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El Oasis

4.7 (115 reviews)
Open • 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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EL OASIS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - El Oasis

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Michael W.

My Mexican colleague asked if I had chamoyada before and said nope! What a great find in Champaign for Mexican dessert! Chamoyada is like shaved ice/sorbet topped with chili powder and chamoy sauce, which is a sour plum like flavor. Hawaiians, it's like Li Hing Mui. Japanese, it's like umeboshi. Taiwanese, it's like Suan Mei. I think you get the point! Chamoyada was really tasty. Next time, I will give their paletas a shot.

Corn + Cucumber
Allison F.

Q: Where in central Illinois do you expect to find scoops of cucumber, corn, queso, avocado, tamarind, and spicy mango ice cream? A: El Oasis in Urbana The only downside to my visit is that I could only try two samples of ice cream because as I solo traveler passing through I would have loved to try everything in the cases. Wowza! I've never seen some of these flavors in the form of ice cream before. Five stars for creativity and taste!

Paletas!!
Jesus E.

This is the perfect place for an afternoon treat. The paletas are to die for! They also have a unique array of ice cream and sorbet flavors; you'll definitely find more than traditional ice cream flavors here. They have a few other Mexican desserts as well such as flan, chamoyadas and aguas frescas! They also have some food dishes such a tortas but I haven't had any here. Such a charming cute and colorful shop and the service is always super friendly. This place is definitely a stand out in the area!!

Guava and guanábana ice cream
Natalie M.

I've tried the paletas here from Taste of Nevada (tried so many flavors in the past with mango, rice, and coconut). I've heard good things and have been wanting to check this place out! The chamoyada is delicious! You choose two to three flavors depending on the size. I got a small ($3.69) so I chose two flavors : guava and guanábana. They let you taste it if you want. These are water-based sorbets but they also have ones with milk (but these can't be in the chamoyada). It was absolutely delicious! It had spicy sauce and some mango on top with chili powder. The mix of flavors were great! They have a mixture of flavors like tamarind, coconut, and other tropical fruit. I will definitely try these again soon! It's nice to enjoy this on a sunny day!

Mango Chamoyada
Marissa C.

I really like all the desserts and snacks that this place has to offer. They have different flavors of ice cream (dairy & non-dairy based), paletas, fresh fruit, & other Mexican desserts. My boyfriend & I split the mango chamoyada & it was so refreshing & tasty on a 75 degree day. On another note, this place is only getting 4 stars from me instead of 5 because the lady who served me was rude. But I'll overlook that, because there's no other place like this in CU & I need my chamoyada.

The oreo ice cream! So good
Chloe C.

My friends and I always come here for ice cream/dessert! I always get the Strawberry Fresa popsicle or the Oreo ice cream. The strawberry popsicle has a lot of real strawberry pieces in it and it tastes really refreshing. The Oreo ice cream had a lot of pieces of Oreo in it and it tastes more like Oreos compared to other places where I taste more of the vanilla ice cream. The people working at the counter have always been super nice and pleasant so I always have a good experience.

The chocolate milkshake was delicious. Excellent customer service.
Chelsea S.

I went with my two girls and had a great experience. The customer service was excellent. My daughter was carrying two take out containers and one of the ladies working there went and got her a carry out bag to put the containers in. I thought that was considerate of the woman. The chocolate milkshake was delicious and topped with kit kat and ferri roacha. My oldest had the spicy mango ice cream and my youngest had the chocolate covered banana. We have found our go to ice cream spot.

Salua K.

They have good ice cream but: 1. To be latinos, they have no manners. Latinos are characterized for their hospitality and charism. These people have no idea what is customer service. The guy was super upset because I wanted to try a third sample of different ice creams. He said no more than 2. I should have left. Instead, I ordered mamey. It was good ice cream. My husband ordered tamarind soda with a cup of ice. The lady was yelling at him and made him wait.

Tamarind and mango chamoyada
Nghi N.

Bro, IT SO GOOOOD. If you're not feeling the traditional ice cream flavors and are looking for a switch up, come to El Oasis. Its water based ice cream are indescribably unique and not toxically sweet like the average American scoop. A hidden gem of CU discovered!

The outside
Sarah W.

I have been wanting to go to El Oasis for the longest time. I finally got to go last night and I can't believe I waited this long! El Oasis is located in a tiny strip mall at the intersection of Cunningham and University. It is easily missed by most, but it is a true gem. When you walk in, it looks like a typical Mexican restaurant with bright colors and a huge menu on wall. As you turn to your right, you see a three long freezers of sugary goodness. El Oasis has a couple "regular" flavors such as Vanilla, Oreo, and Strawberry with chocolate swirl. They also have water-based ice cream which is more like a sorbet. They have many different flavors so you can enjoy some frozen treats if you are lactose intolerant. The flavors that are less common are Guanabana, Gansito, and Tequila, to name a few. I would recommend trying something that you have never had before because I assure you, you will not be disappointed. The servers are very helpful in choosing what type of combination you would like. The owner is so friendly and very jolly which made the experience even more enjoyable. El Oasis is a must stop place in Champaign-Urbana!

