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Philadelphia Water Ice Factory, Khadijah Bronson's DC Atlas-District Branch of a New Jersey Franchise - Closed


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There's a place on H and 12th (or thereabouts) NE called "Philadelphia Water Ice."  Has anyone popped in there?  I LOVE water ice, but haven't made it there yet...

Whoa, someone is making ice with water? Someone should contact Achatz about this. :lol:

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There's a place on H and 12th (or thereabouts) NE called "Philadelphia Water Ice."  Has anyone popped in there?  I LOVE water ice, but haven't made it there yet...

I read this article about the place when it first opened last year but still have not gotten there. I love Philadelphia- style water ice, or did when I was a child. I haven't had it in years.

(Edit to say that the article starts on page 11 of that pdf file.)

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I read this article about the place when it first opened last year but still have not gotten there.  I love Philadelphia- style water ice, or did when I was a child.  I haven't had it in years.

(Edit to say that the article starts on page 11 of that pdf file.)

oh god, it's been there a year?! i need to get out more....

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Snow cones are more chunky ice with syrup, not exactly combined. Waterice is more of a frozen slurpee consistency, with the ice flavored throughout. No bare, flavorless spots.

See above link to Rita's for pic and description.

Edited by monavano
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I had a craving for water (wudder) ice and happened to be looking at the boards, and I wanted to remind everyone exactly how great water ice is in the summer.

When my boyfriend and I started dating and I moved down here, I used to bring quarts down to DC on the Greyhound, as that is how obsessed I was with this product.

Last year, some friends and I went to the Philadelphia Water Ice factory a few weeks before the Rita's opened to help relieve my craving for water ice, and we spoke to the proprietor. She is a transplant, and her water ice is shipped in. Her water ice will be familiar to anyone who would grab a water ice freom any number of places at home. I tend to find Rita's a little more liquid (not that I dislike it). Rita's also (I had always heard) made more in-house? (If they don't, someone correct me)

She also has a selection of pretzels, but Rita's (at least at home) has those as well.

Finally, I haven't been to the Rita's in DC yet, but I have been known to drive to Odenton from Arlington, CNU from Williamsburg, and then to Glen Burnie almost any time I am on 695. All of them seem to be exactly the same.

Now I just need to convince my significant other he wants to go...tonight.

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Last year, some friends and I went to the Philadelphia Water Ice factory a few weeks before the Rita's opened to help relieve my craving for water ice, and we spoke to the proprietor. She is a transplant, and her water ice is shipped in. Her water ice will be familiar to anyone who would grab a water ice freom any number of places at home. I tend to find Rita's a little more liquid (not that I dislike it). Rita's also (I had always heard) made more in-house? (If they don't, someone correct me)

Water ice is sweetened flavored water. Rita's runs theirs out of a soft serve machine so it is softer and more liquid. They do this with their "frozen custard" also. I guess you could say it was more house made if you consider combining water,sweetener and flavoring and pouring it into the machine some sort of advantage.

Beware anyplace that has bubblegum flavored ANYTHING. It is not a good sign.

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I finally made it to Philadelphia Water Ice Factory this evening, and got a Small Lemon ($1.50), an Italian Ice that (as Liz noted above) was made with sweetened, flavored water. It pretty much tasted like frozen Country Time lemonade.

More interestingly, Philadelphia Water Ice Factory appears to have conjoined with the New Jersey Ice Cream manufacturer Richman's (has anyone not stopped into Richman's while driving to Atlantic City?), and is a chain of 17 retail outlets in 9 states.

There is no seating here; it's walk-up, order, and take-away only. On the menu, they blatantly feature really awful things such as these.

I'd love to rave about this place, but I'm sorry, I can't.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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I finally made it to Philadelphia Water Ice Factory this evening, and got a Small Lemon ($1.50), an Italian Ice that (as Liz noted above) was made with sweetened, flavored water. It pretty much tasted like frozen Country Time lemonade.

More interestingly, Philadelphia Water Ice Factory appears to have conjoined with the New Jersey Ice Cream manufacturer Richman's (has anyone not stopped into Richman's while driving to Atlantic City?), and is a chain of 17 retail outlets in 9 states.

There is no seating here; it's walk-up, order, and take-away only. On the menu, they blatantly feature really awful things such as these.

I'd love to rave about this place, but I'm sorry, I can't.

Cheers,
Rocks.

You're missing the point-it's supposed to taste like Frozen Country Time lemonade. That's the whole point. There is nothing natural or organic in real water ice.

Also, next time try a cheesesteak. Quite good for these parts.

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