Dairy Queen

Every time I pull into this place, I momentarily forget that I am in upscale Naperville. I feel like I should be barefoot and in the back of my father’s pickup truck. Back when seat belts were an afterthought and half of my softball team would pile into Dad’s/Coach’s truck bed for ice cream cones after a hot, sweaty practice. It’s not just that it’s a Dairy Queen, it’s that this particular Dairy Queen is exactly as it was back in the early 70’s, save for added credit card machines. A tiny red barn sitting in a parking lot so beat up, you forget whether it’s gravel or just old asphalt. A walk-​up counter with only enough room for a handful of people to wait for their ice cream. It’s so old school; I feel like I should be making out with braces on.
I pile my kids into the car with bare feet or maybe flip flops and expose them to my childhood. Americana. I can spend another 35 minutes on the treadmill to indulge in a mini blizzard or a small hot fudge sundae (both are roughly 300 cals) in order to keep a tradition alive. I stick to 300 cal minis while my husband gets a medium size blizzard and I shake my head as his 800 calorie splurge. My judgmental glances never dissuade his choice.
Service has always been good. Friendly. And fairly efficient for a bunch of kids running it. They aren’t open during the cold months, so when you see the «open» sign come out for the first time each spring, you feel the excitement that you are finally leaving winter behind.
Up until the last couple of years, they only accepted cash, but that has changed. Without indoor seating, it’s not a location that you would linger unless you’re sitting in your car. No restrooms either. But what they lack in ascetics, they make up for in nostalgia.

It’s not the most perfect Dairy Queen (is there a perfect Dairy Queen?!) but sometimes you need a chocolate cone dipped in chocolate and no place else will do.
It’s sort of weirdly situated behind a strip mall and next to an Ace hardware. There’s plenty of parking but zero seating. It seems a little grimy, a little rundown, a little apathetic, but hell, sometimes I want soft serve dipped in chocolate dammit, and Dairy Queen gets the job done.
Come at an off time, grab a cone, and either enjoy in your car or get the heck outta there, and you’re good to go.

I love the DQ, but I won’t go back to this one. After Crosstown Pub and Grill, my friends and I were craving something sweet, so we headed around the corner to this location. Apparently everyone in town was craving something sweet at this hour because it was packed.
We had a good 15 minute wait before we were able to order, which felt like an eternity because we were packed like a bunch of sardines in this small room and there was absolutely no seating indoors or outdoors. I understand that most DQ’s don’t have seating inside, but I’ve never been to one that didn’t at least have stone seats outside. Come on now.
I ordered the mini cappuccino heath blizzard. Delicious, but for the size definitely not worth $ 3.30. My girlfriend ordered the strawberry cheesecake blizzard. As the woman behind the counter was adding the cheesecake bites into my girlfriend’s blizzard, she decided she was a little hungry too. She stuck her dirty, fat, grubby hand in the cheesecake bin – no plastic gloves – and shoved some of the bites into her mouth. No shame at all because she did it in plain sight! As she approached the counter with the strawberry cheesecake blizzard we had ordered, she was still chewing! Are you kidding me?
Foul. Dirty. Unsanitary. Unprofessional. Don’t go.

Always a good visit. Quality food safety of soft serve is always very good. However, it is very outdated and no visible reinvestment such as building remodeling, signage, paint, parking lot upkeep, etc., has taken place for years. If that kind of thing doesn’t concern you, it’s a great place to visit while cruising along Washington St.

I’ve always had good luck at this location. If you’ve never had DQ, then you must be from a different country. Get in here and enjoy some ice cream before the season ends. Limited food… but I come for the Cool Treats! Ice cream sandwiches have always been one of my favorites, you just have to let it thaw a bit first. Great shakes and customer service. Go Cubs Go… they’re fans.

I don’t think anyone has to be sold on the tastiness of DQ, but we can all be sold on how quickly we get it. No matter how busy, this place seems to be efficiently staffed, so we can all get our tasty treat as soon as possible!

Who doesn’t love DQ? It’s like blast from a past. I remember playing tee ball as a kid,. There was the excitement of winning a game and then having the coach pick up the tab for ice cream at the local DQ. Nothing beats a Oreo Blizzard on a hot summer night… especially when it’s free.
Even with higher quality and specialty places around nowadays, I still flock back to DQ like a bad boyfriend. This place has been here for ages. It’s nice to see they are still in a crummy, old building in a even crummier parking lot. The ice cream has remained the same and that’s not a bad thing. There may be lines but the staff moves everyone out pretty quickly.
And the cash only policy must have changed because I’ve been purchasing some cones on the debit and had no problems. So FYI!

I like DQ. Nay. I LOVE DQ. It’s where you go after a first date to share that first kiss, it’s what cools you down after basking in the sun on hot summers day, it’s a national icon found in every town. I love DQ.
The quality is there, that’s not why they got knixed a few stars… it’s the atmosphere! Now, I don’t expect every DQ to have marble floors and a granite counter top, but I do expect a clean bathroom and a paved parking lot. Well, actually, let me rephrase that. how about a bathroom period, and a parking lot I drive through without getting a flat tire.
But let’s set aside those little hassles of having to hold my pee, as i go bumpidy bump bump as i drive away.
It’s a CASH ONLY joint! It’s not like we are in the middle of nowhere– and the Dial-​up doesn’t work well. We are in the middle of a very modern city… what’s the deal. «It’s historical…» it’s loosing business!
Summary:
No bathroom…
Bad parkinglot… building needs updating.
Cash Only
Oh well, I guess I’ll just go to Baskin Robin’s down the street.