Chris’s Ice Cream

Update: I just had a BRC burrito that contained what I am almost positive was canned refried beans. Come on, Chris! Why you gotta play a sister like that, bro? For this reason, I’m deducting one star. If this Rosarita canned beans business continues, though, I’ll start dropping stars. I won’t stand for it!

I’m not sure I get it. And I want to get it. I used to date someone named Chris. Those were the days.
I ordered a steak and chicken taco per the recommendation of the nice man behind the counter. Both were good, but nothing I’m calling to tell my Guatemalan mother-​in-​law about. It’s a standard taco — meat, onion, cilantro. You can add avocado, cheese and sour cream. I’m sure that makes it better but you can put avocado, cheese and sour cream on the bottom of an Indy Canal Gondola and I’d at least give a lick.
Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I didn’t see any chips, salsa, queso, guacamole, etc on the menu. I’m a huge aficionado of the side dish so I missed out. I felt like I ate my tacos and was out of there in 3 minutes.
I didn’t get the ice cream. It’s winter.

Don’t let the name fool you. This place is an authentic mom and pop Mexican restaurant. The tacos are typical Mexican street tacos. The burritos are large and filling and can be eaten as a portable lunch although they are sometimes a little messy. Service is relatively fast.
Don’t get caught up with the pictures of some of the dishes on the wall as you walk to the counter to order. Look at the expanded menu on the counter and ask questions. They are open to additions and subtracts. You can get beans as a side if you’d like. For those wondering, no there are not endless chips and salsa and food is brought to your table after you order at the counter.
A much better options than the fast food options in the area.

As others have said, the cuisine here is outstanding and a great value as well. Full disclosure — I’ve only ever had the taco’s (multiple choices) so my opinion is a little limited, but I keep coming back over and over. Plus, the people there are super friendly.
Chris’s Ice Cream is completely unpretentious, welcoming and super clean. Gotta go with 5 stars on this one.

Been there two times. First was good and wasn’t overcharged. Second time, they charged me 6.00 for a bean burrito and said all the burritos are one price. No thank you!!!

I’d always been a bit hesitant about trying this place, because what kind of place advertises itself as «ice cream and Mexican food?» Never judge a restaurant by its name, I’ll tell you that much.
One Friday around lunch time, I felt a hankering for Mexican food and found this was the nearest mom and pop place near work, so I figured, what the heck.
Parking is kind of an issue here, especially around lunch time when they’re competing with Taco Bell and Jimmy Johns for customers. Now with Big Lug Canteen and Rockstone Pizza in the back, I shudder to think what traffic in this tiny parking lot is like during the lunch and dinner rush now.
Suffice it to say that it’s not terribly hard to find a parking spot, at least in my experience. Upon entering, I found I was the only gringo in the place– always a good sign that the food is legit among those who know the cuisine best.
I ordered four chorizo tacos and they’ve been my go to every single time I’ve come back. They use corn tortillas that are lightly toasted, so they’re not super floppy like soft shells, but they don’t have the crunch of hard shell tacos. They give you lime, salsa verde, and a spicy sauce to put on them that make it very nice as well.
I also managed to try out some of their ice creams before the weather got too cold. I tried their White Russian, because I couldn’t pass up an ice cream named after one of my favorite cocktails. But as I was eating it, I realized that they should have just called it coffee, considering there’s already cream in it.
Nevertheless, if you’re sick of the same mom and pop schlock and you’re not particularly in the mood for Chipotle, I’d really recommend this place.

Ok. so you may be thinking… «An ice cream shop that also serves Mexican food?» Just stay with me here.
This hidden gem is located right next to the Monon and so I stopped in for an ice cream. The owner was super friendly and told me that all of the ice cream is homemade and he offered to let me try them all. Honestly, they were all delicious and super rich, with just the right texture. After choosing between coconut (packed with coconut flakes, sooo good) and pistachio, I decided on pistachio. A small in a sugar cone was only $ 2 and was just the right amount for me. I noticed all of the larger sizes were under $ 4. Definitely worth stopping in!

This little authentic Mexican restaurant has THE BEST ICE CREAM IN INDY! If you look, you’ll think it’s a joke. It’s called «Chris’s Ice Cream and Mexican» and it’s in a small strip mall by the Monon. BUT… we regularly ride our bikes there (over Huddles!) for the freshest, homemade ice cream I’ve tasted in Indy.
Flavors change regularly with what’s in season. Right now my favorite is coconut (super rich and PACKED with flakes). The chocolate tastes like fresh cocoa – and the texture is smooth and creamy. Other flavors we love include White Russian, Guava, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Strawberry (Oh. My. Strawberry.)
The owner is awesome – super kind and friendly and will let you sample the flavors and tell you about them all.
Definitely worth the stop!

Great place to stop during a long hot bike ride. The tacos are awesome and cheap but the ice cream is delicious and they offer some surprising flavors, such as coconut, which is amazing! Try it. Now.

This place has some of the best tacos I’ve ever had, and the ice cream is great, too! Jaime, the owner, is extremely nice. I go here every time I’m in the area. Definitely try this place! I recommend the chorizo tacos!

The owner is named Jaime and he is from El Salvador. He kept the name from years ago when it was owned by someone else! Food is fantastic and low key. I get enchiladas and then top it with cilantro, crema, and avocado for the same price.
He is always smiling and friendly and always seems to have a funny story while I wait if I engage him in conversation. He loves running his business and I love to support it! Small and family owned w fresh ingredients/​made how you like it instead of being slathered in red sauce from a can.
He also serves good icecream if you go for a stop on the Monon but I think the food is the reason to go!
There are about 8 tables as well but I’ve never had a problem sitting down if I eat in.
5 stars for value, friendly service, and definitely taste.

