Dairy Queen

Ordinarily a fast food joint doesn’t warrant a Unilocal review, especially a glowing one like this, but this DQ is worth it.
We periodically ride our bikes here from STL – nothing like a burger and a small Blizzard after riding 20+ miles.
After 2 experiences, I have to say this DQ goes above and beyond, particularly for fast food. The customer service is exceptional and way beyond what you would expect, and the employees have been genuinely friendly and outgoing.
Even the setting is somewhat nice for this place – the nearby civic buildings, historic houses and water tower make for a nice ambiance.
The place was immaculately clean on both visits, including the bathrooms, and the food was up to snuff.
Especially with fast food, this is the type of place that doesn’t exist anymore. Even though it’s a chain, it feels like a friendly small town diner: both times, the employees have known several of the patrons, and there are pictures of parking lot car shows and local kids on the wall.
A great place to pause for a rest and a Blizzard on a sunny summer day in Edwardsville.

Impressed with customer service. I just called asking about a particular ice cream cake and the man told me they keep them in stock and answered all my questions. A few minutes later he called me back, apparently using a re-​dial last number function (I hadn’t given him any information) to tell me he double checked the supply after I called and there weren’t any of that type ready. He then checked if they had a back-​up, which they did, but it needed to be decorated. Then he even customized the toppings. I’m alway happy to patronize a restaurant that takes that little extra step to make sure the customer is happy.

You can eat-​in or drive-​through; we chose to order inside. The ice cream tasted fine, though buying it didn’t seem much easier on my wallet than an upscale custard place. The servers were friendly, but a little bit slow. The restaurant looks reasonably clean, but tonight the entryway smelled like fetid mop water. As we walked through the door, the olfactory experience suddenly made the drive-​through window seem more appealing.