tangerine water ice and layers of vanilla custard. It was awesome. I will be going back to try a Rocket in a different flavor.
This is a perfect place for a summer treat with family or friends.

Great ice cream/​Italian ice! Very Nice owners and location. During the summer it always has a line in the evenings but it moves quickly!

Wow, what a nice surprise this was! Don’t let the name fool you, Rays also specializes in frozen custard ice cream.
An awesome change to the traditional soft serve ice cream that I found to be creamy and absolutely delicious. I consider myself a connoisseur of all things sweet, creamy, and decadent and Rays will not disappoint the sweet tooth. The menu of flavors is endless and is sure to please just about anyone. Go check it out and support this local business.

I went here for the first time last weekend. It was great! I am from the south, so I had no clue what water ice was. Ray’s website explains it all for you. I got a cherry rocket, which is layers of water ice and vanilla custard. Best of both worlds! I got cherry water ice to play it safe, and it was delicious. They had a lot of flavors and a lot of people in front of me got rockets also so I thought I picked a good one.
You do not actually go into the store, you order at the window. The service is quick, and they take plastic which is awesome. There are benches to enjoy your dessert on also. I will be back, and my friends from PA and Jersey are dying to try it too!

I have been by Ray’s Italian Water Ice many times, and it seems to be always very busy. They have now been there for several years… so this tells me that they are doing something right, so I decided to take the time to stop by…
It was a very Hot and Humid day here in Richmond yesterday and when I approached the window, they had a huge menu on a LCD screen. When it came to flavors… there was nothing missing, so I chose Pomegranate. The young man at the window allowed me to taste it and to my surprise… it was very rich in flavor and taste. So, instead of ordering a small, I ordered a Med.
The flavor Italian Ice was excellent and the people working there are extremely nice. I saw many other deserts like custards and frozen bananas which are dipped into many varies concoctions of many flavors… This will be my next visit. It hit the spot as my ride home was more enjoyable as I felt cooled off from the Pomegranate and Italian Ice. I hope I will see you there as they are worth the visit… ;-)

Good selection of Italian ices and frozen custards. Walk up to the window, read the digital menu, and place your order. Prices are good and the sizes are large.