This is the third time I’ve been here in a week so it’s probably about time I reviewed it. During my most recent visit, I was seated near a kid who suddenly and without warning vomited orange soda all over the table as I was eating my taco. I finished my taco. This is a testament to how good these tacos are. No way I wasn’t going to finish it.
Bonus: the owner is super nice and accommodating. Excellent customer service. Try the coconut ice cream.
In conclusion:
Tacos: ⁹⁄₁₀ with vomit, ¹⁰⁄₁₀ without

I love this little place right off the Monon Trail on the south side of 86^th Street. Don’t be fooled by the name. First of all, there’s no Chris here. The owner is Jaime. And it’s not just an ice cream shoppe (more on that later). It’s a Mexican restaurant with a limited menu. They have tacos, enchiladas and tortas. And they’re all superb.
These are the real deal (even though Jaime is actually not from Mexico, but El Salvador). If you like spicy food, definitely get the enchiladas (green sauce). They will light you up. Even the red sauce (they will bring out a squeeze bottle with the house red sauce and green sauce to your table) has a kick.
The tacos and enchiladas are pretty straightforward. If you’re a little more adventurous, there are the tortas (sandwiches). One of them has a chicken milanesa (breaded), hot dogs (!), egg, ham, and chorizo (to name the primary ingredients). Jaime says it’s one of his most popular items.
As for the ice cream, there are the usual suspects (vanilla, chocolate), but that’s boring. You have to try some of the more exotic flavors (e.g. rum raisin, avocado, White Russian).
If you’re walking/​jogging/​running/​Rollerblading (!)/​cycling on the Monon on a hot day, stop into Jaime’s to cool off with a scoop of ice cream. Or heat up further with the green enchiladas!
And say hi to Jaime. He is the friendliest guy and always remembers a face.

The food is fresh and cheap and it tastes so good. Why are you still reading this review? Put down the phone and go get you some tacos!!!
Yes, this is an «ice cream» shop. And they do have very good ice cream. They have the standards, plus avocado, mango, pistachio, and rum raisin (heavy on the rum).
They also happen to have the best Mexican food around (technically the owner is from El Salvador). They have cantina-​style tacos and super hot enchiladas. Try the tortas. They have one that has breaded chicken, hot dogs, chorizo, ham, egg, avocado, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and onion. I had one without egg. It is such a weird combination, but incredible. I highly recommend it. The hotdogs are sliced longways into thirds and grilled, so they have a great char and crispiness. The chorizo and avocado add needed fat. It is an all around perfect sandwich. This place is right off the Monon, so it is a great spot to hit when you are biking or running and its only a mile from the 96^th street parking lot, so you and your fully belly can waddle back to your car afterwards without too much discomfort.

Don’t be afraid! Try the wonderfully authentic Mexican food! Reasonably priced and the owners are the most pleasant folks around!

Great spot for amazing steak tacos. The salsa’s are spot on and the tortilla is the star. Really great to find an authentic taco spot!

Very good ice cream. Met the owner, Jaime. He was very nice. My girlfriend and I were trying to decide between White Russian and Mango ice cream. We ended up going with the White Russian and he decided to give us a complimentary scoop! Very delicious!
Will definitely be back.

Their icecream is so beautiful that it makes my eyes water in joy but their authentic Mexican menu? That’s also a thing of beauty.
Good proportions, friendly service and great value.
I used to visit this place quite a lot as a kid and even though ownership has changed hands it’s still one of my most favorite places to go.

Chris’ Ice Cream is a great little spot just off the Monon (perfect for a destination ride!) that seems to get overlooked a lot. They have ice cream — some of it home made in house — frozen yogurt, smoothies, etc., which makes it a great place to visit while out riding your bike. There are bike racks at the 86^th Street rest area. But what REALLY drew Rick and I in the first time was the fact that they serve authentic Mexican food. You read that right… Mexican food! We’ve been there a few times but I realized I hadn’t written a review yet.
I absolutely LOVE their steak tacos. They keep it simple and authentic: strips of steak in a tortilla with diced onions — heavenly! You can pick which kind of tortillas you want (flour vs corn) and you can request cilantro or none. I always get mine with cilantro. Delicious! And the salsa verde they bring out to go with it? Outstanding! Some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
Of all the times we’ve been there, we had never tried the ice cream… until yesterday! And they will let you sample every flavor they have if you want to! Some of the ice cream flavors are made in-​house (Cinnamon…one of my faves!) and there are some unique flavors that are often hard to find (Rum Raisin — it is FANTASTIC!)
The only reason I did not give them five stars is that sometimes, depending on the person working the grill, the steak tacos (all I’ve ever ordered here :) can be inconsistent from visit to visit. All in all, Chris’ is one of those hidden little gems in Indianapolis with a kind and friendly staff that always seems to be glad you stopped by.

I must have driven by this place 1,000 times before I finally stop in to try it. I was expecting kind of a Taco Bell-​ish experience. Boy, was I wrong!
The food menu is limited… but EVERYTHING is done EXTREMELY well. I wish more restaurants adopted this model… concentrating on what they do best, and quit trying to be all things to all people.
The tacos… real, authentic, Mexican tacos… are simply amazing. Wow, so, so, SO good. The enchiladas are also outstanding, as is everything else we’ve got.
The owners/​managment/​staff are extremely friendly and helpful, and greet you like an old friend.
And, we’re always full after dinner, so we’ve not tried the Ice Cream yet.
Chris’s truly is a gem in Indy!