Last updated on April 23rd, 2024 at 11:53 am
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Would you try a pico de gallo popsicle? You can at Dallas’ tiny-yet-mighty paletería, Encanto Pops.
The Diaz siblings make up the team behind the paletería on Davis Street that draws fans from all over the city. Often sold by street vendors in Mexico, paletas are fresh, naturally flavored popsicles. Encanto Pops is spreading the paleta love in Dallas with their bold, unique flavors.
Diana, Paola, Edith, and Aureliano Diaz grew up on the border in Ciudad Juarez. Although their home was in Mexico, they crossed the border daily to attend school in El Paso. They come from a family that loves to cook, so they set their minds on opening a restaurant.
Owning and operating a paletería was never the plan.
That is until their uncle stepped in. He’d helped construct various La Michoacana ice cream parlors in Chicago, and now owns a paletería of his own called La Delicia in Kankakee. He taught the siblings how to make the paletas and convinced them to focus on the frozen treats.
Before opening Encanto Pops, they studied with a paleta maker in Guadalajara who used all-natural processes. Their training continued in their garage, where they invented new recipes and invited friends to taste them before opening their Oak Cliff shop.
“We get to be creative with something that we all like,” explains Diana.
Although their business is in a predominantly Hispanic area on the outskirts of the Dallas Bishop Arts District, their clientele is diverse. Many locals frequently return to try new flavor combinations they can’t find anywhere else. Their ideal clients approach flavors with “an adventurous and open mindset.”
Love tropical fruits? The guanábana popsicle bursts with bold flavor. Want something refreshing? Go for the cucumber lime paleta. Seeking adventure? Try their sweet-yet-spicy pico de gallo pop.
Their dairy-based paletas bring Mexican dessert flavors to Dallas. The Gansito paleta uses the actual Gansito product without additional flavoring or coloring. They have a year-round paleta flavor that mimics the crema de limon and Galletas María found in a Carlota dessert.
Their most popular paleta? The Mexican hot chocolate made with Abuelita chocolate and cinnamon.
Their grandmother’s once-lost recipe for vanilla paleta is also on the menu. When the Diaz siblings visited their grandmother’s ranch as children, she made them vanilla popsicles in small plastic cups and used half-broken popsicle sticks to hold them.
“For us, they are childhood,” says Diana.
Their grandmother never shared the recipe, so it took the work of uncles, an aunt, and their dad to decipher it. After much trial and error, they finally reinvented it.
Each popsicle is an original recipe—never borrowed. The flavors they offer depend on the season.
Their shop also offers items that “are not on a stick,” such as dulce de leche-filled churros, a chamo pop, iced tea, and aguas frescas.
During the pandemic, customers visited their business frequently because they didn’t want them to close. They’d wait hours for their order. The siblings are grateful.
“It feels good to bring a piece of home to our customers,” says Aureliano.
For more on the DFW food scene, check out our feature on Molino Oloyo and guide to the best tamales in Dallas.