As soon as I could walk, I remember walking up to the carryout window at my local Dairy Queen. I remember with fondness getting a ice cream cone there with my parents, and I absolutely loved it. I have grown up now, and even though I have moved from my childhood home, there are many Dairy Queens around. In fact, there are over 5,700 locations in the U.S. and 23 other countries. This franchise started with humble beginnings in 1940, and its first location was Jolliet, Ill. It is now one of the main places to get ice cream products, and they also serve fast food items.
Dairy Queens have a concept that I absolutely subscribe to. Most of the locations I have been to our very clean, with crumb free dining room tables and bathrooms that don’t hurt your appetite. They are also usually well run, with a management team focused on providing efficient customer service. Most of their employees seem to know every item on their menu, which is quite extensive.
Dairy Queen now offers a diverse menu, with items such as chicken sandwiches, salads, and of course their trademark ice cream. Their lunch/dinner menu is quite good, as long as you avoid their hamburgers.(Cheap meat quality, mushy texture) The items I usually order are the Buffalo Chicken Wing Strips and the Popcorn Shrimp. The strips are chicken breast meat strips smothered with nuclear color orange hot sauce. They are serve with crisp, delicious french fries, and celery.(Blue Cheese or Ranch on the side) The wings come in packages of 4 or 6, and they are quite filling. They are not so hot that they overwhelm you, but they have enough spice to let you know that you are eating hot sauce. Its just right, and Dairy Queen should be commended for this. The only problem with the strips is their calories, and I almost fell down as I read their nutritional facts on www.dairyqueen.com. A 6 piece has 1120 calories-YIKES! I think I’ll go run a marathon! Price is $6.99 for the 6 piece combo.
The Popcorn Shrimp did not have a caloric amount listed on the site, but they are fried as well. They are quite good, and perfectly crisp on the outside. The amount of portions included in the Shrimp Basket is quite generous-about 20 shrimps total. The price of the basket is $5.99, and it comes with french fries and a soft drink. The only complaint I have about the Shrimp Basket is the cocktail sauce is very acidic, more than other brands. It makes for excellent heartburn, so take Tagamet or Zantac when eating this. They are delicious though, so it is worth it.(All fast foods are heartburn inducing.) The Crisp Chicken sandwich is pretty good-always well cooked and comparable to McDonalds.(590 calories) On top of the chicken patty is lettuce, tomato, and mayo, which is topped off by a wheat bun.(The veggies are usually fresh, and the bread is average.)
The signature items in the Dairy Queen vault are all ice cream, and they serve assorted varieties. There are milkshakes, malts, sundaes, cakes, and ice cream cones. My personal favorite is the vanilla cone dipped in butterscotch, chocolate, or strawberry. The average cone runs about $2.00, and the ice cream quality is outstanding. Their soft serve ice cream is way above the competition, and a great snack. The only problem, of course like all ice creams, is the dietary numbers. A vanilla soft serve cup is 140 calories, and a medium vanilla cone is 330 calories. A medium chocolate shakes is 340, and a Banana Split is a whopping 510! Just make sure you balance it all out.
Dairy Queen is doing a great job, and they have improved all of their traditional food items.(A few years ago they revamped their entire Brazier menu to improve quality) Their ice cream is still great, and with their customer service they have proven to be an asset to the fast food market. I always look forward to stopping by for a quick lunch/ice cream treat with them, and look forward to taking my kids there someday.
