Dairy Queen Blizzard price, menu, and reviews (Get the Real Test of Desserts)
By: Tahlil / Read more about us.
The McCulloughs and Sherb Noble are the pioneers of Dairy Queen. But did they come up with the idea of producing blizzard, which is a soft serve dessert?
Nope, there’s another person behind it.
One of DQ’s most famous blizzard items is the OREO dirt pie treat, which is available for 5.55 bucks. However, the calorie level here depends on the size including mini, small, medium, and large.
DQ branches are available all over the country and in more than 25 countries all over the world. Stay to know the menus and price of food items in DQ.
Let’s not make any delay and dive deep inside quickly……
How did the journey of Dairy Queen start?
The journey of Dairy Queen started back on 22nd June 1940 with the hands of Sherb Noble and the McCulloughs. The first store of DQ was set up in Joliet, Illinois.
From the beginning, DQ provided the customers with their most popular blizzard or soft serve, and other frozen products. However, they have built their fast food restaurants these days as well.
Meanwhile, it’s good to know that DQ is a subsidiary company, which is basically owned by Berkshire Hathaway.
Now, let’s have a quick overview of DQ restaurant.
| The idea of making soft serve dessert | In 1938 |
| The first DQ store | June 22, 1940 |
| Location of the very first store | Joliet, Illinois |
| Founders | John Fremont McCullough, Alex McCullough, and Sherb Noble |
| First abroad store | Canada, in 1953 |
| Introduction of grill burgers | In 2005 |
| Launch of DQ mobile app | In 2018 |
| DQ restaurant with next-gen design opens | In 2019 |
Source: https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/about-us/
There’s a story behind getting the idea of setting up the very first DQ restaurant in the US. In 1938, John Fremont McCullough and his son, Alex McCullough came up with the idea of producing soft serve.
Later on, this ice-cream-like soft serve went on to become the most popular food item from the DQ. And they offered Sherb Noble to sell their servings in his ice-cream store in Kankakee, Illinois.
As Noble was their regular customer and a friend of theirs, he didn’t refuse. And think what happened then? It took only two hours to sell more than 1,600 soft serves on the first day.
He actually implied a trick as he hung a sale offer saying, “All you can eat for 10 cents”.
Why it is called Dairy Queen?
Behind naming the company Dairy Queen, there was simply thought of John Fremont McCullough. Basically, he named the franchise DQ to emphasize the soft serve dessert item.
According to him, the dessert item is the softest and most delicious among all other dairy items. Therefore, it has the dignity to stand on top as the “Queen of all dairy items”.
Moreover, the name implies freshness and wholesomeness as well. At the end of the day, it was named Dairy Queen because of this particular reason.
How many DQ stores are there?
As of today, DQ has already become a large franchise by expanding the business of soft serve desserts and fast food restaurants.
It has more than 4,000 domestic and 6,800 international branches. However, have you ever thought, about what really helped them expand the business?
Outside the USA, DQ’s branches are available in more than 25 countries. Here are the names of some of these –
- Canada
- China
- Cambodia
- Brunei
- Bahrain
- Bahamas
- Kuwait
- Indonesia
- Panama
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam etc.
Meanwhile, in the USA, Texas has more than 600 DQ restaurants, which is the highest among all the states.
Source: https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/faq/
How did DQ become such a big company?
The demand for their most popular frozen item was sky-touching from the very beginning. You can get the idea of that condition after knowing how rapidly they expanded their branches domestically and internationally.
- In 1941, there were a total of ten stores in the USA.
- In the next six years, the number of stores went up to 100.
- In 1950, the total number of stores was 1,446.
- During the next 5 years, the number rose up to 2,600.
- Meanwhile, the first international store was opened in Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1953.
At present, DQ has two subsidiaries including Orange Julius and Karmelkorn.
Orange Julius is basically a fruit juice and beverage store, which is mostly known for its most famous item orange Julius. The company started its journey back in 1926 visit https://www.orangejulius.com/en-us/ for more info.
On the other hand, Karmelkorn is basically a popcorn retailer company that was first introduced back in 1928. However, it also produces caramel corn except for popcorn.
Dairy Queen Blizzard Menu and Prices
Blizzard or the soft serve dessert item is the most popular food item in Dairy Queen. Although the idea was there from the beginning, the name blizzard came to the public in 1985. Quite a long time, isn’t it?
Don’t keep any misconception regarding blizzard that it’s ice cream because it’s not.
According to FDA, frozen sweet items must contain at least 10% butterfat in the ingredients to be called ice cream. However, blizzard only contains 5% butterfat.
Who really came up with the idea of Blizzard?
