Oakland Park has a new ice creamery to add to its roster of unique dining finds, the Mexican-style paleteria or popsicle shop, La Artesanal. La Artesanal first opened its doors on January 28, 2019, in Oakland Park. Lupe, La Artesanal’s owner, chose this area because of its prime location. Located at 3640 N. Andrews Ave in Oakland Park, this area is heavily commuted by motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. Many of the residents in the area are familiar with this concept of Mexican-style popsicles (paletas) and make up most of the frequent customer base and as Lupe appreciatively mentions: “The business continues to grow”.
Continual Growth
Nestled on Andrews Ave. in Oakland Park, La Artesanal’s growth comes to no surprise with their presentation of quality products. Their ice cream, popsicles and agua frescas (refreshing fruit drinks) are made fresh daily in-house. Upon entering, you’re warmly greeted by Lupe and see all the wonderful and unique items available for purchase.
Each item is made with natural ingredients of fresh fruit and water or fresh fruit and milk (depending on the flavor). For instance, you can order a strawberry paleta made with either water or milk depending on your preference.
Most of the items at La Artesanal have no added sugars and in seldom cases, some flavors may include a minimal amount of sugar. You can customize your paleta by requesting it be dipped in chocolate and covered in sprinkles or coconut shavings for an added indulgence. Other frozen treat available for purchase are ice cream in cup or cone as well as ice-cream-based milkshakes.
Patrons of La Artesanal can enjoy unique flavors like Mexican cheese ice cream, spicy mango, which has a nice balance of sweet and heat, and many other traditional Mexican flavors. While these flavors are popular, all the flavors offered at La Artesanal are just as popular and are considered top sellers too.
Business owner Lupe makes small batches of each flavor to keep up with customer demands and will sometimes feature a new flavor during the week. She also prides herself by being able to offer a large variety of non-dairy products for her customers.
More Than Just Paletas
If ice cream or frozen treats are not your vibe, then fret not! La Artesanal also offers many non-frozen treats such as Mexican pastries, cakes, and snacks. You’ll find a variety of savory and sweet treats to meet your palette demands. There are aguas frescas (refreshing fruit drinks), fruit cocktails, and tres leches (“milk cake” usually soaked in three types of milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream) to name a few.
Savory options include corn in a cup, which you can customize by topping with lime, cheese, and/or hot sauce. You can also find another traditional Mexican style item, mangonadas, which is frozen mango in a cup topped with some fresh chopped mango, lime, chili powder, hot sauce.
There’s Always Room for Dessert (Or a Snack)!
Whatever your taste buds are craving, make sure to stop by La Artesanal to try one of their sweet treats. From refreshing fruit drinks to traditional Mexican mango slushies and everything in between you’re sure to satiate your taste buds!
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