It’s summer and it’s muy caliente (really hot)! We thought we’d do a review on one of our favorite ice cream places in Las Cruces, Paleteria La Reyna Michoacána (La Michoacána for short). We’ve all gone to Dairy Queen, Caliches, Coldstone, etc. but this is a little different and worth visiting…more than once! It’s one of those unknown places in town that everyone should know about. For those who miss the street food you used to buy in Juarez or for those who were too scared to try it, Paleteria La Reyna Michoacána is the place to go. It's muy bueno (really good)!
Restaurant Info: Paleteria La Reyna Michoacána is located at 525 E. Madrid Avenue. It’s on the corner of Madrid and Solano in the Mesquite Junction Plaza by Apodaca Park. If you blink, you’ll miss it. The best directions I can give is that Alice the Burrito Lady is in the corner of the plaza.Dinero: They accept cash and plastic. Sorry no checks and you have to spend at least $5 to use plastic. This shouldn’t be a problem for anyone as most of the time you go there wanting one thing and end up leaving with a couple more items than you planned.
Atmosphere: Piñatas galore! There are about 8 picnic style tables to sit on, which are very comfy. Bright decorations and friendly atmosphere. Most people take their goods home but you will see lots of people on dates and families with small children. The tv is usually on and when it's not there is very good Spanish music playing. I find myself wanting to dance while waiting in line or else drawn to the novela (Mexican soap opera) playing on the tv. Ice cream and a novela, excellent combination! On weekends you'll find the tv set to baseball or futbol (soccer). There's a little entertainment for everyone.
Bathroom check: The bathroom is very clean. The floors and tables are always clean and everything smells like Fabuloso (Mexican brand Mr. Clean). I love that smell!
Customer Service: There is always someone behind the counter and they’re quick to call for help when they get busy, which happens often. It’s a little busier in the summer but they’re really fast.
Food: First of all you should know that all the ice cream products and aguas are made in the kitchen of La Michoacána. Another reason we love this place is their extremely reasonable prices.
Paletas are a Mexican version of popsicles. They're all natural and made from real fruit, milk and sugar. There are two types of paletas, water or milk based. For $1 extra you can have your paleta dipped in chocolate and then they take the chocolate covered paleta and coat the chocolate in either pecans, coconut or candy sprinkles. This process is called ‘Esquimal’ like an Eskimo pie. Does that sound good? Well it is! My favorite paleta is strawberries and cream. Plain and simple, no chocolate. Carrie always gets a pistachio paleta and has it covered in chocolate and pecans. The paletas also come in pecan, vanilla, coconut, chocolate, cookies and cream, strawberry, pineapple, chocolate chip, guayaba, mango and banana. Here's a picture of Carrie's paleta. Please excuse the bite mark, as usual we forgot to take a picture.
Ice cream flavors include strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, pecan, coconut, cookies and cream, pistachio, caramel, chocolate chip and marshmallow. They sell by scoops on a cone or cup as well as banana splits and sundaes.
I have to admit that I’m not much of an ice-cream person but I do visit La Michoacána once a week in the summer for their aguas. Aguas literally means waters but they’re actually drinks made from fruit or rice. Just like the paletas, they’re either water or milk based. My favorite is the agua de melon (cantaloupe). It tastes like someone stuck a straw in a cantaloupe and you get to drink it...Yummers! They also have horchata, fruta (fruit), piña colada, sandia (watermelon) and lemonade aguas. All made from scratch. I suggest you pay the extra 50 cents skip the medium and get a large. They keep well in your fridge for a few days.
Agua de melon pic:
Miscellaneous but really good things to try are their corn in a cup, nachos, chicharones (no not pork rinds, they’re actually flour based pin-wheeled shaped snacks that you cover in lemon and chile), mangos on a stick, strawberries and cream (either fresh or frozen), jicama, Mexican Coke (with sugar and not high fructose corn syrup) and hot dogs. If you see people eating various things covered in nacho cheese, that’s normal and you should try it. Doritos or potato chips covered in nacho cheese are a good thing. You may have to spend a little more time on your elliptical that day, but it will have been worth it.
Caution:1.Not the place to go when your heart is broken and you feel like being an emotional eater…or maybe it is the place to go. You decide.
2.If you have a fear of piñatas, beware. This ice cream place also doubles as a piñata store. I love sitting by the Sponge Bob piñata. It makes me feel peaceful.
3. Corn in a cup is addicting. I don’t know what they do to it but it’s magical.
