Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices — Restaurant in New York

This place really fell off. I remember going here when I was a little kid. I had so many good memories getting ice cream and milkshakes from here. But now, I just see it as a completely overpriced establishment. I actually worked here a while ago and I would always feel so bad telling the customers the price after scooping up a tiny ahh cup for them. I actually stopped eating from here after starting my job there because I saw how disgusting the conditions were. The exterminator had to come by increasingly frequently because of the mice and roach problems. Workers were able to get away with skipping on basic hygiene for food service. I actually remember being advised by the manager against thoroughly cleaning our blenders with soap and water before dunking them in the bleach solution in the back. Keep in mind that we made many milkshakes throughout the day. Properly washing the blenders with a sponge with soap ensures that the residue from the previous milkshakes doesn't get caked on throughout the day. Instead, we were encouraged to just dunk the blenders in the bleach solution as to save as much time as possible. The only time I had to properly wash the blenders was either during slow hours or at the end of the day. If I knew about this disgusting practice when I was younger, I probably would have gone someplace else whenever I was in the mood for a milkshake. As a worker, this had no real effect on me because I still got paid the same amount either way. But if I was a customer with no work experience here, I would be incredibly troubled.

One last negative thing is that management pocketed money from our tip jar at the end of every day to put back into the cash register. This is incredibly immoral, let alone most likely completely illegal. Now with this part I completely understand how this may make me biased. Bias aside, I think everyone can agree that when they tip a worker for their service, they expect 100% of that money to go to the workers. Nowhere on the tip jar does it make it clear that a large portion of that tip is going to the higher ups. Apparently this is still an ongoing issue because I still speak with current workers and workers who left after me.

If you're in the area and want good ice cream, I would definitely recommend walking a bit further to Mikey Likes It. It is always a pleasure to see Mikey and his workers whenever I get ice cream from there and they are always very appreciative of my service. It's also good to support local business. I also strongly recommend Ray's Candy Shop if you want ice cream or a milkshake. Ray is a local legend and his store has been there since way before this Ralph's location. I have so many nice memories from Ray's and I continue to have amazing memories till this day. Both alternatives are on the slightly expensive side but are still cheaper than Ralph's. Pay less for better ice cream that supports local business.

TL;DR: Overpriced. Dirty workplace that actively discourages workers from properly cleaning food preparation equipment. Management also pockets significant portions of tip from tip jar. Get ice cream at Mikey Likes It or Ray's Candy Shop. Both alternatives are cheaper, give more ice cream for less, and higher quality. Not to...

There was a staple in my black cherry ice cream. A staple! My wife, daughter and I really enjoy Ralph's and if they had handled this better, I wouldn't be writing this. I pulled the staple out of my mouth and put it back in the cup so I could walk back a few blocks to show the woman at the counter. Could I have made a huge deal in front of the long line? Yes. Could I have shown everyone? Yes. But that's not me. I was very calm, showed her and she said "Yup, that's from our delivery, do you want your money back or another one?" I was so confused about the delivery part, I just asked for my $5 back.

After about a week of calling the store, I finally got in touch with the owner who said that they staple their Door Dash orders next to that flavor, which shocked me that he'd say that and that they were doing so with open containers. I asked for $200 to Ralph's, could take care of a birthday party, to which he said he'd have to talk to his partners. I haven't heard back in almost a month. It's just disappointing that service would be handled this way, especially for a neighborhood spot that we enjoy so much.

So, next time you order, ask where they staple their delivery orders in order to ensure that it's not near...

RALPH’s Famous Italian Ices is cooling down the masses with icy treats in Gramercy.

RALPH’s serves up water iced, milkshakes, smoothies, soft serve and hard ice cream, sundaes, and more from a small space, hidden by scaffolding. there is small order window facing the sidewalk. the narrow interior looks super clean. this is a grab-n-go place—no seats.

honestly, if you love water ices then this is a must for you. the classic cherry 🍒 water ice is so freaking good. sweet, cool, smooth spoonfuls of ice PLUS chunks of cherry mixed in. the ices are like a time machine back to our childhoods for many of us. the “twister” layers water ice and soft serve. there are a number of original creations on the menu.

the prices bend to being a lil pricy, but you’re paying for quality and it doesn’t disappoint. i got a “kiddie”-sized which is tiny ($3 + change) which i find to be a perfect serving of sweetness without the brain freeze!

the service is fast and friendly. expect lines on warm days as parents & kids are a fixture outside Ralph’s.

drops mic cuz ice ice...