Y’all, I have a confession.
I love Dairy Queen.
I don’t understand how Dairy Queen is so good!
Everyone always goes for the ice cream, but the meals there truly aren’t terrible for what you pay for.
This thought (and honestly, admiration and love) started from the last time I went home to visit my family. We couldn’t decide on what to eat for dinner and made a haphazard decision to eat at Dairy Queen.
Tell me why I had one of the best burgers in a LONG time for LESS THAN FOUR DOLLARS?! Who was going to tell me that the burgers at Dairy Queen were delicious?!
It’s not glamorous by any means, but there’s something about Dairy Queen that is so dreamy and I blame nostalgia.
Here’s why.
Dipped Cones After School.
Growing up, DQ was the main spot for an after-school pick-me-up.
Especially when my mom or I had a bad day, we’d hop in the drive-thru and get chocolate-dipped cones with chocolate soft serve.
ALSO, IT IS A CRIME THE CHOCOLATE SOFT SERVE ISN’T AT EVERY DQ.
It’s so good, not too sweet, soft, comforting, with the crunch of the outer shell?
The double chocolate dipped cone may be my favorite dessert…
Even now as an adult, I still crave this on hard or bad days.
The “post-game” spot.
While I wasn’t an incredibly sporty kid and don’t remember the actual games, I remember going to Dairy Queen afterward.
Usually some celebratory blizzard or a kid’s meal with chicken tenders or a corndog for that post-workout fuel and “gains” as the gym-bros call it.
Plus, the absolute thrill of going up to the counter with your cut-out coupon for a dilly bar or a dipped cone!
*For context, there was always a coupon printed on every kid’s meal bag for a free ice-cream. Obviously, it came with the meal, but the excitement was always there.
The overall “spot” in highschool.
While we’re talking about spots, as I got older, the Dairy Queen was still the place to be! Club meetings were held in the back, along with mini ice cream trips with friends and one of the top spots when you didn’t know where else to go.
Growing up in a smaller town, you’re very limited.
Fun fact: I’m pretty sure I went on a few accidental dates during this time period at DQ….
I say accidental because of course they weren’t called dates, and up to my knowledge it was just a friend wanting to get ice cream one-on-one…how was I supposed to know?!
The aesthetics.
I haven’t visited many Dairy Queens outside the one in my small town, but I LOVE the vibes of the place.
It’s always a little dingy, but not too much where it doesn’t feel safe to eat there.
There’s usually some big TV playing a gameshow or a news channel that only a handful of people (in the city, not the restaurant) watch.
Maybe it’s the names of the menu items like HungerBuster or the silly kid’s menu characters on the bags, but there’s something about Dairy Queen that makes me feel really good about being a Texan.
Even though they have DQs in other states….and I don’t always feel good about being a Texan…
My hometown DQ is hard to beat.
First off, it has a TOY TRAIN. We love that train. It’s silly but it’s always so fun to watch it go round and round.
Second, the decor is supreme and very on-brand for my hometown.
My favorite is this random autographed photo of a potentially famous surfer that’s been up for the last two and a half decades. Growing up, I’m pretty sure my friends and I all had a mini crush on this man.
There’s always a bulletin board filled with flyers and posters highlighting different things happening in town.
And we cannot forget the collection of scooters and bicycles cascading over the entrance. It’s truly magical.
Siti and Dairy Queen
Finally, the kicker is Dairy Queen always reminds me of my Siti.
My Siti would play Canasta every Friday afternoon with her church girlfriends.
They’d all grab a bite to eat or just some ice cream, then spend the next 4-5 hours playing the same card game.
Now as an adult, I find it incredibly sweet and admirable of a commitment not only for my Siti and her friends but for DQ to always be open to host their game days.
My sister and I both play together (typically out at a restaurant, ironically) every time we see each other. Not to get too sentimental, but getting to share that with my sister is one of my favorite things in life.
If you’ve read this far, thanks for reading my silly rant about this one fast food chain.
Now that I’m a big city girl (kind of a joke, kind of not), I forget how much the things that make my hometown special, DQ (obviously) being high up on that list.
Now I want a dipped cone real bad…
With Love,
Cara
This is as adorable as you are, Cara.
DQ must be very proud😂