The Most Charming Dairy Queen

It’s in Chicago, in case you’re wondering. And last Saturday I waited in a line that spanned the whole block, just one of many who craved ice cream on a summer weekend night. In town for work, I’d looked up the closest DQ, and I knew as soon as I saw the little image that came up on my phone that I had to go. I mean, doesn’t it kind of look like the first Dairy Queen ever?? Super charming, as was the entire street.

Sometimes it’s hard to say what makes a place work, what makes it memorable, what makes people line the block just to be there. This is a location that closes its doors for the winter, making all their money in the remaining seasons, and clearly they’re doing something right. Especially when you consider that the building inside is small, not in great condition, and becomes somewhat chaotic and crowded as you place your order. But we were all there, the young man who took the order was energetic and polite, and the animal cookie + cheesecake blizzard he made took me right back to my childhood, where the DQ was the only fast food in town.

I love these slices of America that feel vintage, as if some spirit has been preserved. Before buildings and downtowns get makeovers, before small ranch houses get torn down and replaced by luxury condos, before Mom and Pop shops give way to malls and other developments. It feels nice to run into something original. Even if it’s as simple as ice cream on a Saturday night.