Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Mexico City Joe Gelato
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Joe Gelato

Worm salt and other local ingredients are on the menu at this cult favorite ice cream shop.

Mexico City, Mexico

Added By
Diana Hubbell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Fig, pistachio, and cacao gelato.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
The exterior of the ice cream shop in Juarez.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
The list of flavors changes daily.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
The interior of Joe Gelato.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
The gelato lineup for the day.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Cacao, cinnamon, and peanut gelato.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Topped with a mini pan de muerto for Day of the Dead.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
October 2024, some Día de Muertos flavors.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The cempasúchil, flame-colored marigolds that the Aztecs once used to honor a goddess of death, are inescapable in Mexico City each October. Millions of the blossoms make their way into garlands in preparation for Día de los Muertos. On November 1, most of these fragrant flowers will wind up on the graves of loved ones. But each year, a few are set aside for a very different purpose: ice cream.

“It tastes almost like you mixed chamomile with vanilla,” says José Luis Cervantes, the owner of Joe Gelato. Each year, he dries the petals, then grinds them up into a powder and puts them in milk to infuse it. Once churned and frozen, the resulting scoop has a color that ranges from pale gold to ivory. “It depends what week you’re getting the flower. The closer it gets to the Day of the Dead, it gives more of a yellow color,” says Cervantes.

Cervantes has picked up a fiercely devoted following since setting up shop in the Juárez neighborhood in 2018. Though he cut his teeth as a chef at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, these days his focus is all on the sweet stuff. “I eat, breathe, and sleep gelato,” he says. “It’s thanks to the whole community in Juárez that I’m where I am today.”

Although he picked up some of his skills at Italy’s Carpigiani Gelato University, many of the flavors here are nothing like what you might find in that country. “I try to make sure at least 80 percent of what we use here is local,” Cervantes says. Flavors vary to reflect the season and the produce available in local markets.

On any given day, the unconventional lineup might include peach with sal de gusano (worm salt), tamarind and mezcal, the herb hoja santa, black garlic, or Oaxacan chocolate with guajillo or ancho chiles. For flavors incorporating stouts, lagers, and ales, Cervantes turns to local craft microbrewery Monstruo de Agua Cervecería. A dark, dairy-free, cacao ice cream and a rich, fruity olive oil ice cream are two of the only constant menu items.  

Cervantes works with small batches, and he’s not afraid to get experimental—fans know to keep an eye out for the black garlic when it appears on the menu. “It’s slow-cooked until it’s caramelized and that gives it that sort of dulce de leche flavor,” says Cervantes, who uses a rice cooker for the process. “It takes about two weeks to get to that point of black garlic. It’s a really good gelato.”

Related Tags

Mexico Gelato Ice Cream Ice Cream Shops

Know Before You Go

Joe Gelato generously lets customers ask for up to three flavors in their small cone or cup. They are closed on Mondays.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Explore Maya temples and learn about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Diana Hubbell

Edited By

linkogecko

  • linkogecko

Published

March 7, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Joe Gelato
C. Versalles 78, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc
Mexico City, 06600
Mexico
19.428254, -99.15533
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Proyecto Público Prim (Public Project Prim)

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

La Rifa Chocolatería

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Biblioteca de México

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Nearby Places

Proyecto Público Prim (Public Project Prim)

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

La Rifa Chocolatería

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Biblioteca de México

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Related Stories and Lists

8 Ice Cream Shops Grounded in Cultural Traditions

List

By Diana Hubbell

Related Places

  • Margie’s Candies, on the corner of Western and Armitage since 1921.

    Chicago, Illinois

    Margie’s Candies

    This old-fashioned confectionary has been family owned and operated for more than a century.

  • The Little Man Ice Cream Can sits just beside Linger Eatuaries, a former mortuary turned hip dining spot.

    Denver, Colorado

    Little Man Ice Cream Can

    This 28-foot-tall milk can contains one of the most whimsical ice cream parlors in town.

    Sponsored by Visit Denver
  • Khus Vanilla Mastani sits next to Bajirao Mastani on the right.

    Pune, India

    Raja Ices

    Pune's oldest ice cream parlor serves scoops in flavors like lemongrass.

  • Kirk’s hand-dipped “dream cones” at the parlor’s 25th Avenue location.

    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

    Kirk's 1890 Ice Cream Parlor

    The two locations of this landmark ice cream shop scream pure Americana nostalgia.

  • I scream, you scream…

    Sedona, Arizona

    Mary Coyle

    This historic pink parlor keeps Phoenicians cool with homemade, retro ice creams.

  • Dip your cone of pure serotonin in chocolate and rainbow sprinkles.

    Nashville, Tennessee

    Bobbie's Dairy Dip

    This seasonal soft serve shack has been doling out silky swirls since 1951.

  • Sample a few unusual flavors before buying at Poslastičarnica.

    Belgrade, Serbia

    Poslastičarnica sa stavom

    This ice cream parlor serves scoops of flavors like rakia, medlar, and poppy seed.

  • Brooklyn, New York

    Taste the Tropics USA

    In Little Caribbean, an ice-cream shop serves up regional flavors, including soursop, Irish moss, and "greatnut."

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.