Samuel Temperato came up with the idea of making a soft serve blizzard, even though the idea wasn’t anything original. He was the owner of 67 Dairy Queen Franchises in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
There was a local businessman named Ted Drewes, who used to produce frozen custard as a dessert item. And Temperato took that idea inside him and thought to utilize it to make something different.
Therefore, he added cookies and chocolates to the frozen custard and named it blizzard.
Although the idea of the blizzard isn’t original, it’s still the most iconic item of DQ. And there’s a perfect example to prove how iconic and people loved food items it is.
In the first year after the introduction of this soft serve dessert, DQ sold more than 175 million of this particular dessert item.
How much are these blizzard dessert items?
Limited time treat items –
| Item name | Cost | Calorie (Mini, small, medium, large) |
| Reese’s take 5 treat | $4.53 | 430, 770, 1120, 1510 kcal |
| Girls scout thin mints treat | $5.51 | 370, 660, 900, 1170 kcal |
| OREO dirt pie treat | $5.55 | 460, 810, 1140, 1520 kcal |
| Caramel fudge cheesecake treat | $5.68 | 370, 660, 930, 1240 kcal |
| Drumstick with peanuts treat | $5.62 | 400, 690, 1030, 1380 kcal |
| Cotton candy treat | $4.26 | 390, 610, 870, 1150 kcal |
| Very cherry chip | $5.44 | 320, 550, 730, 920 kcal |
Here are the prices of the signature creations –
| Item name | Cost | Calorie (Mini, small, medium, large) |
| Chocolate chip cookie dough treat | $4.05 | 420, 710, 1030, 1340 kcal |
| Turtle pecan cluster treat | $4.01 | 400, 670, 900, 1310 kcal |
| Choco brownie extreme treat | $4.33 | 400, 620, 810, 1120 kcal |
Now, the following chart shows the menu of candy classics –
| Item name | Cost | Calorie (Mini, small, medium, large) |
| OREO cookie blizzard treat | $3.56 | 380, 620, 790, 1140 kcal |
| Reese’s peanut butter cup treat | $4.03 | 360, 570, 750, 1000 kcal |
| Butterfinger blizzard treat | $4.03 | 350, 520, 730, 970 kcal |
| M&M’S milk chocolate candies treat | $4.06 | 370, 630, 800, 1100 kcal |
| Heath blizzard treat | $4.06 | 370, 600, 860, 1150 kcal |
| Snickers blizzard | $4.01 | 350, 610, 800, 1060 kcal |
What about the royal blizzard treats?
| Item name | Cost | Calorie (Mini, small, medium, large) |
| Royal New York cheesecake | $4.81 | 450, 750, 1040, 1350 kcal |
| Royal ultimate choco brownie | $5.35 | N/A |
Source: https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/menu/treats/blizzard-treats/
Can you flip a blizzard upside down?
One popular trend before serving this soft frozen dessert is to check out the thickness by holding it upside down. Well, even though this idea was generated by Samuel Temperato, but not original again.
Once, some teenage customers demanded Ted Drewes provide thicker frozen custards. Drewes held the custard upside down to let them believe and prove how thick already the dessert item is.
Temperato thought that it was a great idea to show the thickness of the dessert to the customers and implanted it in his DQ blizzard item serving.
Even now, most franchises hold the serving item upside down before handing it to the customer. Also, many of them offer you a free blizzard in case the item is not held upside down first.
How expensive are the food items in DQ?
DQ basically offers six different combos when it comes to food items.
- MLB burgers and blizzard meals
- Burgers and sandwiches
- Chicken baskets
- Meal deals
- 2 for $5
- Snacks, sides, and salads.
