Valley Dairy Freeze

So, you think you know soft serve, right? a little vanilla-​chocolate swirl, maybe throw on some sprinkles or a coating of chocolate to be hardcore, right?
Um, may I introduce you to Valley Dairy Freeze.
A little walk up stand, Valley Dairy Freeze is a dream for anyone who wants to play with flavor combinations. They have something like 30 (yes thirty) soft serve flavors — so many it took me a good minute (lol five) to decide what I wanted. Did I want cherry-​almond? Coconut-​rum? German chocolate cake and raspberry? Kahlua and coffee? A dizzying array which doesn’t even account for the regular ice cream offered, or the shakes, or smoothies, or… well, you will just have to take my word on it. I ended up with a chocolate strawberry cheesecake which was amazing and brilliant and perfect for a hot, steamy July afternoon.
I hate the fact it is so far from me, but it is 100% worth the trip. You gotta go!

This place is a Southend staple. As long as I have lived in Pleasure Ridge Park, this place has existed, and it is always busy when it is warm out.
The different flavors of ice cream are abundant. As well as whether you want soft serve or «standard.» Also, you can get the cone dipped in several different flavored dips (chocolate, vanilla, cherry, strawberry, etc. etc.). It’s really neat.
But they have beastly banana splits and thick milk shakes. The milk shakes might be my go to. They actually chop up fruit and put it into the milkshake. The banana is my milk shake of choice.
Really, they can do almost anything for you. They also have hot food. Burgers, fries, chili dogs, and so forth. And something neat that they have are funnel cake fries. Pretty solid way to eat a funnel cake.
The biggest drawback to this place is that it is right next to the road. If you have children, you really need to keep your eye on them.
Valley Dairy Freeze isn’t worth driving across town to visit, but if you’re in the area, then hit it up.

Came here with my son looking to get a dinner and a cold treat. Ordered chicken tenders and fries and was very disappointed. The chicken was over breaded and not very well cooked. My son got a softserve chocolate waffle cone and loved it. I was a little disappointed in my vanilla sherbet swirl because there was only a sliver of vanilla at the very top. The setting is okay with plenty of picnic tables and chairs to sit, but the traffic is loud and constant. Oh well, it’s always nice to have any kind of quality time with your son!

Ok. So this place is a community favorite. And with good reason. Dairy Freeze, or sometimes called Valley Dairy Freeze has been around for a long time (Couple thousand years?). The lady who currently owns it has really improved the appearance, and overall experience in the last three or four years. I’ve not tried any of the conventional food options (hot dogs, some soups, etc.), but can swear by their ice cream options. The menu is slightly overwhelming, as they will basically make any kind of ice cream based concoction you can dream of. I recommend the peanut butter fudge shake (add banana if you’re hardcore), made with a chocolate base (vanilla is used for shakes). Their version of a McFlurry is McAwesome.
Low points:
— The staff is normally really young and hit or miss on attitude.
— Frozen yogurt is kinda so-​so.
High Points:
— If something is wrong they’re good to fix it quickly.
— Easily accessible, with plenty of parking and outdoor seating.
— The selection is fantastic. Hand dipped, prepackaged sweets, frozen/​dipped bananas, etc.
— They’re open year round, unlike most local ice cream spots.
— They have a drive thru.
— Prices are very reasonable.
— They take a card.
Lightyears better than Dairy Queen.

Amazing ice cream! I was so impressed I had to come by twice! Haven’t had the food but the snow cones weren’t all that great. Stick to the ice cream!