Dairy Queen - Southport
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lakeview3811 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60686 (773) 857-7004
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
34 Reviews for Dairy Queen - Southport
I JUST GAVE WARREN BUFFETT $5
Seriously, when did DQ get so expensive? I paid almost $5 for a small Oreo blizzard. Maybe it's inflation or maybe that's why Warren Buffett is one of the richest people in the world.
Either way, for that kind of coin I'd much rather go to Scooter's Frozen Custard for a real dessert.
(Sidebar: WTF is up with their parking lot? It's so screwed up the DMV should use it as part of their road test...escape successfully and get your license.)
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I love Dairy Queen. I love the vanilla ice cream in a cone, with the chocolate dip. I love the simplicity of the dipped cone. I think a small cone costs only $1.99 (and it's really not that small) and that's a real bargain.
DQ also makes me think of road trips because there always seems to be one along the highway, right when you need it.
The only thing about this particular location is that they often have the most clueless nutbags milling around. And the place sometimes smells of beer sweat.
But that's not DQ's fault. So I love it.
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DQ is DQ, nothing extra special about this one. Except everytime I've been I've been impressed by the speed of service. Getting my blizzard fast makes me happy! So kudos to the guys behind the counter. The line can get long after cubs games, but if you live in Lakeview you know that can be said about anything.
Before I moved in down the road 6 weeks ago I had never eaten Dairy Queen (I'm a transplant to the city from London). In the last 6 weeks I have been 4 times, its turning into a rather enjoyable Sunday evening habit.
Have tried a couple of different Blizzards and Sundaes and they were all fab which is the reason for the 4 star review. However if I had to go based on service they would manage 1, maybe 2 on a good day. In my 4 visits they have messed up my order twice. I'll keep going as I'm an ice cream fan, seriously I know I have an accent but how can you misunderstand - "May I have a small Kit Kat Blizzard please?!"
I recently discovered Drew's Eatery on Lincoln and Montrose... Coffee, Meat and Ice cream? And it's tasty?
See ya DQ with your surly, pimply teenage service, melting blizzards (all stingy with the mixers), and flavorless soft serve! It IS you and absolutely not me... I'm upgrading just like Beyonce said, and leaving you!
Stop sobbing... It's emarrassing. I'm feeling twinges of... sadism. Yes, I will bring you contraband caramel from Drew's. Heh Heh. You wish.
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They bring the goods w regard to soft serve ice cream, blizzards, etc, we all know that. However, if you want a dog that's *not* a chicago-style, (c'mon, it does happen from time to time) then I implore you to try their chili cheese dog. Best version in town and edges out Gold Coast Dogs by a small margin.
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Used to live down the block from here and man, there was no better place to go at 10PM at night for a chocolate dipped cone. The sucky part was there was always a line (even at 10PM at night) during the summer. It's worth the little wait.
a dairy queen in the city? oh hell yeah! Randy, Jared, and I got some classic DQ ice cream from here before we saw Rocky Horror at the Mercury and i really loved it. there was nobody in line and i got my sundae before my change. the staff was really nice and the place was really clean and of course the ice cream was great. and they have a parking lot!!!!!! but now that i know all of this, it is a bad bad thing because it takes a whole 10 minutes to drive from my place and i know i won't have to fight for parking since they have a lot...oh dear, i'm supposed to be on a diet and loosing weight!!!
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Their cotton candy blizzard is delicious. Get it while they still have it!
Like always, Dairy Queen's ice cream is great, but...
The employees at this particular location are really rude. That's why I'm giving it 1 star instead of 4.
Let me explain that I'm hard-of-hearing and I have a slight accent. Most people can understand me speak, but there's always a few people out there who cannot understand anything except plain ol' English. The kid at the counter is one of these people.
When he realized I was a "foreigner", he instantly gave me sour treatment. He stopped making eye contact and he began speaking to me in a rude condescending tone. Whatever, I get that treatment sometimes....
But what broke the camel's back was the girl who made my blizzard. She was a typical gum-chewing, hair twirling "like, totally" teenager. She gave me an exaggerated "whateva" look when I asked her for a couple of caps for my cups. When I thanked her, she gave me an extremely fake smile and kind of rolled her eyes.
Even though I like their ice cream, I don't think I want to go back there.
