The story below is from our May/June 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Antojitos Daleyza brings Mexican ice cream, paletas and crave-worthy snacks to Plantation Road.
John Park
Antojitos Daleyza, a Mexican snack and ice cream shop, boasts a menu to satisfy cravings both salty and sweet.
John Park
Co-owner Maria Rodriguez
Ask a restaurant owner about their inspiration and chances are good that their concept originated with filling a void in the market, likely stemming from personal tastes. For Maria Rodriguez and Julio Gonzalez, who opened Antojitos Daleyza, a Mexican snack and ice cream shop in Roanoke last December, this niche was inspired by their own cravings—literally. Antojitos means small cravings, and there’s plenty on their snack shop menu to satisfy cravings both salty and sweet.
The sweets portion of Antojitos Daleyza’s menu is largely inspired by Gonzalez’s love of ice cream. The freezer display cases are stocked with more than 40 flavors of Mexican ice cream, available by the scoop in cups, cones or waffle bowls, nestled into plastic boats for banana splits or stuffed into Conchas Locas (more on that in a moment).
The ice cream, along with a couple dozen flavors of paletas, Mexican ice pops, are all sourced from La Mejor Michoacán, a specialty store in Greensboro the couple often frequented prior to opening their own shop. Rodriguez says that classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry are always in demand, but you’d be remiss not to sample harder-to-find scoops that just might replace those standbys. Try the fan-favorite Nutella, yellow vanilla, which is richer and sweeter than regular vanilla, or mamey, a tropical fruit whose inherent creaminess yields an extra velvety texture.
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Bright colors entice curious passersby and offer a friendly welcome promising fun for diners; the eight tables fill up fast!
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Hours and Location: Monday-Sunday | 10:30AM-9PM | 4225 Plantation Rd NE, Roanoke, VA 24012 | 540-566-4140
Rodriguez’s favorite ice cream is inspired by its namesake snack cake, Gansito, which features strawberry jelly, cream, chocolate and sprinkles. Try Gansito stuffed in a concha, a traditional Mexican sweet bread, for a confection that eats like a Neapolitan-cake-meets-ice-cream-sandwich (Rodriguez recommends the strawberry concha for this combo). Popular paleta flavors include coffee with almonds or yogurt with strawberry and kiwi, but tropical numbers like pineapple, coconut or soursop are also in demand. Rodriguez’s preferred desserts are represented too, including crepes, fashioned after ones her mom used to make for her, as well as mini pancakes, both drizzled with Nutella and paired with slices of strawberries and bananas and ripples of whipped cream.
John Park
Frutas Mixtas, a popular Mexican street food snack, features a cup of mixed fruit topped with chamoy, a spicy-savory pickled fruit sauce, and Tajín, a lime chili seasoning.
On the savory side, the scene-stealing Maruchan, a ramen dish that’s garnered the nickname “the volcano,” has quickly become a signature item. Rodriguez regularly had cravings for ramen when she was pregnant with her daughter, Daleyza, in whose memory the shop is named (Daleyza passed away in April 2023). Rodriguez had the idea to pair the instant noodles with elotes and chips as an homage to the Mexican street corn and chicharrons her mom used to sell at her dad’s recreational baseball games in Roanoke, where Rodriguez grew up.
During menu R&D, Rodriguez discovered that elote ramen is a popular comfort food mash-up; her version includes a cup of noodles topped with street corn, nacho cheese, cotija, butter and Valentina hot sauce. Customize your cup with different Maruchan flavors, say spicy shrimp or chicken, as well as the chips that encircle the cup. The staff recommend Takis, either Blue Heat or Fuego, noting that the blue makes for particularly striking photos. My top pick is the Tostitos Xtra Flamin’ Hot, which provides a pleasant kick and a sturdy vessel for layering noodles, corn and cheese on top to create a composed bite.
The assortment of chips anchor several other dishes, including Tosticeviche, starring shrimp, pico de gallo, fresh cucumber and avocado, all sluiced with Clamato (opt for the Tostitos Salsa Verde chips). It’s served in the chip bag and makes an ideal appetizer or a light lunch (leaving more room for ice cream). The Torta del Chavo del 8, a ham sandwich layered with jalapenos, avocado, lettuce and tomato that skews mayo-heavy (not that we’re complaining), is another solid lunchtime bet.
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The Maruchan is a great comfort food option, with a ramen flavor of your choice, topped with street corn, nacho cheese, cotija, butter and hot sauce, along with chips such as Blue Takis, Fuego Takis or Spicy Tostitos.
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Gansito stuffed in a concha, a traditional Mexican sweet bread, eats like a Neapolitan-cake-meets-ice-cream-sandwich.
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John Park
The freezer display cases are stocked with more than 40 flavors of Mexican ice cream, available by the scoop in cups, cones or waffle bowls.
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Rodriguez’s preferred desserts are crepes or mini pancakes, drizzled with Nutella and paired with slices of strawberries and bananas and topped with whipped cream.
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John Park
Elote Chorreados shows off corn on the cob rolled in crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos.
John Park
Popular paleta flavors include yogurt with strawberry and kiwi or tropical numbers like pineapple, coconut or soursop.
Though the shop has been open just under a year, it’s garnered loads of buzz. Rodriguez relishes hearing comments like, “OMG, this is from Mexico!” as well as anecdotes from loyal customers. “There’s this lady that came from Las Vegas, she said, ‘I’ve been here two years, and I’ve been waiting for something like this to open.’”
Customers from the Mexican community have also flocked to the shop for Frutas Mixtas, a popular Mexican street food snack featuring a cup of mixed fruit topped with chamoy, a spicy-savory pickled fruit sauce, and Tajín, a lime chili seasoning. I’ve joined the Bionicos fan club, which is like the fruit salad dessert of my dreams: fresh cut strawberries, bananas, grapes and mango topped with granola, shredded coconut and honey and drizzled with a sweet cream that required multiple rounds of recipe testing to strike the ideal balance of tangy and sweet.
John Park
Scratch-made agua frescas are ready for summer enjoyment, with flavors like strawberry, pineapple, watermelon or cantaloupe.
Rodriguez and Gonzalez hope to open a second location for their snack shop later this year to accommodate more seating; the current location has eight tables and quickly fills up on weekends. In the meantime, she’s refining new menu items such as tostadas de ceviche and hopes to tweak the ramen cup to make it more conducive for to-go orders.
Come summer, she hopes more customers will discover liquid refreshment in their rotating line-up of agua frescas, scratch-made infused waters in flavors such as strawberry, pineapple, watermelon or cantaloupe. They’re ideal for sipping during warmer months, but they’re also just the ticket to wash down a savory snack, say Elote Chorreados, corn on the cob rolled in crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos, or to keep your sugar rush going.
The story above is from our May/June 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!