Ome Calli offers a diverse selection of ice cream, sherbets, chocolate-covered bananas, creamy and dairy-free fruit paletas and cream-based gelatin treats. A crowd favorite is the Chamoyada, a salty, sweet and spicy frozen treat featuring a fruit paleta dipped into a cup of icy slush, finished with a drizzle of tangy chamoy (pickled fruit sauce) and a sprinkle of chili powder.
The Chamoyada is “a combination of, something really cool to drink in the summertime with a little bit of kick to it,” shares Antonio Diaz, one of the shop’s owners.
Ome Calli (pronounced OH-meh KAHL-yee) is a local handmade ice cream and paleta shop that blends authentic Mexican traditions with local community support, turning an ice cream shop into a meaningful expression of heritage and hard-earned success.
“Ome Calli means second home in Nahuatl, it is the language that the Aztecs used to speak,” share Antonio Diaz, owner of Ome Calli.
The ice cream and popsicles are made entirely from scratch in the shop with a dedication to quality, locally sourced ingredients and a meticulous production process.
“We usually try to use local products (and) ingredients as much as we can because we’re in a community and, you know, by buying local it stays local,” says Antonio.
“We package our popsicles one-by-one, by hand. It’s something that I doubt any other place (is doing). Most places mass produce everything,” Armando adds.
Traditional Aztec ingredients such as corn and chocolate bridge the gap between Mexican heritage and the Pacific Northwest.
“We have a corn ice cream, which, basically all our cultures used to basically just eat corn, explains brother and co-owner Armando Diaz.
Originally owned by Casto Moreano, who opened the Beaverton shop in 2014, Antonio had been part of Ome Calli since day one. And when he asked the duo to handle the business, they made a deal.
“We love to bring Latin flavor Mexican flavor here because it reminds us of our childhood, the flavors we used to eat there and also the people that we see eating them,” Antonio shares. “Like the first bite ‘Oh, this is just like I used to eat when I was a kid.'”
The shop opens daily at noon.
