 This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only. |
Not even sunset slows business for DQ on hot days! 
The Dairy Queen has one of the coolest roofs in Davis—a handsome wooden "W", inside and out 
No more "DQ" Sign as of 10 May 2013
| Location |
| 909 5th Street |
| right next to the tracks |
| Owner |
| Shahid Iqbal |
| Hours |
| Mon-Sat 11:00AM-9:00PM |
| Sun 12:00PM-8:00PM |
| Phone |
| (530)756-0243 |
| Web site |
| http://dairyqueen.com |
Davis' tribute to the Midwest — the local Dairy Queen — offers the usual DQ arsenal, including Frozen Drinks and frightening meat products. Dairy Queen was started by the guy who invented soft serve ice cream. Technically, all soft serve ice cream is named "Dairy Queen" (by the inventor), and the chain of restaurants is named after the product.
According to Wendy Weitzel's "Comings and Goings" column:
Dairy Queen, one of Davis' longest-lived fast-food restaurants, will likely close in October 2012. Owner Shahid Iqbal said the franchise wants him to make more that $50,000 in cosmetic and accessibility improvements to the building, which he can’t afford.
In October 2012, the company gave the Davis Dairy Queen store a six-month extension on more than $50,000 in cosmetic and accessibility improvements required for the site. The owner is working with the landlord to try to meet the standards set by the Americans with Disability Act.
In March 2013, the company gave Davis Dairy Queen a second extension "through the warm months." In May 2013, it separated from Dairy Queen and was renamed to "Davis Burgers & Shakes", or as it was unofficially known, "Dairy Thing."
The store closed at the end of July 2013, its hollowed remains left to fester into urban blight.
In other words, no more licks for you.
At the Davis Dairy Queen, you can order your choice of hamburger halal. Halal meat is the Islamic equivalent of Kosher meat. Be sure to specifically ask for halal meat as it is only available upon request. Things halal can also be found at Red Sea Food Market and Halal Meat, Shah's Halal Food and previously at Norm's Pizza.
Dairy Queen was one of the first fast food chain restaurants to come to Davis. It has outlasted its earliest competitors, namely Sno-White and an A&W Drive-in.
As of 10 May 2013, all Dairy Queen branding has been removed. All of the same items are still served, only with generic names. For example, "Blizzards" are now "Snow Storms." The restaraunt has yet to rename itself after this, making it "The Eatery Formerly Known as Dairy Queen." Unless that would also void some sort of legal contract, in which case you can safely refer to it as whatever the marquee currently displays.
As of 2015, the Dairy Queen building is being completely rebuilt into an architect's office. The iconic wavy roof has been preserved, however.
- Gotta love ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt on a hot Summer day!
The dessert stuff tends to be good, whereas the food (hamburgers, fries, etc) tends to be bad. Really bad. As in "cooked by a guy who normally sells ice cream" bad. — jw
- I signed up to DavisWiki (after a couple of months of really enjoying using it) just to defend Dairy Queen. The Blizzards are the best dessert going, and if you're looking for fast food, you can't beat their fries, onion rings and chicken strips. This from someone who hates fast food. This is a guilty (very guilty. Almost to the level of flagellation) pleasure. I haven't tried the burgers though. Maybe they really suck.—ClaireStJohn
- 2005-12-06 15:43:16 Viva la dairy queen! love the chicken strip basket with those waffle fries —DudeNude
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2006-05-31 22:52:38 Yeah I would like to disagree with the first statement as well — I had kind of assumed their food was "cooked by a guy who normally sells icecream bad" but I was enticed by a two for one coupon and discovered that actually in fact their fast food is among the best fast food in town (short of In-N-Out of course) ... in particular their chicken strips are by far better than other fast food chicken strip sources, and I'm a connoisseur of chicken strips. —KrisFricke
