La Real Michoacana Paleteria — Restaurant in Houston

After saying goodbye to my friend Tzu-Hsuan, who’s in his fifth year of a PhD at Texas A&M in Aggieland (College Station), I headed to Houston and arrived at this amazing Latin-style ice cream shop on the north side of the city.

La Real Michoacana Paletería, which naturally translates to “The Royal Michoacán Ice Cream Shop” in English, is a fantastic stop. I ordered a banana boat with three scoops—Cookie Cake, Rum Raisin, and Vanilla Berry—topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, rainbow sprinkles, and bright red cherries. It came in a clear to-go box, but the presentation was so colorful and inviting that it felt like sitting down to a proper sundae feast.

The shop itself is full of playful character. Inside, hot pink and purple booths line the walls, framed cartoon fruit characters hang above the windows, and a friendly green mascot on the wall waves guests toward the counter. There’s a rack of Mexican chips and snacks, fridges stocked with Jarritos and Pepsi, and a cheerful vibe that makes you want to linger with friends or family. It feels like a neighborhood spot where every detail, from the bright décor to the upbeat music, says “come enjoy life a little.”

Behind the name is a rich cultural story. La Michoacana isn’t a single chain but a tradition: hundreds of family-owned paleterías across Mexico and the U.S., many tracing their inspiration to the state of Michoacán, long known for its artisanal ice creams and paletas (fruit popsicles). By calling itself La Real (“The Royal”), this shop nods to that heritage with pride, offering not just ice cream but a taste of nostalgia, community, and culture.

Whether you’re after a quick paleta on a hot day or an indulgent banana split like mine, La Real Michoacana Paletería is more than an ice cream shop—it’s a colorful celebration of Latin flavor and tradition tucked away in...

Zero stars for this place I bought some Rancheritos with cheese and I asked them to add the pork skins and jalapeños and I also ordered 12 mini paletitas The cashier tells me they are $18🙄 how? I tell the cashier why so much if the paletitas are 50 cents each? Are you charging me $12 for the rancheritos? then the cashier answers me saying that for adding the pork skins and jalapeños it was $5 extra. exaggerated prices, I paid them and I came home. when I see my receipt it wasn't even the correct item the receipt said he had charged me for five Gansitos. I think those cashiers inflate the prices for their tips. then I tell one of the cashiers because she tells another that I don't want to pay because it's too expensive for me, I answer her of course that yes I'm going to pay you only that with $12 I could buy two in another place and she answers me well in other...

Good for a summer snack for the whole family! Has variety of ice cream and elotes etc. My personal favorite is the banana split with 3 different flavored scoops and choice of the basic toppings: nuts, sprinkles, whip cream, cherries; I also try out there other locations and they are usually the same quality . The lines do get long occasionally but it’s worth the wait and if you don’t know Spanish sometimes there is a slight language barrier but usually there is at least one worker that...