This is my new favorite ice cream spot in Durham! They have so many flavors made from scratch that are all delicious, and the prices are incredible too. Definitely would come back. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is such a cute ice cream/popsicle spot! The lady who took my order was super friendly. I got the Strawberry popsicle and my friend got the Pineapple popsicle. read more

See all

Excellent place for popsicles, mangonada, and many other desserts in Durham. It is a little pricy, but worth it for the occasional treat. We stopped by on a Saturday for popsicles (mixed fruit, cotton candy, and mango chile) and mangonada. They offer numerous options so it took us a while to decide on what we wanted. The employees were patient and assisted us in finding what we were looking for. Many of the items are made with fresh fruit and are packed with flavor. I especially enjoyed the mangonada. It had an ideal balance of fresh mangos, sorbet, chamoy, and chili powder. Overall, we had a good experience here and recommend this ice cream shop to others! read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

How did I wait so long before visiting here?! The prices are reasonable and the selection of paletas is off the charts! Be it fruit filled (lots of fruit!) or creme version, it'll take a while to get thru all the selections they offer. They also have ice cream with tons of flavors too. I had mango and it was a huge portion and really delicious! It was filled with fruit chunks and exactly what I needed on a hot day to cool down! The employees are super nice and the decor is fun too. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Mango paletas. Filled with chunky pieces of mango! - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

So many flavors you could not repeat for a whole month! The three of us each tried a different flavor and were happy with our choices Mangonada heavy on the chamoy sauce read more

I visited today, for a cool mangonada, and a scoop of Fresa strawberry ice cream, and yummy. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Mangonada - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Walked in on a crisp fall night (perf time for ice cream when you're already freezing) and was greeted by the server. The popsicles are laid out on the left side of the shop underneath the flavors sign, and the ice cream is next to it on the right. If you're looking for ice cream, the flavors are different that those on the sign and not labeled at all, so it's best to browse the ice cream, annoyingly ask the server what each flavor is, sample and make a choice. They also help you with the popsicles as they aren't clearly labeled either and are very nice throughout. Huge variety of flavors, including some novel ones like lime ice cream (yay tropical) and rice pudding popsicles. Hubby got the rose and pistachio flavors, both a bit too strong for my taste, but on point flavorings. My oreo popsicle had two whole cookies in it, so for $5.91 we were really pleased! Bring cash if you are planning on ordering less than 3 items, as there is a $6 min. Will return next time to try some authentic treats, esp the mangonada! read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - One visible oreo, and a hidden one to surprise inside - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

"Mexican paletas/ popsicles & ice cream- a shop to rival Locopops!" We all know and love Locopops, but this is some serious competition. A quick walk around the corner from Mami Noras as well as several other Latin American food places, this dessert stop has tons of Mexican paletas as well as ice cream. As the other review notes, there aren't any labels, but you can look closely and guess the flavors or ask for help from the friendly staff. Kiwi, watermelon, pistachio, mixed nut, strawberry, etc.- all look REALLY good, and there are tons of options. Cost is $2 for either the popsicle or a cup of ice cream. If you get ice cream, they also have standard toppings available. The quality is very high- the paletas are very dense and clearly fresh-made. You can see/ taste big chunks of fruit in all the fruit options, for example. Restaurant is also strikingly clean (albeit a little Spartan). What's especially nice here is that most of the same flavors are available as either ice cream or as a popsicle. Relatedly, they give you small sample spoons, so you can see if something tastes good by tasting the ice cream before plopping the $2 investment in the popsicle or cup. That worked for me- I almost got something else but tried the pistachio, and it was SO good I had to buy it instead. The flavors aren't as "experimental" as at Locopops (more "straight" flavors), but I do really like the opportunity to sample that this place affords. I'd say this place rocks- am excited to come back. PS- This is my 100th review! read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Thanks to Steve A. for finding La Monarca (I can always count on him to find a tasty spot when he's got a craving!) If you're looking for a huge variety of flavors, ice cream, popsicles, frozen banana treats or cake pops, this is your stop! La Monarca is located in a strip mall in the heart of Durham's "Little Mexico." (FYI: the GPS took us to the Compare Foods side, but the shop is actually located directly opposite, around the corner from Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken i.e. Mami Nora's) It truly gives you a different cultural perspective, which can be very eye opening and honestly is needed for so many of us that live a very cookie cutter lifestyle. But don't get me started on that...let's talk about the ICE CREAM! There are TONS of flavors, both typical and unusual. The employees were very willing to let us sample several things: coconut, mocha, coffee with almond, pistachio, cookies & cream and even Kahlúa. The ice creams are in huge blocks, so flavors might interact a bit, for example, the cookies & cream had a slight red hots flavor to it, but was incredibly rich and had HUGE cookie chunks. Also, the portions are large and the price is very reasonable for the amount you're getting. $2 for a small cup and $4 for a double scoop waffle cone. The popsicles looked really great, which big chunks of cookies or fruit, I'll have to try one of those next time! I highly recommend taking the ice cream to go and driving six minutes to Northgate Park for a little walk along the Ellerbe Creek Trail. La Monarca is a great spot to satisfy that sweet tooth craving! read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - So many flavors! - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

