If you invite someone to Coco's Neveria, the conversation will likely go a lil' somethin' like…read morethis:
"Hey, do you want to get ice cream?"
"Sure! What did you have in mind?"
"I know just the place! Their ice cream is way less creamy than usual, not very sweet, icy, and grainy."
"...."
Your friend would rightly question the desire to visit Coco's. Even knowing ahead of time that Mexican ice cream is a bit of a departure from what I think of as "normal," my excitement was rather deflated as I wandered along the case and looked over what appeared closer to sorbet than anything else.
If you can suspend your traditional ice cream expectations, however, Coco's will reward you with a surprisingly fantastic treat! There are about twenty flavors, including queso, mamey, nance, Ferraro Rocher, Oreo, Gansito, chocolate, passion fruit, cajeta, coffee, Nuez (pecan), Guyaba (soursop), coconut, mango, pina colada, vanilla, strawberry, fresca con queso (strawberries and cheese), pistachio, and bubblegum. There were a few others, and you can check their website for a full list. I think it may change on occasion, but most seemed to be standards. The sweet girl working offered samples, and I wish I would have tried some uncommon flavors, especially the tropical fruits, but I was prepped for disappointment, and quickly ordered a cake cone with a scoop of fresca con queso and Gansito. Well! From first lick I was delighted by the creative flavors and interesting texture! Fresa con queso tasted like strawberry cheesecake, but there were actual chunks of cheese, and it totally worked! Gansito, I've since learned, is a snack cake, and common Mexican ice cream flavor. It reminded me of horchata, but with small bits of chocolate. I was so into it!
My less adventurous husband went for a scoop each of pistachio and chocolate. Though you would not expect it, the chocolate flavor was quite rich! Pistachio was a different interpretation, and had a familiar flavor unrelated to that nut, but I could not place it. There might have been something artificial in there, which I normally cannot stand, but it did not bother me in this case. The two eaten together was also a delicious combination.
Other sweets included an insane looking Oreo shake (aptly named Oreo Monster), churro bites, strawberries and whipped cream, and various fruits or smoothies, most with chile (nom!). Perhaps, though, you aren't feeling sugar? There are savory options on the menu, too: esquites, Cheetos covered in cheese sauce, and a bunch of other chips/bagged snacks with various toppings. They had a sign out front that they will soon be offering tacos, too!
Our total was a steal at just over $4, and the perfect amount of dessert as we'd just had lunch. I would absolutely return and treat myself to a meal of junk food and ice cream, or a more complete one once tacos are available. The space is sparse, but there is plenty of seating, and I could see it being such fun with a bunch of friends sharing selections. As the ice cream is so lovely and light, it would be particularly perfect in the summer. I'm already planning my next order: a waffle bowl filled to the brim with different flavors!
