With the sun shining bright outside and temperatures rising constantly, ice cream sounds like the perfect getaway to make you nostalgic about your childhood. Luckily, UCR students are blessed with La Michoacana, which is both near the campus and well worth the visit. The small store lies on Chicago Avenue near Rite Aid.
As I entered the store, the pink chairs and pictures of ice cream bars instantly caught my eye. The store was actually larger than I expected for a dessert shop. At first, I was apprehensive of the long line; however, the workers were efficient and able to deliver my choice of ice cream within a reasonable amount of time, although the wait was much longer during the day.
The menu has a wide variety of both food and dessert ranging from Mexican-style corn to Hot Cheetos with nacho cheese, as well as sorbets and mangoneadas, a traditional Mexican mango and orange slush with chamoy and chile lime salt. In fact, they even offer options with or without dairy for those allergic or lactose-intolerant.
Glancing at all the options, I was almost overwhelmed and decided to choose something basic. Still, the store provides its customers with the option to sample some of its flavors, which comes in handy when deciding from the extensive menu. Customers are encouraged to sample flavors like almond, guava and their most popular, watermelon. The store also offers some deals, such as if you buy 12 paletas, you can get one free, so you can stock them in your freezer when it becomes too hot to travel. I decided to order the coconut cream bar and waited to pay.
The price was cheap for the value and amount of ice cream. Additionally, my friend chose to buy the fruity paletas (Latin American ice pops usually made from fresh fruit, with the fruit often visible in the ice cream bar) which looked appealing and recognizable from several Snapchats and Instagram photos. Since I paid with debit card, I was charged $0.50 extra, so I recommend bringing cash along with you.
As I unwrapped the ice cream, I was awed at the deliciousness of the ice cream bar. Not only did it taste like coconut, but there were actual coconut flakes embedded within the ice cream, providing it with a more natural flavor. The ice cream cooled us down amid the heat and the taste was well worth the wait. In fact, the line can be helpful in that it gives the customers some time to choose from the extensive menu.
Most customers didn’t choose to stay in the store, instead treating it as more of a to-go place. In addition, the furniture was sticky and didn’t really seem clean, so we decided to eat in our car instead of eating in the store. Overall, La Michoacana is a must, especially living in the Riverside heat. With its college-friendly budget and delicious desserts, the store is a reminder of the sweetness in life.