After being a customer for many years, today me and my 10 year old daughter went to this place got cone ice cream for me and one cup of supposed to be cookies and cream ice cream for my Dauther. Soonest we got to a car my daughter mentioned that her ice cream does not taste like a cookies and cream so I tried it and yes it was not the correct taste so we went back to store and asked if we can get it replaced/changed. Not sure if that was a owner or employee of the store but the answer I got was "this is a Hispanic store and their flavors do not taste the same as the American Flavors but she is willing to change it for only this time" and instead of politely ask me if my Dauther would like other flavor, she gave me a look like and sounded like since you are not a Hispanic you don't know any better. Well, there is no next time, soonest I heard this, that was it, you can keep your ice cream! If that would be for me, I wouldn't even return to the store for exchange but the main reason we went there it was for my 10 year old Dauther. To the store management: I just want to let you know if you read this, you better learn how to talk to people in a humble way especially with customer who bring small children to this place. You lost a longtime a customer and my word is on the way. Hope your $3 ice cream worth your attitude. read more

I absolutely love the ice cream here and it is the best in Durham. There is a huge variety of flavors and you can't go wrong with any of them! The coffee ice cream is my absolute favorite. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - a hand holding an ice cream cone - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Has large selection of ice cream and popsicles, all the typical flavors plus a large selection of different stuff like pine nut, pistachio, tiger.. they serve generous scoops and are happy to let you sample. Staff are friendly. Very busy spot. When trying to find the place google maps sends you to wrong side of parking lot. It on same side as panaderia. Only sorry i hadnt visited this awesome spot sooner. cant wait to go back! read more

Do not have agua de fresa at 3pm ! I mean they close at 9 come on should have enough for all day

Best Mexican ice cream (and other) place you could ever go to, definitely give the cheese and mango ice cream a try!!

Again with the ridiculously tasty frozen deliciousness. Four paletas for $8.56, tax included. My beloved got the rice, which is essentially frozen rice pudding (complete with raisins). Our oldest daughter got the chocolate, which was pretty straightforward (and included chocolate sprinkles). Our youngest had the coconut, which even I liked (and I don't tend to enjoy coconut anything) - think creamy, smooth sweetness with coconut shavings throughout. I went for the coffee, and good grief, I was pleased. This thing tasted like a sweetened cup of pretty good coffee with cream, frozen solid with some sliced almonds thrown in for effect. Honestly, I really can't recommend La Monarcha enough. read more

Pros: Super affordable, A wide variety of traditional and authentic Mexican flavors. Cons: A little difficult to find the first time. Located right next to the Boost Mobile. $6 min purchase if using credit Bottom Line: If you are craving something sweet, spicy, or sweet and spicy, stop by here for dessert! During my time in Durham I was on the hunt for a local dessert eatery that I could try and found that my fellow yelpers gave all 5 stars to this hole in the wall. Unfortunately I had trouble finding the location because Google Maps directs you to the same plaza but the wrong location. Instead look for the Boost Mobile across from Compare Foods and Big Lots and you'll find La Monarca. As soon as I walked In, I noticed the giant freezer filled with popsicles of every fruit and color. The ice cream doesn't lose out in variety either as there are all sorts of colorful concoctions spread throughout the store. The sheer number of choices was a little overwhelming, but the kind owner walked me through all of the selections including her own recommendations and favorites. For $2 per popsicle it's tempting to go ham and order 3 or 4 when you have options like strawberries and crème, mango habanero, and salsa picante. Since I had a big dinner though I was able to hold back and ordered a chocolate covered banana topped with pecans, and a guava popsicle. The banana was delicious; I mean who doesn't like chocolate covered anything?! The guava was delicious too! My only warning is that she uses fresh fruit when making her concoctions so beware of seeds when ordering the guava popsicle. If you are like me and love fruit junks in your desserts, you'll definitely want to try La Monarca. read more