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What's not to love? Great ice cream, and quick service make this an awesome stop on any warm day; especially great to walk to after a Cub win! The only reason they lose a star from me, is that I honestly don't believe I've ever seen anyone over the age of 18 working there... Ever... And I've been here a lot, just ask my waistline. So, that occasionally leads to some confusion due to an occasional lack of leadership behind the counter, but hey, this has rarely presented itself as a real problem.
Go, eat, love... It's quite tasty.
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So its in the city and it has parking, but it does not have French Fries or Strawberry Shortcakes. During the summer the line at this classic ice cream spot is usually out the door and around the corner but it moves fairly quickly. They do serve some food; BBQ pork sandwiches and hot dogs, but I would not recommend eating it. I love that it is conveniently located but I am picky when it comes to...well everything, so it is not my first choice but it is decent and familiar.
A Parking lot...yes it is really on Southport!
Great Customer Service.
Large seating area, even a few tables outside when it is warm out.
Immaculately clean.
Totally supportive of the neighborhood school.
AND
Ice Cream!
All equal a great place to me! I have been in this Dairy Queen after warm school days and it seems like my daughters whole class is there. This DQ is so nice to the kids during the day and the cherry dip cones rock!
satisfies my craving for a vanilla cone.
As an Iowa native descended from a long line of rural Iowans, I have certain traits encoded in my DNA. Apart from thriftiness and pale skin, a love of dairy and ice cream is central to my being. I come from a state that claims the world's best ice cream (Blue Bunny in Le Mars) and shuns the lactose intolerant. There you will find a Dairy Queen wherever 2,000 or more Iowans live, and this institution serves as a evening social center in towns and cities during the summer months.
That being said, I was extremely pleased when I found a Dairy Queen in Wrigleyville. The location couldn't be better -- you can walk there after a show at the Music Box or a game at Wrigley Field -- two of my favorite activities during the spring/summer months. The one downside is that somehow, other people have learned about this phenomenon and therefore, you may expect its parking lot to be packed with a line running out the door on hot days. Be patient though -- a Blizzard is worth a twenty-minute wait on a ninety degree day in Chicago.
P.S. As I write this, it is 20 degrees outside, and I haven't encountered above-freezing temperatures in two weeks. The imagery summoned from writing this review was like hallucinating from dehydration --- Cubs tickets are on sale in two weeks.......and then only two more months until Spring!
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Yet another place for sweets on Southport...
It's a pretty small Dairy Queen. There's one TV playing old black and white cartoons to give off the old style diner effect but it's located in a spot that isn't near any tables which makes it pointless.
As for the food, it's Dairy Queen. You'd do best to just get desert from here but unfortunately you probably already passed three better places on the way here.
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i'm really just writing this review to convey my extreme happiness at a dq in the city. HURRAY! it's exactly what you'd expect, except way more people than your local small town dq. but, it's totally worth it to slurp down a blizzard on a hot summer night. if only they still had frozen yogurt.
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I actually haven't been to this location, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate that it's there. Someone told me that this menu does not include all of the usual food options which I can't even imagine... No chicken strip basket with the fries, gravy, and the perfect piece of white toast? What the?!
Here's the deal though... I love it, but I actually can't go anywhere near it. The milkshake alone is 22 points on the Weight Watchers scale. That's a little scary when my daily point limit is supposed to be 19 points total... Someday I'll fast and save all of my points for half of a peanut butter cup blizzard. And I can't wait...
I WILL NOT wait in a line to get into bar but I will stand in line for a DQ treat. During the summer the line is out the door and there is a wait but its worth it. Hot Eats Cool Treats :)
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I am truely baffled how a chain store can be so amazing that the line would come out the door and around the corner. We didn't wait last night but maybe we'll come back.
One of my favorite spots to walk to to get ice cream in the summer. The lines are super long, but hey, it's DQ's ice cream!! I always get the vanilla cone, dipped in chocolate--YUM! Oh, also, if you're lucky, you'll see Ronnie Woo Woo chillin inside eatin a cone!
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Good 'Ol Dairy Queen. Sometimes you just want a good No Fuss Vanilla cone. But really people, you stand in line here like there is no other ice-cream around (my count is 4 within eight blocks). Is it the nostalgia? the smooth creamy vanilla or the Only at Dairy Queen Mystery crunch topping (what is it anyway??) Yes it is good - could be cleaner but it is a good hot day destination.
Bam.... you can never go wrong with DQ! Great place to hit up anytime. Enjoy!
