Yesterday, on my way home from my hometown, I made the proverbial junk food road trip stop and went to Dairy Queen. I got my favorite thing on the menu – A chocolate dipped cone. Now, I love the chocolate dipped cone, but the other day, while making a similar run (man, this post is starting to be really telling), I asked if they had the cherry dipped cones, to which the lady said they just carried the chocolate. That kinda made me sad. Does anyone else remember the day when you could get the cherry and butterscotch cones? I guess they are an acquired treat, but it also got me to thinking on how all the DQ’s seem so much more corporate than they used to be. Nowadays, it seems like every store has the same facade, the “Grill and Chill” and the menus even look the same at the drive-thru. There’s no room for diversity or variety that I think the old DQ franchises had.
I remember back to the days as a kid, getting so excited to have a custom “artist made” ice cream cake. I had one made with music notes (I played piano) that had my name written in that gel icing of theirs. I still enjoy those cakes (and the crunchy cookie center-yum), but I’ve noticed that they have pre-designed images that they put on the cake and lazily pipe around. Sad indeed.
I used to have a grade school friend, Mandee Young, whose dad owned our local DQ and neighboring ones nearby (man, did I think she was loaded). Ha ha. On field days at my school – Wayland Alexander Elementary, we got homemade, not pre-packaged Dilly bar treats (in the three flavors I mentioned prior). That was like the best part of the whole day (that and winning 3rd in the 100 yard dash).
One of the quirky things I remember was that Dennis the Menace cartoons graced the drink and sundae cups as well as the kid meal boxes. In the kid meals, they also always had a giant gold coin that could be redeemed for a small soft serve or Dilly bar. It was your choice to redeem it right away or save it for a rainy day. There always seemed something very magical about holding that gold coin and knowing a treat awaited me following my meal. Why do they not have those anymore?
I also remembered fun little promotions like sundaes in mini baseball helmets. I thought those were the coolest. I remember during that time pleading to my dad to take me there, just to collect another one of a different team than I already had. I sure do wish I still had mine. Maybe an ebay search is in my future. Update: Ok, it was…check this out…DQ baseball helmets.
Did anyone ever really win a Blizzard by getting that quarter in the shot glass in that fishbowl filled with water (the one that raised funds for the Children’s Miracle Network) I really never saw it happen….it’s a conspiracy, I tell ya!
The one thing I love about my DQ memories are that they remind me of special people in my life that enjoyed the treats just as much as I did. I would go on a lot of Sunday after-church shopping lunchtrips with a lady named Leathel (yes, this really was her real name), who thought the world of me and spoiled me like her own grandaughter. My own grandma, who passed away last year would take me there as well, and I always remember her getting the same thing…a hamburger, small coffee and afterwards, a blueberry Breeze. I guess that stands out in my mind cause she enjoyed treats just as much as I did (I could always pull her arm when it came to making or ordering something sweet on the menu at any restaurant).
When I was in college, one of my favorite memories was walking from campus to the old DQ. The one in Murray, KY is nostalgia at it’s best. They are only open from late March to October and they only serve the original DQ treats (you can get a cherry-dipped cone, there for sure) and they supposedly use the old soft serve (not brazier) version of ice cream, which is rare to find at DQ’s. The only other thing they serve is a foot long hot dog – none of the other “Hot Eats”. You have to sit outside and eat at little picnic tables. I always liked that it was a unique spot that was unfazed by time. In these changing times, it really is hard to find a slice of Americana that is truly authentic like that. I guess that is what I miss about the other DQ restaurants.
And on a final note, I think that there needs to be more training on that doodly doo on top of the soft serve. I think a lot of the employees are just getting plain lazy. It’s kinda like it’s a part of their branding and should be treated more like an artform. I know I see it that way.
Do you have a favorite DQ memory?
Now go out Swellions and get yourself that Dilly Bar…or perhaps make it a Buster bar?
Alexa
All content/photos copyright, © Alexa L. Westerfield, 2008
I have very fond memories of Dairy Queen. There was one in Cave Junction, Oregon that we would stop at on every visit to my grandparents home. I would almost always order a chili dog and I do remember the butterscotch dipped cones, but not the cherry. I loved the chocolate dipped cones. Thinking of Dairy Queen always brings back fond memories of visiting my grandparents, who’ve been gone for a few years now. Thanks for sharing this. 🙂
My grandmother, such a sweetie, used to save the plastic dishes we got at the DQ when we visited her in Colorado during the summer. Then she would reuse them when they made home-made ice cream using an old wooden bucket. Way better than the DQ stuff have to admit.
My other DQ memory is going there during 4th of July, getting a cone, and watching the fire works in the Belk Linsey (sp) parking lot in Cocoa, Florida. Them were the days! I don’t think there are any DQs where I live now, and I’m too damn fat to eat at one any way.
I’ve been to Dairy Queen.
I remember it – I liked it.
Especially the one in Morehead.
I remember as a kid when all the Dairy Queens around me were called Druthers and their mascot was a bee. We even went on a field trip there from school…. there weren’t a lot of options for field trips apparently.
When it turned to Dairy Queen I was so upset that it wouldn’t be any good. It was much better. My favorite Dairy Queen treat is the blizzard, Butterfinger blizzard actually. It isn’t as Americana as dipped cones but they are oh so tasty.
Free Blizzard for this guy on multiple occassions. The quarter thing really ins’t that hard. Of course I haven’t tried it in years. Toward the end of the school year in middle school we would ride our bikes. DQ was a typical stop – especially on half days. Since the school had no air conditioning they would let us out before noon if it was supposed to get hot that day.
Think I’ll make a DQ stop tonight, but I agree nothing beats the one in Murray.
I love cherry dipped cones! I wish you could still get them. I used to go to DQ just for that.
I love this post. I have noticed the changes at DQ and remember the old DQ of my childhood so fondly. We went there a lot after swimming. I love the chocolate dipped cone (and I remember butterscotch but not cherry.) Also loved the Dilly Bar. I am lying in bed getting ready to go to sleep but if someone walked in here right now and handed me a chocolate dipped cone I would be so happy and I would it all up!
I have very fond memories of DQ – just the other day I did indeed get a cherry dipped vanilla cone! I’ve been getting it ever since I was a kid!
I just had two cherry dipped cones at a Dairy Queen in Port Huron Michigan! We went twice and guess what??? The nice young lady behind the counter double dipped the cherry one for me! Cherry dipped are so hard to find! Also she dipped a vanilla cone in chocolate and then in cherry for my sister, like a chocolate covered cherry!! My sister-in-law got butterscotch dipped and chocolate on that! They didn’t even hesitate when we asked them if they would do the double dipping! What a GREAT place!!!
My parents own a diary queen and have for the past 15 years. And We still have cherry dip, we make our own dilly bars and our own cakes. We still do drawings on cakes for people, not just the pictures we already have. If they want a piano on it they can get it. It could just be the dq in your area, but cherry and butterscotch are still available if they choose to carry the item. As far as the dilly bars, alot of dairy queen’s got lazy and buy the already made stuff. My parents try and stick to the old ways as much as possible, that is what makes it special.
DQ may be more by the numbers and boring these days, but I think they are finally being managed well. I don’t know why, but there are more DQs that are out of business than the ones that are still in.
Case in point, the Dairy Queen in my neighborhood is now Dairy Land. They haven’t changed much though even if they changed the name.
This will not actually have effect, I think so.