See all

I would crawl across a field of shattered glass to eat this ice cream...it is simply that good!!! The gentleman who makes the ice cream is a true artisan. Truly homemade!! Every flavor is homemade. The coffee is real coffee. The fruit flavors of coconut and mango take tropical to new levels. Even unique flavors like Tiger Tail are mind blowing in both flavors and creaminess. If you a visiting Duke and craving ice cream, this is your most-go stop!!!! read more

This is a very unique place for popsicles (paletas) in the Triangle area. I don't think I've ever had one before, and my wife and I tried the guava one, which had actual guava in it, seeds and all. It was tasty and enjoyable. The price was $3, which wasn't terribly steep, but the fact that they make their own and use actual fruit made it worth it for us. I'd love to come back and try other flavors. read more

The BEST Mexican Paleteria/Ice Cream shop in all of North Carolina. The ice cream paletas remind me of being home in California, they have soo many flavors and you cant go wrong with any of them. My favorite ones are the coconut and the strawberry. read more

My friend showed me this place on a Sunday afternoon and I absolutely love it! I look forward to returning next time I'm in the area! // Food We wanted ice cream and tried the tequila, cheese, tres leches, and piña coco - all very good flavors. My friend's favorite is the piña coco, but it's too sweet for me so we shared a cup of the tequila. It was a lot of ice cream, especially because it's very dense and filling. I was so surprised when she said it was only $2.35! What a great deal! Unfortunately we didn't have enough room in our stomachs to try more, but I definitely want to give the paletas (popsicles) and the tostilocos (a bag of chips full of craziness) a try next time. // Atmosphere We don't speak Spanish and despite the language barrier the attendant was exceptionally patient and kind. We were the only non-hispanics there. The decor is bright and colorful and the tables were filled with families with children happily eating snacks and treats. We saw lots of people with chip bags packed with goodies and sauce, which I now know is tostilocos. When we entered there was no one in line, but by the time we left there was a huge line behind us so we appreciate the server's patience even more for that! read more

I am Mexican and and this is the best Mexican Ice cream in Durham. They have so many flavors of ice cream and popsicles. I love combining the rose petal and queso flavors. So delicious!! A must try. read more

PALETAS!!! This place is cute in the inside and all the paletas and ice cream it has to offer are delicious. Do not be discouraged by the shopping center. You will be rewarded with great taste. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Cookies and cream. - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Aw yeah. Sorry Locopops, but I was underwhelmed by your version. La Monarcha's? These are honest-to-Dios authentic monster paletas. First: this place is a challenge to find. As others have said: from exit 177 on route 85, turn onto Avondale towards the shops and away from the residential area, turn almost immediately into the giant lot with the Compare grocery store, look wayyyy across Compare to see a string of various laundromats and pawn shops, park in the lot by these buildings, and you will eventually see it. There is no sign on the roof, only the window, so you won't see it from far away. While the staff and all the other customers were obviously Spanish speaking, there is a big sign which lists all the flavors of ice cream, milk-based paletas, and water-based paletas in both English and Spanish. There is a massive selection of standard and exotic-sounding flavors (at least 4x as many as you'll see at Locopops). Many varieties are brightly colored with huge chunks of fruit (or other parts of the parent ingredient) in them, and are beautiful to look at. There are some unusual flavors (for non-Mexican palates) such as curdled milk, rice, and pineapple with chili. The paletas are enormous in size, at least twice as large as a typical Locopop. They cost $2 each. I've tried mango and pistachio so far. The mango (water based) was full of mango chunks, and tasted fresh and delicious. The pistachio (milk based) was the star, though. Dusted with bits of pistachio pieces, the creamy rich flavor of the bright green paleta will seduce you easily. The strength of flavors practically punches your tongue to a pulp, which I love. Can't wait to go back and try more. So grateful to yelp for this discovery! read more

