Dairy Queen Brazier

Worth going to, if you don't mind the hours.

They sure do take pride in their work and enjoy a good conversation. This is what customer service is about--no tired rhetoric or product-howling or referrals; just simple service.

Chocolate covered cherry blizzard.

This Dairy Queen has a lot of history behind it. It was the first Dairy Queen in Springfield (and one of the first handful in the entire nation), and when it was at its original location it was the franchise where John Ashcroft got his first job. There is a newspaper article about it posted inside the store; the franchise subsequently donated an ice cream freezer to the governor's mansion.

This DQ is still run by the family of the man who founded it, back in the '40s. It is fairly small, and if there is one problem with it is that it keeps slightly odd hours--open Monday through Friday only, closing at 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 p.m. Friday. Not open on the weekends at all.

But during the hours it is open, it is one of the best DQs in town. The staff is very friendly, and will go the extra mile for you. And they have been in the business long enough that they know how to make just about everything, and make it better than other DQs. For example, they are the only DQ I have found who is able to make a good Frozen Hot Chocolate, an item that hasn't been on the actual DQ menu in years but is nonetheless quite good.