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    La Palapa

    4.7 (56 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

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    Recommended Reviews - La Palapa

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    Menu
    Hope P.

    We were exploring the south side of Indiananapolis and decided we needed a sweet treat. Did a quick Google search and found La Palapa. It is a large, bright indoor space with plenty of tables to sit and enjoy your frozen treats. Menu has many specialty items but we opted for scoops of the homemade ice cream. Manny (whose mom owns the shop) offered us samples and answered any questions. We decided on guava, tequila, queso, horchata and mango. They were absolutely amazing!!! Portions were large and prices were extremely reasonable. We will be back!

    Inside
    Niki B.

    After chatting to the La Palapa team on social media, setting up a Yelp event together, and seeing their great reviews pour in, I was so excited to finally try the food. It's located in a strip center that doesn't face the road, so instead of looking for their storefront, look for their big sign in the grass on Hanna Avenue. There's plenty of parking for all of the businesses in that area. I walked in and was welcomed by Jose, their social media manager and front-of-house man. He was so friendly and walked me through the menu. I ordered the torta de jamon (sandwich with ham, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, a creamy sauce, and optional chilis). It was lunchtime, but I couldn't not get a mangonada after reading so many reviews about them. The mangonada was sooooo good. I was determined to eat the sandwich first, but I couldn't help it once I tried the mangonada. The mango ice cream was so smooth and paired so well with the chili powder and sauce. You might hear 'chili powder' and think it's spicy, but it's not at all. The sweetness blends with it for the perfect flavor. The sandwich was also delicious and I loved the creamy avocado. I'd order both again! I noticed that most of the customers were speaking Spanish, so this is a good opportunity to brush up on some vocab if you're feeling adventurous. They speak English too, so no worries if you don't. There is both outdoor and indoor seating, and the prices are super reasonable. Thanks, La Palapa!

    Mangonada
    Valentina D.

    Mangonada was great!! Service was very quick not too busy clean spot to go also Was really excited about the durros too

    Strawberry ice slushy
    Brittany S.

    Worth the hype and anticipation, ya'll!! I had such a blast finally visiting this southside spot over the weekend with my friend and fellow elite, Jo B. I had tried to visit over the winter months and found that they were temporarily closed for the season. I continued to keep it top of mind with every visit to the southside and voila, the 95 degree temps called for a mangonada. La Palapa boasts a really fun and festive interior with tropical vibes and ample seating. You'll also find a few spots out on their front patio. The menu includes both savory and sweet options like elote and corn in a cup along with hot Cheetos, mangonadas, fresas con crema, locally made paletas and more. I ended up going with the strawberry ice slushy with sweetened condensed milk added in and two medium mangonadas to take home. I loved that they offered four different sizes of mangonada making it easier to choose your adventure or opt for a second treat while there ;) Note that they have both queso ice cream and coconut ice cream - perfect for hot days! The staff was super friendly and helpful in answering our questions. Can't wait to return and order the freshly sliced fruit topped with Tajin. Enjoy!

    Sara R.

    Amigo, oh amigo!!! I threw my whole self for a loop today when I decided to motor down to the south side to #getlostindiana at La Palapa! YES!! My eyes, tastebuds, texture detectors, and skills for putting excellent flavor combinations together were so totally #lost!!! But what an interesting and educational experience; a mini EDventure! If you've not been to La Palapa, put on your cuisine courage pants and stop in for a taste of what you see here. To my surprise (and after I learned what the white chewy stuff was in my taco), the very strange flavor combinations and textures worked!! #Getlostindiana Yelp Indy Yelp

    Torta de Jamon, Elote, Mangonada.. Dorilocos? (I forget the name of the taco salad dish)
    Meg T.

    We had such a great experience at La Palapa! The employees were all so nice and helpful.. The food was delicious. The desserts and drinks were amazing! One of the employees (owner?! not sure) brought me a birthday dessert, which was sweet and so fun. I can't wait to come back - so many things I still NEED to try!

    Inside La Palapa
    Mike K.

    Wow! What a great little find! Stopped by and had the mangonada. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but it was a treat! Fresh mango, and spices with the mango sherbet. Unique and very tasty! The place was very clean and bright. The people were friendly. The rest of the menus looked like great snack foods and very reasonable. I'll definitely stop by again when I'm on the south side of town.

    Torta
    Staci W.

    We were in the area for lunch and we had been here for the mangonadas before but never the food. I heard they had tamales here and my mom is a fiend for those so I suggested we go. I decided I wanted a torta to eat and got my choice of chips and then I wanted a mangonada despite the cold weather. The torta was delicious and filling! They gave me an option of spice and I just decided regular jalapeños would do. The mangonada cooled down any spice I felt which was minimal. They weren't very busy so we sat down and the food didn't take much time at all. The staff are friendly and checked on us to make sure we enjoyed what we got.