I have this theory that the sketchier the strip mall where a restaurant is located, the better the food. With this in mind, let me tell you that La Monarcha's ice cream and paletas are AMAZING. We stopped in one scorching July day hoping for delicious, creamy refreshment and got all that and quality, too! The extremely extensive menu of both paletas and ice cream flavours is in Spanish and English though if you can muster up enough Spanish to order, give it a shot. We went with the curdled milk ice cream, which I've been wanting to try since I saw it on Bizarre Foods, and a mamey paleta. The scoop of ice cream was Large - capital-L for sure - and filled the delicious, tastes-freshly-made cone completely. The paleta was also pretty massive, easily twice the size of a Locopop, though both it and the ice cream scoop were $2.00 apiece. And how does curdled milk ice cream taste? Like sweet, caramelized goodness with small chunks of chewy yumminess in it, that's how. Try it! The mamey paleta was creamy and fruity without being too sweet; the husband pronounced it quite refreshing. The strip mall blessed with La Monarcha is located directly off 85 and Avondale and if you aren't familiar with the area it's easy to miss the turn while looking for a street number (tip: you will not see it); if you see a large blue and white tentlike structure in a parking lot, that's where you turn. If you miss it, take Club and turn into the shopping center from there; La Monarcha is across the lot from Big Lots. Bring cash, try out your language skills and fill up on what must surely be Durham's finest frozen desserts! read more

La Monarcha is the OG of ice cream shops in the area. There's no free wi-fi, no locally sourced ingredients, no added excuses to charge YOU an arm and a leg for the simple idea of good honest treats. Instead you are welcomed into a shop with a fantastic array of choices--exotic, creamy ice cream and chunky fruit Popsicles all made in house. The pricing is very reasonable as are the sizes. You will leave very satisfied--- having experienced a rare pocket of truth in an increasingly pretentious food scene. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - Kiwi popsicle. Simply outstanding. - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This was awesome ice cream. Best in the Triangle, at least compared to Local Yogurt and Goodberry's (don't get me started about Maple View). The service was great -- we had about 6 samples between us. I had mint chocolate chip, which is tied for best-ever (see Mt. Tom's Ice Cream in Easthampton, MA for the tie). It's blue, but don't let that fool you: it's extremely minty with minced tasty chocolate throughout. Spouse had pine nut, which was pretty good -- combined with a scoop of our server's favorite, curdled milk. Through a slight language barrier, it took me several minutes to realize she was talking about *curdled* milk -- in part because: what? curdled milk flavored ice cream?! It was AMAZING. Sort of milky and caramely, with a hint of good-quality cinnamon. Spouse enjoyed. We didn't try any fruit flavors - but I look forward to cantaloupe or mango or kiwi. It was a bit hard to find -- Liz B's directions below were helpful. La Monarcha is directly across the parking lot from the Compare grocery, and around the corner from Mama Nori's. Highly recommended! read more

YUM!! Soooo many flavors to choose from. I can highly recommend Butter Pecan with lots of chunks of pecans and Mint Chocolate with lots of chocolate bits. $2/pop. Super friendly employees. We didn't have enough cash and they said, 'Just bring the tax next time.' You'd better believe there will be a next time! The pops are delicious and the price is right. The strip mall is like a Little Mexico. Right across from Compare Foods (great veggies and spices!). read more

Really great option for dessert any night if the week. The flavors can be a bit daunting, so plan to go back often for new flavors. I'd recommend against anything with cheese in the paleta. A bit too authentic for my tastes. The fruits are the clear winners here like mango, coconut, and guanabana. Rice pudding is a fun choice especially if you like raisins. read more

First off, this place is a little hard to find. When I went here yesterday, Google Maps directed me to a Japanese restaurant in the same complex. This place is actually on the other side of the parking lot, where most of the stores are located. My experience here was surprisingly pleasant. The store doesn't look like your typical young and hip ice cream shop. There are, however, tons of flavors, for both ice cream and popsicles. The ice cream is strong and heavy, much better than the usual "brand" alternatives. What's most delightful is the size of each serving. A scoop here is much bigger than elsewhere and the lady kept adding more. Our two-scoop cup ended up more than enough for two people. read more

