Next time you’re at Disneyland and staying nearby, you might want to check out this cast member favorite.  Joe’s Italian Ice has been serving what they call “authentic Philly style water ice” since I was a cast member back in the early 90’s.  It’s incredibly delicious.  Located right down Harbor Blvd, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Happiest Place on Earth.

Joe’s Italian Ice
Location: 12302 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840 or 2201 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802
Specialty: Authentic Philly-style water ice (you’ve got to taste it to understand)
Type: Counter service
Cost: Between $3 and $6 (and worth every penny)
Craig’s Favorite: The Joe Latti (combination of Philly-style Italian ice and real soft ice cream)

I thought I had see every form of sweet ice treat imaginable.  I mean how many different ways can you flavor water?  I had the sno-cone, which is basically ice chips and syrup.  I had the slushie, which is small ice chips and syrup.  Then a friend of mine from Hawaii said I needed to try shave ice (not shaved ice – shave ice!) and I thought, “Glorified sno-cone.”  But it was NOT!  It was incredible and unless you’ve had it it’s hard to describe but it is NOT a sno-cone.  So when someone said to try Joe’s Italian Ice, I couldn’t imagine what could be different, but it was.  Both different and delicious.  It’s hard to describe but the “ice” is flavorful in every bite.  The ice isn’t just flavored in syrup, it’s mixed into the ice in a way that you get whatever flavor you order in every bite.  The ice also isn’t hard and crunchy but soft and delicious.

The menu board at Joe’s

The Joe Latti with Wild Cherry

They also serve some of the best soft serve ice cream ever shipped directly from Pennsylvania.  As they write on their website, it’s cooked at ultra high temperatures to make it extra creamy and it is.  I ordered the Joe Latti with Wild Cherry and vanilla soft serve – the best of both worlds.  Be warned, the dollop of soft serve on the top is just that, resting on top.  At the bottom is another small layer of soft serve and in-between is your Italian ice.  This combination was amazing together.  The only thing that could make it better would be a bit more soft serve to balance the ice.  Flavors change daily so just check the board when you arrive.  There’s so much great food at the park, but if you’re in the mood to try something different, make Joe’s a priority in your travels.