- I just went to a different Dairy Queen and it was fairly good (i.e., typical fast food). Maybe it was a bad visit or there's one guy there who makes mashed, sloppy burgers. Yesterday's fries (from a different location) were much better than the ones I got here. And I've always liked their Blizzards... I have never had anything bad to say about their ice cream. — jw
2006-01-31 22:00:19 My friends won't go to Dairy Queen. Apparently being ghetto is out. —SS
2006-05-11 12:34:19 They don't tell you this, but they charge $0.50 to use a credit card. It doesnt make a huge difference, but if you are getting something small it adds up.—JoePomidor
2006-11-08 21:03:14 i like their soft serve cones. the man that works there is really nice. —AnnThiNguyen
2006-12-28 23:49:11 Damn bastard charged me extra for using my credit card. He didn't let me know. —JohnWong
2007-01-27 22:55:15 should i be worried...$.79 corndogs?!? i drove be the other day and was tempted by their offer but had to pass because of later health implications —EmilyTung
2007-03-26 11:34:53 My roommate decided to go here for dinner yesterday. We both ordered a number one (bacon cheddar burger). We both came to the conclusion that their food (the burgers, at least) was pathetic. Really pathetic. The meat was very overcooked and dry. A measly pickle was slapped on top with a little bit of ketchup and mustard. The cheese looked like plastic. My soda was 85% ice (luckily they don't charge for a refill). For 6 dollars, I could have gotten a better burger elsewhere. —StudentRuby
2007-06-05 00:11:19 I agree with the negative comments above... this DQ is in serious need of some new management. I ordered a basket of fries once, which was actually kinda expensive here, and let me tell you...Ive had better fries that were frozen. Steer clear of the food here. Its like buying a 99cent heart attack. —christyspencer
2007-07-19 18:51:16 Thank you come again —dickjones
2007-07-22 13:43:20 The desserts are pretty good like the Blizzards but I agree with everyone that the food is terrible. I think it depends on the time of day though. The lady there usually cooks all the food fresh but if the husband is there alone he warms up the food via the microwave (usually at night). Last time I went for a burger all I heard was a *ding* and my burger was done. —BrandonToo
2007-08-09 11:09:41 If you buy a blizzard today, they will donate all the proceeds to the Children's Miracle Network. —EmmyMelton
2007-12-18 14:41:49 I have a sensitive stomach, but I've never had any problems with the dairy queen burgers. Granted, I only ever eat the #5 (crispy chicken) and fries, but it's deliciously fattening! The fries are really good. And the place is never busy. —Kiran
2008-01-27 20:14:49 I go here when I feel sinful and leave feeling sick. —GregWebb
2008-04-17 10:41:58 How long has DQ been here? The building is awesome, it looks like one of the oldest in town. —WilliamBeamish
2008-05-16 19:52:07 Huh... so many nasty comments... I have been there many times—NO COMPLAIN AT ALL. My family and I love this place. I think this place is the best fast food that I have tried. The owner is really nice, too—really. We never got sick and the ice cream is really good, too.
A lot of people complain about charging 50 cents by credit card. Why don't you complain a restaurant in Davis who taking tips by credit card by the owner, don't you hear about that news???
For me, no complain at all for Dairy Queen. —JK
2008-06-18 15:48:29 I wasn't complaining about the fact that they charge extra for a credit card, I was simply warning that they don't let you know they are doing it. I would respond to the rest of your statement, but I don't exactly know what you were trying to say. —JoePomidor
2008-06-29 11:26:40 Customer service was just too unfriendly for me, I won't be back unless management changes or learns to smile. —Adaleen
2008-10-11 22:31:12 I have to agree with the above comment... the service was frigid. Even my parents noticed when I brought them in today. It's like the guy is upset to be serving you. Can't even crack a smile. Oh well, I'll still keep coming here though.
2010-07-02 13:17:39 I'm definitely a fan of dairy queen, a lover of blizzards and chocolate dipped cones. I went to this Dairy queen about a year ago, I guess I never wrote up on it because my mind was trying to block the experience to protect my sanity.
