Dairy Zone - 2219 E University Avenue

We were on our way home from the Ren Faire and stopped to get ice cream, because that's what you do.


There is nothing special about this place, nothing amazing. And that is what makes it so good. Just very ordinary, tasty old fashioned soft serve ice cream in a crisp cone. Not too sweet. It doesn't have the over processed taste the chains have.


I had a medium twist cone and it was yummy. Lizzie and Reilly both had vanilla cones, and they both liked them very much.


This is a very classic, old fashioned sort of place, and we will go there again ... and again.

Classic Frozen Custard

I want to start with what I am fairly certain I will consider the best. We go here regularly.

First of all, it is not Ice Cream, it is Frozen Custard. Mostly that means that the egg content is greater. Frozen custard is thicker, richer than your average, soft serve ice cream.

I can't say enough how good this place is. I find myself craving their butterscotch custard as I sit here and write this.

You get a massive amount of frozen deliciousness. I rarely get more than one scoop, because I can't finish much more than one scoop. For the price alone, this is the best place in town.

Then the flavor. Everything I have tried there, and that is a good dozen flavors, is rich, strong, without being overpowering.

Pure, unbridled deliciousness.

4000 SE 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50320 (summers only)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_custard

The quest begins!

Yes, I have a little list! This will be easier than my Pizza Quest just because their are fewer places. I will venture out of town as well. The most important thing is, no national chains, only local places. I think that my general test will be a twist cone, because that is my favorite sort of soft serve cone. For the places that don't do soft serve, I will probably go with a scoop each of vanilla and chocolate. Now we just have to hit all these places before some of them close for the season!

Here is what I have.

Snookies Malt Shop
1810 Beaver Avenue

Van Dee's Ice Cream Shoppe
5915 Merle Hay Road

X-Classic Frozen Custard
2 locations - Altoona & SE 14

X-Dairy Zone
2219 E University Avenue

Bauder Pharmacy
3802 Ingersoll Avenue

Granny's Sweet Freeze Shoppe
3417 Hubbell Avenue

We may also venture out to ... 

Goldie's
Prairie City

Korner Kone
Dallas Center

Starbucks (no, not a coffee shop)
Nevada

Coles Sandwich & Ice Cream Shop
Slater

Waukee Ice Cream Shop
Waukee

Outside Scoop
Indianola

Picket Fence Creamery
Woodward

Over The Top
Pleasant Hill