Burgers and meals combo menu and price
| Item name | Cost | Calorie |
| Bacon two cheese deluxe burger and blizzard treat combo meal | $12.84 | 720 kcal |
| Flamethrower burger and blizzard treat meal | $13.02 | 720 kcal |
Burgers combo price
| Item name | Cost | Calorie |
| Two cheese deluxe signature stack burger | $10.44 (Double, 1/3 lb) $11.98 (Triple, ½ lb) | 620 kcal (Double) 820 kcal (Triple) |
| Bacon two cheese deluxe signature stack burger | $11.48 (Double, 1/3 lb) $12.84 (Triple, ½ lb) | 720 kcal (Double) 920 kcal (Triple) |
| Flamethrower signature stack burger | $11.80 (Double, 1/3 lb) $13.02 (Triple, ½ lb) | 720 kcal (Double) 910 kcal (Triple) |
| Loaded A.1. signature stack burger | $12.08 (Double, 1/3 lb) $13.52 (Triple, ½ lb) | 820 kcal (Double) 102 kcal (Triple) |
| Original Cheeseburger signature stack burger | $9.65 (Double, 1/3 lb) $11.09 (Triple, ½ lb) | N/A |
Chicken sandwich and combo packs
Cheeseburger combo items and price
Chicken basket menu and price
Meal deals and their price
| Item name | Cost | Calorie |
| 3-piece chicken strip meal deal | $7 | 1010 kcal |
| Original cheeseburger meal deal | $7 | N/A |
2 for $5 offer items price
| Item name | Cost | Calorie |
| Original cheeseburger | $4.18 | 400 kcal |
| Small sundae | $4 (2 items) | 240 kcal |
| Pretzel sticks with zesty Queso | $4 | 330 kcal |
| Regular fires | $4 (2 packs) | 280 kcal |
| Any size misty slush | $6.38 | N/A |
| Chili dog | $5 (2 pieces) | 360 kcal |
| Any size soft drink | $2.25 (Average) | N/A |
Snacks, sides, and salads menu and cost
Salad items –
| Item name | Cost | Calorie |
| Crispy chicken strips salad | $8.47 | N/A |
| Rotisserie-style chicken bites salad bowl | $8.38 | 320 kcal |
| Side Salad | $3.16 | 25 kcal |
Snacks and sides items –
| Item name | Cost | Calorie |
| Fries | $2.19 (Regular) $2.56 (Large) | 280 kcal (Regular) 450 kcal (Large) 170 kcal (Kids) |
| Onion rings | $2.69 (Regular) $3.42 (Large) | 360 kcal (Regular) 540 kcal (Large) |
| Pretzel sticks with zesty Queso | $3.48 | 330 kcal |
| Cheese curds | $3.29 (Regular) $4.34 (Large) | 500 kcal (Regular) 1000 kcal (Large) |
You can try out the cake items as well
A variety of sizes, designs, and tastes are available when you are searching for cakes in DQ. Here’s a short list below –
| Item name | Price |
| Blizzard cake | $23.60 |
| Standard celebration cake | $29.21 |
| 8-inch blizzard cake | $33.34 |
| 10-inch blizzard cake | $37.12 |
| Cupcake | $3.78 |
| OREO cheesecake | $3.92 |
| Strawberry Cheesecake | $4.08 |
| Caramel fudge cheesecake | $5.68 |
| Royal New York cheesecake | $4.81 |
| Summer berry cheesecake | $4.02 |
What about the kids’ meal items in DQ?
You can get a variety of items that will be enough for the meals of any kid. It’s good to know that the following list includes water bottles as well.
| Item name | Price |
| Kids’ hamburger | $5.56 |
| Kids’ cheeseburger | $6.24 |
| Kids’ chicken strips | $5.62 |
| Kids’ steak fingers | $5.58 |
| Kids’ hot dog | $5.25 |
| Bottled water | $2.21 |
What time does DQ close? (Opening and closing time)
Typically, most of the DQ branches close at 10 p.m. However, you can still find some of its branches opened till 11 p.m. in some big and popular states.
Meanwhile, the average opening time is 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. But on the weekends, the opening time might be extended to 12 p.m.
| Opening time (Except holidays) | 10 to 11 a.m. |
| Closing time (Except holidays) | 9 to 11 a.m. |
| Lunch hours (Except holidays) | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
The lunch hours may vary in different locations. So, you can call and make sure before heading towards the nearby store.
We’ve seen some guys asking that does any of the DQ branches remain open for 24 hours. To be honest, the answer is “no” any day.
Note: Both opening and closing times are subject to change depending on the location. (Inside and outside the USA)
What happens during the holidays?
One more important thing to know is the opening and closing times during any holiday.
- They keep the store open with reduced hours on some holidays.
- The stores remain close during some particular holidays.
Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, New Year’s Day, and Christmas Day are the holidays when DQ stores remain closed.
On the other hand, during the other holidays, most of the owners open their stores late and close early. However, it completely depends on the owner’s preference.
DQ stores near me
Now, let’s take a quick look at the opening and closing times of a few locations from 4,355 locations.
