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

This place is wonderful! Definitely a must on a hot day!! So many Popsicle selections, and they have real fruit inside. The place is a bit hard to find. Keep in mind when you put the address in Google maps, the actual place will be across the street from what google maps gives you (right across from the Compare Foods). The mango was my favorite flavors and you can ask to try different flavors too! read more

Awesome homemade paletas and ice cream. HUGE portions and very cheap. The selection is giant and creative. Right now there aren't any labels (they are on order), so you can ask one of the family members to tell you about them. The location is hard to find, but it is right off of Roxboro in the Compare shopping center, across from Compare near the tax places and laundromats. read more

La Monarca is so so wonderful. My friends and I always came here after eating at Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken a block away. There is oftentimes a line on Saturday nights and the place is popping, but they are always so patient with us when we want to sample multiple flavors (since some of them we've never even heard of). One time we came a few minutes before closing and they still served us past their 9pm closing time - so nice! The ice cream is also so good! A very popular flavor in our group of friends is the mango, which is so refreshing and has real mango chunks in it. My personal favorite the blueberry cheese, and every time I want to be more adventurous and go with something new, I never do because I just like this blend so much - a perfect combination of refreshing fruit but with the fragrant creaminess from the cheese. They're pretty generous with the portions - I always get just the single scoop but it's the perfect amount and I always finish it, plus the price is just awesome! I've never had their paletas but they also look really good with real fruit! This is definitely one of my favorite places in all of Durham! read more

I was visiting North Carolina and my friends took me here to get popsicles. They're super cute with real fruit and everything. I think I liked the ones with the milk and fruit better than the water and fruit though - the water and fruit was too much fruit .__. I tried the mango and the strawberry, but I also really liked the kiwi and the other green one (guava?). read more

I want to really love this place because I love paletas and I love supporting local businesses. My experience has been a bit mixed, though. We went last summer and picked up three paletas for around 6-7$ altogether - if I remember right, we got a chocolate paleta, a pineapple with chamoy, and a watermelon. The first was a milk-based paleta while the other two were not. All were pretty delicious, although my husband found some of the fruit pieces in his pineapple paleta a bit too chewy. No place to sit as the place was busy, but we hung out outside to finish our paletas. Just went again yesterday and had a less satisfying experience. My husband ordered a pistachio paleta and I asked for a non-milk based blackberry paleta. They only had milk-based, but the woman at the counter gave me a taste of the blackberry ice cream which was amazing. Unfortunately, my paleta came nowhere even close to the taste of the ice cream. It just tasted milky and sour, with no blackberry taste at all. All of the edges were very icy and chewy (you know when you've left a popsicle in the freezer too long? That kind of chewy). I was really sad as I love blackberry paletas but this was definitely not doing it for me. My husband loved his pistachio paleta, though - it was definitely rolled in lots of pistachio bits. What drives me nuts and there doesn't appear to be a sign anywhere specifying the costs of the paletas (although they do list the price per ice cream scoop). We paid with a $10 bill and got back $2.11 in change - that made each paleta about $3.95. I guess perhaps the milk-based paletas are more expensive than the ice paletas, but I was really surprised that the total was so high. Since we saw no prices anywhere and our Spanish is unfortunately not sufficient to clearly ask the price, we had no way of knowing beforehand but I was surprised that we paid more for two paletas this year than 3 last year. Despite these annoyances, I'd recommend La Monarcha and will keep going back. They have a huge, delicious-looking assortment and you can tell they're handmade - full of whatever the main ingredient is. I just wouldn't recommend the milk-based blackberry paleta! read more

The BEST ice cream in the United States PERIOD! I ordered the strawberry milk based ice cream scoop on a cone, and I instantly regretted not getting double scoop so I ordered a second cone. I also got the lime juice with chia, the best!!!!!! They should package and sell their ice cream across the globe it's that good! Jesus Christ!!!! read more

Huge selection of ice creams, fruit and milk-based ice cream bars/paletas. Most flavors are fruity. I had an amazing coconut paleta. Prices are great-$4.30 for 2 paletas. read more