Chamoyada... salty, spicy, sweet. Not so good
Nelson M.

Restaurant review Yes this is unique dessert place that has so many interesting ice cream flavors including cheese and corn. I think that many of the 5 star reviews are the novelty of having so many unique flavors with milk and water based ice creams. I really wanted this to be a 5 star experience, however after trying the Chamoyada and the ice cream; I just do not have a palate for this unique dessert. I pride myself on trying everything. I may have made a big mistake by taking the larger size of the chamoyada. I don't know how many flavors you get to chose because the lady never indicated when selecting so I ended up with the most "popular" the spicy mango and I made an additional mistake of choosing normal mango. The spiciness and season was crazy in a bad way. Somehow the ice cream was both salty, spicy, and some mild subtle sweetness. For the first time I could not finish my dessert. Something about the spiciness and saltiness made it very difficult to consume. It looks good on picture and maybe a favorite for some people, but I think I will pass from now on. Pros: So many unique flavors, paletas with fresh fruit as well, friendly cashier Cons: the blend of saltiness and spiciness is too much to bear. My son who loves ice cream simply refused to eat any of the corn ice cream Hidden deals: None Health code rating: A http://champaign.il.gegov.com/champaign/estab.cfm?facilityID=1988

Kristy D.

O M G this place deserves so much more attention than it's actually getting! I came here after a tiring canoe trip, and this was the perfect treat. I sort of had in mind that I wanted a paleta (Mexican for popsicle) coming here, but as soon as I saw what everyone else was coming here for, I knew I want to the chamoyada. Definitely go for the large size. You get to choose three of their water based Mexican ice cream (mango, spicy mango, lime, tamarind, or guava). The cup is coated with a chile sauce, with additional chile sauce and fresh squeezed lime juice between each layer. All of this gets topped off with diced mango. I chose spicy mango, tamarind, and guava for my cup. Guava is SOOOO good. I'm obsessed with this place and their chamoyada now. We came back four days later at lunch time. The second time we went, it was empty so we got a chance to chat with the owner. Really friendly guy. He mentioned not investing in advertising at all, but this place is really a gem and deserves word of mouth advertising.

Bionico

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I came on a Sunday at 12:30pm and they were closed. I dont think they are open anymore. I called, no answer.

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4 years ago

Everything was great and we really appreciate the service. We will definitely be coming back

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Matcha En

Matcha En

4.7
(6 reviews)
1.5 mi
Free WiFi
Grab-and-go

This dessert shop was a wonderful find for me. I went here to get a matcha oriented drink but ended…read moreup getting a soft-serve swirl. Upon arrival, I checked out the menu and saw a lot of wonderful variety of items that I wanted to try; however, I only had room for one thing. While scoping out the menu, my eyes fell on their soft-serve flavors. They not only had chocolate and vanilla flavors but also, hojicha, matcha, and ube. Plus, you could get them in a swirl or just as two flavors in a dish. I immediately decided that I wanted the Hojicha and Ube pairing. My son got the Matcha and Ube combo. Both were good. I liked all the flavors. Hojicha was my favorite, followed by Matcha, and then Ube. Each of these ice cream had rich flavor and the texture was smooth. The pricing of the soft-serve was on the high side but the portion size was good. The Ice cream is made in-house including the Hojicha. The shop was busy. It was frequented by U of I students, it seemed. The service was good. I'd go back here if I were to be in Champaign again. Check it out.

Great service, great drinks, and great vibes. I came here during finals to study and try their…read morematcha and was very satisfied! The strawberry matcha is sweet and flavorful. The inside is quiet and has a great seating area for studying, it was very clean and had a cute community board inside! I was served quickly by a lone person with optimism and a smile. I felt very welcome and enjoyed every moment of being here! I will definitley be back to try their desserts!

Photos
Ube & Hojicha Ice Cream in a Cup ($7.50)
Ube & Hojicha Ice Cream in a Cup ($7.50)
Black Sesame Hojicha Latte ($7.50)
Black Sesame Hojicha Latte ($7.50)
Strawberry Matcha Latte ($7) - strawberry tastes artificial. There's no strawberry pieces, just strawberry syrup.

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Strawberry Matcha Latte ($7) - strawberry tastes artificial. There's no strawberry pieces, just strawberry syrup.

El Oasis - icecream - Updated July 2026

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