Love this place. Found it while looking for Popsicle to eat. This place is like the Popsicle variety kingdom! There are so many different types. I bought a kiwi one and you could see all the seeds in them. So fresh. Love it! Will go here when I'm in NC again! read more

This paleta place has the cheapest and tastiest popsicles around. And, the biggest selection. Only downside is that some of the flavors are more or less a mystery--so you might be surprised at what you get when you pick one! But, they're all good so it doesn't really matter. The staff is helpful, and you can ask them questions about the particular flavors (but that takes the fun out of it!). This is a must-try--along with a lot of the other taquerias and the likes in this part of Durham. read more

I am back again on a really cold Friday night. Instead of going for a popsicle, I chose to try several flavors all at once. I had, coffee with almond, moka, and chocolate vanilla with strawberry. Scopes are huge portions and costs like 5.9 bucks. Although they have a limit on using credit card(minimum 6 dollars), they are kind enough to let it pass. Thank you, and thank you for doing that! I personally fall in love with coffee with almond and chocolate vanilla with strawberry. The flavor is smoothy and what's important is the ingredients taste fresh and balanced and milky. Better than any processed ice cream on the market (Ben&Jerry's sucks!) I happened to be there around 8pm and you can see a lot of Mexican immigrants here with their families so it was bit crowded. And I found out that some mexicans chose really nice ice cream combos: chips with ice cream and fresh fruits with ice cream choices. It looks good but my task is to finish all the flavors here and at the end choose a good combo for the fresh fruit ice cream plate! OMG, I love this sketchy place, a hidden gem for mexican food craving. read more

Paleteria La Monarca Michoacana - 3 scopes = TGIF - Desserts Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The popsicles here are perfect for a hot day! I bought the mango popsicle (paletta de hielo) and it was delicious. It even had mango chunks mixed into it. We also ordered the tres leches ice cream and it was also good. read more

Just moved to North Carolina from California. I lived in the city where La Michoacana was founded. So glad to have it here as well since there aren't many good Mexican options out here lol read more

A huge selection of ice cream flavors, sundaes, and pallettas. Service is quick and while the inside may not be the nicest setup and the wallpaper is...a lot...but the ice cream is always great! read more

Omg, sooooo much flavor and tons of personality. Prices are very reasonable. This is a great great place. Fun decor and so many options. Fantastic!!! read more

Yummy home-made ice cream and all the samples you could ask for! Introduced to this place by a Mexican friend who gave me the low-down on some interesting, but delicious flavors. I recommend you try the cheese and curdled milk flavors. Seriously! Warning!! There are over 40 different flavors which can be quite overwhelming! read more

THIS is what I miss since moving from Arizona. The moment I walked in I knew it was going to be good. Case after case of colors and choices of ice cream and popsicles made of fresh fruit and other things. The lady behind the counter was very patient with my decision anxiety. Their menu is in English and Spanish and they have about 30 flavors of ice cream and popsicle each! I went with tamarindo and it was amazing. So refreshing. Just such a perfect thing on a hot North Carolina summer day read more

I love the Gansito ice cream ("cookies with strawberry" on the English side of the menu)! I feel sort of like it might be the Mexican equivalent of Twinkie ice cream, and I'm okay with that. There's a huge variety of flavors, and I would probably like to try them all if I could just come here and not order the Gansito. I just haven't been able to do that yet. However, they will let you sample flavors, so if there's not a long line, I might try a few...and then go right back to my usual. read more

I'm alright with the place. I think what I like is that it's very cheap and the selection blows most other places out of the water. I still gotta make my way through more of the flavors to really give you an exhaustive review of them, but so far I've had the strawberry paleta, pistachio ice cream, and mango w/chili paleta. So, the paletas are decent, but they're not my favorite. For example--and this might honestly be a personal thing--I don't really enjoy mango chunks in my popsicles. I think I'd rather have it be a smoother (but still thick) consistency, because sometimes I'd get a part that was just all the salty chili...juice? and then hit another part that was sweet mango, and then hit another part that was tart mango. I think if all that had been blended then it would be a more uniform experience. But like I said, it might be a personal preference. The strawberry and the pistachio were good flavors, but it tastes a bit artificial. Overall, the sweetness went a bit past satisfying and into the saccharine territory. It's alright, and I would return, but I think maybe I haven't found my sweet spot with it yet. read more