Note: If you're heading to a party and in need of a cake, hit DQ up. They have ice cream cakes ready for u! Plus, they can add any decorations to it for you. Perhaps a Go Bears!
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Why is it so hard to get soft-serve in this town?
Anyway...this is one of the few chains I heartily endorse. I'm not sure why they decided to open their only (?) city location in Chicago's Heart o' Darkness - the loathsome Southport neighborhood, but at least we have one at all.
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I wish I could rate the food and the service seperately. The food is 4-5 stars. I agree with the other comments - I love getting softserv. The menu is simple but classic. The service, though, UGH. i realize we're talking $2-$3 ice cream here - but it takes FOREVER. the kids that are working there have absolutely no work ethic or manners. They seem more interested in chatting than serving their customers. They go through managers like its going out of style because of the kids that work there.
Are you kidding me? It's Dairy Queen, for God's sake. At any rate, I wouldn't review something as well known as DQ, but this location is NOT published anywhere -- not phone books, not on the Internet, nowhere. Not to mention that soft serve ice cream is kind of hard to get your hands on in my neck of the woods. So, it's good to know that you can meander a little northwest to get some good, familiar ice cream. Just talking about it makes me want a blizzard!
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As far as DQs go, this one is at the top! Fun, clean atmosphere, good ice cold treats! My Heath blizzard was almost more Heath than ice cream. When the guy behind the counter did make a mistake with my order it was like bizzarro-mistake- I got a medium instead of a small. I just wish it were a tiny bit closer to walk to, 'cause I can never find parking there!
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Coldstone is probably my favorite ice cream place, BUT nothing beats dairy queen blizzards. I love the brownie bite blizzard, and the oreo and mint chocolate chip blizzards. I love them.
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I'm so excited there is finally a Dairy Queen close to me in the city! This place is so cute. The decor and music create the perfect atmosphere! I can see it being very crowded and long lines in the summer, but dairy queen is always worth the wait. I mean, does anything beat a peanut butter cup blizzard? I can already sense I'll be making a few trips there once the weather gets warm. See you there!
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Strange to see that a simple, old-fashioned franchise like Dairy Queen has decided to open an outlet on yupscale Southport Av., but I'm not complaining, I much prefer their Blizzard treats over the ice cream offerings of nearby Cold Stone. They also serve a few non-ice cream dishes such as hot dogs and BBQ beef, but don't get too excited about those, they tend to be smallish & not a great value for the price - it appears that this store is not equipped to offer a lot of the grill items that other Dairy Queens serve.
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Edit (6/2/08): Had to lower stars due to a recent visit. With four people behind the counter, you would hope that they would be able to get correct orders, etc. but the cashier was poor at putting in orders that everyone had to wait extra time so they could correct her mistakes. Also, while sitting indoors and stuffing our faces on ice cream, they decided it would be the perfect time to mop the floors with what smelled of complete bleach soloution, I immediately lost my desire to keep eating.
My review is a bit biased as I grew up on Dairy Queen and since there are so few in the city, I look forward to it even more.
I'm pretty simple as far as treats go, I typically just order a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate (the kind that hardens once it touches something cool) YUM! I don't really go to DQ for food, so I can't comment on grilled items.
As far as aesthetics, this is definitely the best of the ones I've visited. It almost has a retro sixties vibe and you definitely cannot miss it because there is a huge neon sign along the building.
This is a perfect summer treat!
It was my first time trying DQ, and I must say that I was impressed. The mint chocolate chip milk shake was delicious. I also liked their variations on the classic ice cream cone dipped in chocolate. The price is decent as well.
I only drop by when I want dessert after a wonderful meal at Tango Sur. It isn't so electrifying that I must drive all the way out for a bit of DQ.
Some DQ's these days look like they are run down and are dirty , not this one. This is a very clean and good looking store.They may not have the best ice cream in the world, but every once in a while a soft cone hits the spot.
Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in a Chocolate Ice Cream Blizzard. Excuse me while I go wipe off the drool...
You might have to squeeze your way past a bunch of strollers and lazy bums who don't understand the meaning of a line, but it's COMPLETELY WORTH IT.
DQ rocks my world.
Everyone loves Dairy Queen, and this is like a little bit of home for all the suburbian kids transplanted into the big city. The wait can get long, but it's worth it. Try the peanut butter sundae. Fantastic!
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