So good!!! Amazing, delicious, fresh ice cream. I love the tropical flavors, reminds me of being back in Central & South America (or Miami). You must try this place for awesome ice cream. It's now my favorite ice cream in Durham. read more

This is our new favorite spot! Their ice cream is great! I had the coffee nut ice cream and my husband had cookie & strawberry ice cream. We also loved that this ice cream place is family friendly. We got two popsicles to bring home: raspberry and strawberries&cream - they were amazing. Definitely a must have. The owners were kind and friendly.. Mom and Daughter Duo :) read more

It's about time people got a taste of what REAL Mexican paletas taste like. I grew up with paletas ranging from arroz con leche, pecan, mango with chile, and watermelon with huge chunks of fruit in the paletas and when I moved to the south I missed that childhood dessert. Loco pops may have unique flavors but they aretoo expensive for the size the offer, and their strange combinations are hit or miss. This paleteria won't let you down. Ice cream, paletas, and homemade fruit juices are available and great portions for your buck. this place is truly a gift to durhamites and I'm proud they represent my childhood desserts well! Please don't wait another day! read more

This place is awesome, and I think its the only place like it in the triangle. Gazillion flavors, and they all seem like they'd be good. I doubt they're homemade, but that's kind of to be expected. Nonetheless, it's relatively cheap, unique, and refreshing. read more

Delicious, clean, and friendly. Had a great treat here with my 3yr old sidekick. They've got your classic flavors as well as traditional paletas. Something for everyone! read more

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

Wow this is amazing ice cream. They make it every morning. They have a big variety of flavors. Some are unusual. The Popsicles look great. It isn't easy to find if you aren't from Durham. I would definitely come back here. read more

Single greatest popsicles of all times. Get the water based one and bask in freshness

If you're looking for an alternative to LocoPops, this is the place. A huge selection of flavors, and the ones we tried were delicious.

Correction: this place is called "Monarca Michoacana" in reference to the monarch butterfly migration to Michoacan, Mexico. It's very hard to find, especially because the don't have a lit sign but it's worth looking for! It's next to the "2000 city" sign in the shopping center. Ok enough about details and onto the good part. AMAZING SELECTION AND DELICIOUS HOMEMADE POPSICLES. can't say enough good things about this place. Can't wait to go back. The Popsicles have giant chunks of fruit in them. read more

I tasted two ice cream bars at a local event: coffee with almonds and fudge and vanilla with chocolate bits. Both were amazing. The colors and flavors were wonderful. I saw other flavors too: Oreo cookie with whole cookies embedded in the bar, mint chocolate chip that was a lovely blue green with brown flecks. Don't delay, go today! read more

Yum!!! All the flavors are good! The price is right! I had the mango and it tasted like a fresh mango off the tree.

So many choices, very kind staff! Try the galleta ice cream, which is FULL of Oreos! (Feels like an entire sleeve of Oreos is packed into one scoop. Delicious.) read more

Excellent homemade ice cream, Popsicles and things I don't even know what they are. The variety of products and flavors is very impressive for this small family run business. When I have visitors from out of town I always take them here and everyone has loved it! Awesome!! read more

everything about this place is magical and delicious and incredible. i'm so mad its taken us this long to get here. let me say that i love love love the parlour and its many interesting takes on ice cream but they aint got nothin on the incredible quantity and vastness of la monarca's paletas (popsicles) and ice cream options. first, the board is huge and doubled in spanish and english, which is great. they have everything from rice pudding to mango to the classics to tequila. what! boyfriend had a rice pudding paleta which he LOVED and he had high rice pudding standards; i had a cookies&cream and tres leches, which was enormous. i actually almost didn't even get to try my tres leche because the cookies&cream scoop was just so enormous and full of REAL oreos!!!! it was amazing and maybe the most real cookies&cream i've ever had. everything is real quality and made of real fruits etc. buen provecha! read more

The best ice cream and pops in all of Durham. My favorite was the gansito ice cream and the coffee with almonds.this stuff is worth every single penny. read more

Great selection of flavors, great tasting treats. Hard to locate if you do not know where it is and some people may find the location questionable. However, I am never disappointed - good sized servings at really good prices. Staff does not speak much English, but they are always friendly and patient, especially when I get multiple samples. read more