    Part of menu with my Mangonada.
    Wanda M.

    I had a bit of trouble finding the restaurant at first. I couldn't see addresses while driving so I drove past at first. Look for El Ranchito Supermarket and pull into their parking lot off of Hanna if you're having trouble. Look directly to the right and you'll see La Palapa Ice Cream Shop on the end of the strip center. The restaurant is good size with three 4-top tables and three 2-tops with a spacious dining area. You order at the counter straight ahead as you enter. The staff are very friendly and glad to answers questions about the menu. You'll find the menu above the order counter. So many selections sounded fabulous but I went with the Mangonada which was fabulous. The ice cream was so smooth and the fruit was perfect size bites. The tajin (chili powder) and chili sauce (chamoy) gave it a nice spice touch. The spicy tamarind straw is a perfect touch. Thank you La Palapa for the free Mangonada for the Yelp Event and Niki for organizing this event. They serve sandwiches as well as ice cream. I selected the Turkey Sandwich on wheat bread topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and heavy mayo, for me. Next time I'll pass on the mayo but it didn't stop me from devouring the sandwich. The sandwiches come with a small bag of chips and a canned or bottle drink (Diet Coke for me). All the vegetables were fresh and perfectly ripe and the turkey had a good flavor. BTW, Tamales are available on weekends only and just $2.25 each. I sat for awhile after eating my sandwich and the staff never stops cutting fruit, serving customers and someone else cleaning consistently. They work hard but seem to enjoy their job as occasionally I'd hear some laughter from the group of ladies. The service was excellent, professional, fast and easily in and out for a lunch hour. If I lived in the area I'd be here often. The ice cream is so creamy, many flavors to select from, all types of fruits, smoothes and of course the sandwiches are a nice touch. Stop in! You want be disappointed.

    Guava
    Ashley C.

    I cannot recommend La Palapa more, on the outside, it looks like a very small store in a strip mall, but inside it is colorful and energetic. The staff are so nice and helpful with bringing some samples of ice cream I was unfamiliar with before making a decision. I ultimately tried their guava, and it was so tropical, rich and creamy.

    Cheeto esquite
    Iona B.

    This place was suggested by Yelp and as soon as I saw the mangonada I knew I had to come visit. Mangonada- fresh mango, real mango icecream, chamoy and tajin make this a refreshing dessert for any time. I got the smallest size but it was still a generous portion so extra points there. The mango icecream doesn't taste artificial but like a ton of mangos were used to make it. Esquite- this combo is always fire, and La Palapa is no let down. If you can handle a little extra kick, I highly recommend adding the jalapeños. And go for the big bag. The environment- I didn't play on any of the classic arcade game machines, but I thought that was a really neat touch. There was inside seating and outside seating which I appreciated, because there's nothing better than enjoying a mangonada outside on a lovely day. Customer service- our cashier was very friendly and explained the differences between different offerings with patience. Our orders were completed fast as well.

    Guava and tequila ice cream! Yum
    Vikram J.

    Food - This place is jam packed with flavouful food and ice cream . Mexican restaurant with appetizers , limited food menu and long ice cream and dessert menu . You won't return disappointed from this place . Unique ice cream flavors like queso, horchata, tequila, mamey, guava. Vibe- love the decor , very traditional hut type decor inside and the staff is very nice and friendly . Parking - strip mall free parking . Tip- if you like mangoes , they their mangonada. Enjoy eating !!

    Entertainment! Keep the kiddos busy.
    Joanna S.

    I had a craving and I am so happy to have this store within 10 minutes of me! If you are coming for the first time the GPS is a tiny bit off. Look for the huge Ranchito building and turn into the lot. Looking at Ranchito, La Palpa is directly on the right. First store in the strip mall.Everyone is really helpful and service is quick! They have lots of options, but I keep going back to the same thing; mangonadas!

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    Raspado mango. Very delicious. Tamales on weekends. Red and green so good. Quaint restaurant, very clean and cute

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    Favorite ice cream shop. Reminds me of ice cream shops in Mexico. Tequila ice cream so good

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - La Palapa

    Is this place staying open during the winter months? If so, are the hours going to change? Thank you in advance!

    Temporarily closed. Scheduled to re-open in March

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - La Palapa

    I decided I wanted a torta to eat and got my choice of chips and then I wanted a mangonada despite the cold weather.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

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