The reason why Mexican restaurants serve fried ice cream is because the fried ice cream which is a popular crunch meets creamy dessert became a signature item in Americanized Mexican chains like Chi-Chi's in the 1980s.
Although fried ice cream most likely originated from other cultures like Asian tempura or European trends and was also adopted by Mexican American restaurants and not traditional Mexico.
The fried ice cream is a fusion dessert that offers a fun contrast of hot, crispy shell and cold, sweet ice cream, which also became a nostalgic favorite in the United States.
Fried ice cream, while served by Mexican restaurants is not an ancient Mexican dessert, but instead it's a creative and cultural adaptation.
The fried ice cream's widespread popularity in Mexican restaurants also stems from the Chi-Chi's chain in the 70's and 80's which made the fried ice cream a nostalgic staple.
And even theories also suggest inspiration from Japanese tempura, early American fairs like in the 1980's, or even Chinese chefs introducing similar concepts in Paris.
The way fried ice cream is made is a scoop of very hard ice cream is rolled in a coating, which is often cornflakes, cinnamon and sugar.
Then it's quickly deep fried to create a warm and crispy shell while the inside stays frozen.
The fried ice cream is then served immediately after frying it with drizzles of honey, caramel or chocolate.
The reason fried ice cream works is that the unique texture and temperature plays on a persons palates.
And it blends global dessert ideas into a distinctively "Mexican restaurant" treat in the United States.