| Location | Opening time | Closing time |
| 1652 Central Ave, Colonie, NY 12204-4029 | 10.30 a.m. | 11 p.m. |
| 1975 Abbot Road, Anchorage, AK 99507-3448 | 11 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 11309 183rd Street, Cerritos, CA 90703-5434 | 11 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 2564 E Bridge St, Brighton, CO 80601 | 10 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 803 E Semoran BLVD, Apopka, FL 32703-5500 | 10.30 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 376 Oak St, Athens, GA 30601-3623 | 10.30 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| Windward Mall (O’AHU), Kaneohe, HI 96744-3786 | 10 a.m. | 8.30 p.m. |
| 115 W Commerce St, Brownstown, IN 47220-1903 | 6 a.m. | 10 a.m. |
| 122 Main St, Foxboro, MA 02035-1839 | 11 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 200 Market Place Blvd, Hamilton, NJ 08691-2105 | 11 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 810 S 2nd St, Coshocton, OH 43812-1916 | 11 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| VFSPG CTR, King of Prussia, PA 19406-2331 | 11 a.m. | 11 p.m. |
| 1100 S Lake DR, Lexington, SC 29073-8351 | 10 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 17657 Highway 6, Manvel, TX 77578-3747 | 10.30 a.m. | 11 p.m. |
| 777 S Main St, Cedar City, UT 84720-3557 | 10.30 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 807 E Parham Rd, Richmond, VA 23227-1107 | 9.30 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
| 115 7th St, Raymond, WA 98577-2517 | 10.30 a.m. | 10 p.m. |
Source: https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/locations/
Are DQ Blizzard real ice cream?
Nope, if you think the delicious soft-serve blizzard from DQ same as the ice cream, then you are wrong.
| DQ blizzard | Real ice-cream |
| 5% of butterfat | 10% of butterfat |
| Cookies and candies are used | No cookies or candies are used |
| Can be held upside down | Not held upside down |
According to FDA, there must be 10% butterfat included in the total element of ice cream. But DQ blizzards only have 5% butterfat in the ingredients.
Moreover, can you hold a cone of ice cream upside down? Basically, it’s not possible because the layer of ice cream doesn’t stand on the thicker side.
On the other hand, it’s a tradition in the DQ stores to hold any blizzard treat upside down before serving it to the customers. The reason behind doing this is only to assure the customer of a thick layer.
Moreover, these blizzards have cookies and candies inside, which are not the ingredients used in real ice cream.
Therefore, DQ blizzards are not real ice cream.
Evolution of the Dairy Queen logo
Throughout this long journey of 82 years, we’ve witnessed quite a few evolutions in the DQ logo. However, it’s a matter of interest what are designs and the motto behind these particular designs.
| Evolution of the logo | Duration |
| Simple stylized logo | 1940 to 1960 |
| Designed with red lips | 1960 to 2001 |
| Red lips and shortened name | 2001 to 2007 |
| Adding arch in the design | 2007 to present |
A simple stylized logo to start
The first logo o DQ was simply designed with a Sans-serif font in black color with white stripes in the center of each font. It was written in Dairy Queen, full form.
Although it was simple, it was still eye-catchy because of the bold design.
Introduction of red petal shape design
The upgraded logo changed the font color into white from black but kept the bold design. The name was spelled in full form here as well but was written using modern Sans-serif font.
Meanwhile, the significant change that makes it different from the previous logo is the red petal shape design on the background. It also resembles kissing lips because of the red color.
Shortening the name
The background of this logo was almost identical to the previous one with a slight change in the color tone. Now, it has a pinkish vibe that is commonly known as scarlet red.
Meanwhile, a noticeable change happened in the name. After these all years, the name was shortened to DQ from Dairy Queen. However, it was typed using white, bold, Sans-serif font.
Many of the users started using the DQ short name instead of the full name, which allowed the authority to make a noteworthy change in the logo design.
Adding an extra arch to the design
With a lot of similarities with the previous logo, the latest design still comes with some significant changes and additions.
The background scarlet red color is replaced by a bright red color. Moreover, “DQ” is written in italicized Serif font that is bold and white.
Meanwhile, there’s no space between D and Q. Also, two arched lines come as an addition to the logo. Orange arched line at the top and blue arched line at the bottom.
So, what’s the motto behind the latest DQ logo?
One of DQ’s mottos is, “Hot Eats, Cool Treats”. However, a few things are there to let you know the real meaning of the logo.
- The bright red background resembles petals and kissing lips.
- Both corners of the background show the end of the soft-serve cones.
- DQ is the short form of Dairy Queen.
- The orange arched line is for the hot foods more likely the fast foods.
- The blue arched line is for cold items like soft serve desserts.
Customers’ reviews
Without any doubt, DQ blizzards are one of the most fan-favorite items throughout the USA and outside too. Now, let’s know what the customers said when they are asked about the treats.
- Johan was delighted and said, “The OREO blizzard treat was so delicious that I couldn’t resist myself visiting the store the next again.”
- Mr. Jack was amazed to see the thickness. He said, “The store owner held the blizzard for quite a while and it thought it would definitely fall. But, no! It didn’t actually.”
- Maria told us, “My kids are really loving the hamburger and cheeseburger as their meal.”
- Scott said, “Whenever I was moving through the street, I always get off my car and took any combo pack. I enjoy the ride more with DQ combo pack treats.”
- Anthony was proudly saying, “Definitely, they have held the quality in their blizzard treats and food items from the very beginning. I’m really satisfied.”
