This story was first published in KCUR's Adventure newsletter. You can sign up to receive stories like this in your inbox every Tuesday.
Ice cream isn’t the only summer sweet around Kansas City. Paletas are another favorite around the metro — a traditional Mexican frozen dessert-on-a-stick that’s similar to popsicles, with a variety of tropical flavors.
The paleta gets its name from the paletería, a traditional Mexican mom-and-pop style snack shop. In the 1940s, these frozen treats started showing up in shops in the Michoacana state of Mexico, and the trend quickly spread.
Many paleterías are decorated with bright, enticing colors and feature cartoon mascots or characters. Some even sell toys, too, furthering the connection with childhood enjoyment.
Thanks to our region’s vibrant Hispanic community, paleterías dot the metro, with a high concentration in Kansas City, Kansas, and Independence, Missouri. And you’ll find many with savory menus as well.
Palacana
With four company stores and two partnership stores, Palacana (formerly Paletarías Tropicana) is the largest local chain of paleterías. The family-owned paletería started in 2004 in the Westside neighborhood, serving “estilo michoacana” ice cream.
Now, they share a full menu of paletas, smoothies, and desserts like tropichurro, which is a churro covered in fresh fruits and condensed milk, as well as lunch and snack items, like elotes, traditional Mexican street corn, and tortas.
The company formed another division, Paletas, LLC, with a facility in Roeland Park, Kansas, making paletas available at many local grocery stores, but with flavors you won’t find in your typical freezer section, like pecan, arroz (rice and cinnamon), mango chili, and pine-nut.
- 830 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108
- 151 S. 18th St., Kansas City, KS 66102
- 8159 State Ave., Kansas City, KS 66112
- 1325 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS 66061
- 2021 N. Amidon Ave. #115, Wichita, KS 67203
- 3622 S. Noland Rd, Independence, MO 64055
The Paleta Bar
The Paleta Bar is a newer addition to the Kansas City metro. The chain has locations from California to Texas, but its Overland Park location is the spot farthest north. They sell gourmet Mexican ice pops with a create-your-own spin.
First, paletas come in two basic varieties: either water-based (“paletas de agua”) or cream-based (“paletas de leche”). From there the possibilities are endless, with flavors like lime, horchata, avocado, durian and more.
At The Paleta Bar, you select your base paleta, and can then request dips (like white or dark chocolate or powdered chili and chamoy), toppings (such as sprinkles, pistachio, or chili powder), and fresh fruit.
The name of the game is creative combinations. The menu also includes juices, smoothies, aguas frescas, as well as specialty dishes like the paleta con meatchelada (lime paleta with lime, cucumbers and beef jerky).
- 8025 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66204
Paleterías of Kansas City, Kansas
There is a higher concentration of paleterías in Kansas City, Kansas, than anywhere else in the region, each offering their own spin on the traditional dessert.
Frutopia opened just a few years ago in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood. (There is also a Frutopia in Kansas City, Missouri, on Independence Avenue.) The Kansas location offers a ton of flavors of paletas (like the delicious cajeta, a type of caramel made with goats’ milk) and scooped ice cream, fruit cocktail concoctions, a full savory menu, and a selection of toys (including the popular Labubu dolls).
- 631 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas 66101
- 3737 Independence Ave., Kansas City, MO 64124
Just east on Central Ave is La Paletota. Their speciality is the Pepino Split, one of the summeriest flavor combinations available: hollowed out cucumber filled with ice cream (mango, lime, watermelon or tamarind) and topped with chamoy and spicy candy. They also run a special on Thursdays for $1 paletas.
- 1259 Central Ave., Kansas City, KS 66102
Nevelandia Ice Cream Parlor leans into the magic of childhood. It’s a small shop with an array of ice cream flavors and a selection of traditional Mexican quick bites like tortas and flautas.
- 908 N. 18th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66102
Paletería La Chilindrina is a classic mom-and-pop paletería. Chilindrina references a popular character in Mexican television – but it can also refer to a popular savory dish with a fried dough base topped with a variety of ingredients such as shredded lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, fried pork rind, cotija, and sauce. They also have a version with Takis.
- 3712 State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66102
Paleterías of Independence, Missouri
Paletería El Chavo opened its Independence location in 2015 and a second location in Grandview in 2024. (El Chavo is also a popular television character in Mexican culture.) The paletería has “paletas naturales” and “paletas gourmet” as well as other desserts, along with a selection of popular Mexican dishes and a whole section of “Crazy Snacks,” like Dorilocos (carrot, pork skins, peanuts, jicama, lemon and Valentina) and Chavo elote (small elote, Doritos, nacho cheese, cotija cheese, and jalapeños).
- 11029 East 23rd St. S., Independence, MO 64052
- 11906 Blue Ridge Extension, Grandview, MO 64030
La Michoacana Plus is one of the largest paletería chains in the United States, which started in California and has spread to other parts of the world, too, like Dubai. They have over 100 flavors. Since Michoacana is the birthplace of paletas, the name itself is almost synonymous with ice cream, and many companies and shops reference the name.
- 11701 E. U.S. Highway 24, Independence, MO 64054
Arcoiris Botanero (literally, “rainbow snacks”) carries many of the favored Mexican snack shop standbys, like mangoneada (scooped ice cream, tamarind paleta, chamoy, tajin, and chopped fruit) and esquimales (paletas dipped in chocolate and choice of topping), as well as menudo (beef tripe with corn kernel — available weekends only) and “Rainbow Fruit” (watermelon, mango, pineapple, cucumber, melon, papaya, jicama, and coconut topped with chili, chamoy, lemon and/or salt).
- 11716 East 23rd St. S., Independence, MO 64050
More paletas to try
Paletas are a delicious part of Mexican culture. Bilingual children’s entertainer Lucky Diaz wrote a book about Paletero Man, who pushes his cart of paletas around the neighborhoods. Diaz also demonstrates how to make paletas.
If you are looking to book a cart for a party or event, contact your favorite paletería, as many offer this service.
Find paletas and more at these local shops:
- Paletería la Monarca: 6928 North Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO 64118 and 603E Rte 291 South Liberty, MO 64068
- Paletería Tropicana Shawnee: 10928 W 74th Terrace, Shawnee, KS 66203
- Acapulco Paradise: Oak Park Mall Food Court, 11797 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214
- Snack Bar: 7789 Quivira Rd, Lenexa, KS 66216
