Inspired by her mother’s snack stand in Jalisco, Mexico, Ana Lopez jumped at the chance last year to open Helados Ice Cream, Antojitos, and Snacks. She operated Botanera Mex food truck in 2022 but always wanted a shop to show off her snacks.
“I love to eat all kinds of snacks. I’m not scared of trying anything,” says Lopez, who came to Evansville in 2007 and worked at Los Bravos, a local restaurant chain owned by her aunt’s husband. “I really liked the idea of having a Mexican restaurant. It was more like … a place that you can go to relax, eat a snack.”
Her brother, Fernando, invested in her dream and helped her purchase the building at 779 S. Green River Road in February 2024. With additional support from more family and friends, the store was fully stocked and decorated when it opened Aug. 28. Lopez initially wanted simple decor but ended up with delightful maximalism via a lively pink and blue color block reminiscent of a box of SweetTarts, a collection of bright wall art and hanging plants, walls of faux boxwood, glowing neon signs, and chairs sporting pillows. There’s also a 360-degree photo booth, plus games of tic-tac-toe and tablets for children.
With a team of five part-time workers, Lopez stocks the menu with snacks she saw at markets during her trips home, including “the most popular foods, like the Mexican tortas, tostadas, and especially these snacks that are so popular,” she says. “And they’re becoming more popular … They’re everywhere on TikTok and Instagram.”
Lopez’s favorite item to make is tostielotes, based on Mexican street corn but reimagined as nachos. Helados provides a variety of chips as the base, including original, flamin’ hot, or mas salsa verde Tostitos, plus incognita and original Doritos. On top is a mix of cheeses and optional jalapeños, enhanced with lime and salt.
“It’s easy to make and has a little bit of everything. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s fun to make,” Lopez says.
Diners also can sink their teeth into a bowl of Maruchan-ramen elote mix, which includes
the famous noodles, cheese, and corn with your choice of chips, more corn, mayonnaise, and optional jalapeños surrounding the bowl. For those with a sweet tooth, Helados’ dessert menu is headlined by huge banana splits made from at least eight rotating flavors of ice cream, which Lopez makes herself. Whipped cream, melted chocolate, strawberry syrup, and cherries are piled on top, but the loaded version of the banana split includes coconut-strawberry syrup, granola, and pieces of strawberry and pineapple. To wash it all down, try a Monster Loco, a Monster energy drink flavored by chamoy, tajin, and a little bit of salsa, along with mango and slices of orange.
“My menu is for everyone,” Lopez says. “It’s why we have variety.”