I ordered a small vanilla cone and some fries. the soft serve was runny, but it wasn't the worst. the fries were sufficiently hot and salty. so far so good. My girlfriend decided she wanted a blizzard, which I wholeheartedly supported since they're... amazing. She ordered a cookie dough (great choice) and after paying we watched the guy throw a scoop of cookie dough and a shot of chocolate syrup into a cup of vanilla soft serve. What happens next betrays blizzards and dairy queens everywhere. He throws it on the blizzard whipping stick thing for all of 5 seconds, doesn't flip the cup before handing it to my girlfriend, and she is left eating a cup of vanilla ice cream with a column of chocolate syrup and cookie dough chunks down the middle. disappointment was had, tears were shed softly into pillows alone that night.
when i saw that blizzard, a part of me died that day. And because of that I have not returned. —EugeneB
2010-11-08 15:15:57 This guy loves to jack up the prices. At the moment the chicken basket is advertised on the sign and on the windows as $3.99, but once you enter the store the item starts at $5.99. —KittenLover
I have spoken to other people who have had this experience, food is advertised at one price and you are charged another. —DagonJones
2011-03-03 15:34:06 I have had mostly positive experiences at this Dairy Queen. I only go to get blizzards. They did mess up my blizzard once by putting chocolate chunks in it instead of cookie dough and once I brought it to their attention the employee thoroughly examined it as if I were lying and then begrudgingly added some cookie dough. It would have been nice if she had made me a new one because I did not want the chocolate chunks but I wasn't going to argue over chocolate chunks. The owner is a bit nicer than the other employees but as long as I get my blizzard without confrontation I'm pretty happy. —LoriOrf
2011-06-26 13:23:39 I find it odd that there are so many complaints on here... I went to this Dairy Queens with my family two weeks ago, and my experience was quite exceptional, in the good way. The two men who served us were absolutely amazing; my dad even had a nice chat with one of them (manager, maybe?). He does NOT usually talk to non-Chinese people, rofl. This man was from Pakistan, yet my dad, the ultimate racist, befriended him in one trip. As for the food, we got dipped soft serve cones, which really now people, are what Dairy Queen's is all about, not the burgers used to add "variety" to the restaurant :P ... as well as a banana split. Classic Dairy Queens. I found no problem with any of it. :] Also, the restaurant was very neat and clean. Good service, good desserts. What more do you want? Oh, and the banana split was advertised for roughly 3 dollars, though it was 4 on the menu, and we were charged the advertised price ($3). Perfect visit :] No complaints. —KimberlyKitHom
2011-06-26 14:47:14 Careful when using credit cards here. Last time I visited I noticed they print the whole credit card number on both receipts (one for the store as well as the customer's receipt). —EricaMacGregor
2012-02-04 16:13:57 I really like their grillburgers! They take a while to make (longer than average fast food) but I think that probably what makes them good! —Babhari
2012-07-06 15:59:18 I haven't been there in about 25 years, but I hope Dairy Queen never goes away. The great thing is, it doesn't look any different than it did "back in the day"... there are so few businesses left unaltered from this era this in Davis (cheesy late 60's/early 70's look and feel), it's hard not be nostalgic. —OldDavis73
2012-09-21 00:50:32 I'm saddened by their likely closure. The place will remain a fixture in my mind. I remember the same two guys working there about 10 years ago. My friend used to live in the apartment building next door and we used to hang out at DQ all the time. I can tell they've been struggling in the last few years, especially with image-conscious Davis students preferring to tag along with the yogurt fad, thinking that DQ is trashy. Oh well. —ScottMeehleib
2012-10-03 21:11:34 Crap, just heard about their imminent closure. Got to go here one last time. I remember going all the time as kids. There's was this time when my dad got really PO'd that the person behind the counter couldn't understand what we were trying to order. I'm pretty sure we didn't go back for a good year after that.
Still, sad to see it going. I kind of like the architecture of the place, and eating next to the train tracks is actually kind of fun. —CecilioPadilla
2013-05-08 22:46:54 Went there today for a blizzard and noticed that all Dairy Queen branding had been taken down, and generic cups were being used. Appears that the Dairy Queen isn't actually a Dairy Queen any more. —thebluereverend
2013-05-08 23:16:59 My wife noticed the same thing last week. It appears to be a generic burger and soft serve joint now... —DavidGrundler
2013-07-13 20:28:50 to add to the couple of comments above - I went there today and noticed the same things. They no longer serve "Blizzards"...now they call them "Snow Storms." Food menu is different and generic now as well. —Woody7
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