Portion sizes are HUGE. I usually get a small or kids cone and it's hard to finish. SS staple for sure. It looks a little run down, but it's delicious. Creamy and smooth. Lots of different flavors to choose from. There is a few tables outside. read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I have always loved coming here growing up the best ice cream and shakes. They do take a few minutes to make your desserts but worth it!!

Just got some ice cream and found a hair embedded in my first scoop. Not cool, would not recommend! read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Cone half eaten with hair revealed. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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All that really matters is that the custard was fantastic! Really good size portion at a good price.

After having an awesome dinner near downtown on a recent trip into DSM, I was craving some ice cream but found this custard place instead since I'd have better luck finding something containing bananas. I went through the drive thru since they don't have indoor seating and it was a cool evening outside anyway. Also, I didn't want to sit outdoors in their seating area at dark. The menu has all the classic offerings of a typical custard place. I ended up choosing a banana peanut butter malt to take back to my hotel. This malt was thick and did not have a strong malty flavor, which is fine. What it did have was freshly sliced bananas and frozen peanut butter chunks and was very delicious. I was only able to finish 75% of it, so a small (16oz) was plenty large enough. read more

Not fresh, fill of ice crystals. Don't recommend. Culver's has better frozen custard.

Best place for fresh made custard. This is a must stop. They have amazing customer service and custard. Plus they even gave our dog a pup up. Love this. read more

We stop by here for a treat once in a while when we are out running errands. They give HUGE portions, and have a good selection of toppings. I like their classic chocolate malts, or sometimes get a strawberry and hot fudge sundae. My husband usually gets a twister with cookie dough and candy pieces mixed in. I do feel like when you get a sundae, the ice cream to topping ratio kind of sucks though. There is a huge portion of ice cream but a normal amount of topping so after you eat around the edges you end up with a bowl of just ice cream left. read more

Tasty ice cream but... The place looks deserted or in an advanced state of decay. Get a new sign, some paint, and some lights. They have a drive thru, which means you can stay in the car...with the doors locked. It's nice to enjoy ice cream next to 14th street, the smell of exhaust and traffic noise make you forget all about that crappy day you spent at work. Nothing better than avoiding contact with vagrants for safety sake. The ice cream is made here, and it's pretty good. It's not typical soft serve. When people do burn outs at the Watrous intersection is it wrong to hope they wreck? Are all the muffler places closed or what? read more

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Yummy every time. Last time I went there through the drive through with my dog they gave her her own.

My husband is born and raised on the south side so this is his favorite frozen custard place. Service is a bit slow, but it is completely worth the wait! Delicious and perfectly blended every time with different specials regularly read more

Wanna get frozen custard devirginized the best way possible? Get driving because here, I got my first and will never forget it. Hard, it was so hard to decide which flavor to get. Ultimately we went for the Cookies & Cream and man, it was so thick it made the plastic spoon bend when I tried to scoop it! One scoop $2.74 is literally like 2 giant scoops. They are so generous with it it's worth sharing that one scoop. I would advice trying more than one flavor. The young person at the window was a bit rude and in a bad mood. That kind of dampened the experience but thankfully the custard made me forget all about it. read more

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First time ever going to this place. Portions are HUGE and delicious! Fast service! You definitely need to check it out if you're in the area! read more

I'm glad it has Class otherwise it'd just be Sick Custard, and nobody wants Sick Custard. Or Sic Custerd, which is, well, obviusly named aftar it's speling misteaks. Or indeed, Sarcastic Custard, which is custard that says things like "oh yeah this is REALLY going to help you lose weight, genius." Custard is much better than Ice Cream. When I'm in Milwaukee I'm in Custard Heaven but there are a lot of other great custard places around the country, and Des Moines has one. It's right here at delicious, dreamy Classic Custard - definitely the best of its kind I've found in the state of Iowa, and worthy of being in Wisconsin. It's one of the truly great custard shops all across the Midwest. Absolutely delicious creamy thick vanilla custard product that is easily the best ice cream dessert I've had in the Des Moines Area. They're cheap and extremely underrated and I will definitely come back whenever I'm in this really awesome city. And those custards aren't yours! Des Moines! read more

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This place has the best frozen custard, hands down, in Des Moines! They always have dozens of flavors, all freshly made. I love this place!

I really like this place. They have several flavors that vary from visit to visit. They give you a heaping serving for a very reasonable price, which is hard to find nowadays. The workers are really nice. The custard is creamy, high quality, and tasty. We live in Omaha but go to Iowa state games in Ames a couple times a year and we always go out of the way to stop at classic frozen custard. I wish we had one in Omaha! read more

Big portions of ice cream, a good amount of options for you to pick from, service is decent.

While visiting a friend in DSM, she recommended Classic Frozen Custard after the dog park. I've had my share of frozen custard, and this by far was one of the Top 3. I had a double bowl of chocolate. They were definitely NOT shy with the proportions. It was cold, creamy, and delicious! Don't let the worn facade fool you. I'm going back again on my next visit. Don't miss out!!! read more

The building is a bit run down, but the custard is still quite nice. What's frozen custard about? Well, here in the US it's actually up to the FDA to define. Here's my summary of the differences. Ice Cream: The product must contain at least 10 percent fat. Frozen Custard: Same, but it has more than 1.4 percent pasteurized egg yolks. And this can also encompass French ice cream or French custard ice cream. Gelato: (Italian for "frozen") A more dense product due to less air whipped into it as it churns. Gelato typically has less fat than ice cream as it is quite often milk based rather than cream based and may have little or no egg yolks. Fro-yo: This product usually has 3 to 6 percent fat. As it's not an FDA regulated title, some specific products do push it up to even 12. Ice Milk: Tends to be rather hard and contains less than 10 percent fat. It's often now labeled as "low fat ice cream". It often contains extra chemicals to mimic the feel of higher fat ice cream. Sorbet: Can be made of most anything and often has no dairy or egg products. Textures may vary based on what is used to make the product and freezing cycle. Sherbet: Must contain between 1 and 2 percent fat. Hopefully this explains the draw to Frozen Custard. The higher fat content combined with the egg yolks provide a rich, creamy texture that's hard to beat. This location has a great selection of flavors, but a few of them feel a little less custard-y and more like something else. Over all it's pretty great and we enjoy popping in from time to time to enjoy a frozen custard here. read more

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Maybe I went on an off day..but even so, the uncleanliness and unprofessionalism just took any possibility of returning away. From first walk up, all you get is a strong smell of cigarette smoke from inside. The staff were just goofing off and there was no hand washing, masks, or gloves worn. I ordered birthday cake and it was alright. Wasnt good nor bad. Maybe its not the best flavor of theirs and the others are better...not sure. Was really hoping to like this place but I am a bit too disgusted by lack of hygiene and sanitation protocol to return. read more

I never have any complaints about this place. This was my go-to custard shop before I even knew the difference between custard, ice cream, and frozen yogurt. Seriously, I've been going here for over twenty plus years. They are a Southside staple and I hope they don't ever leave. It's a simple shop. You drive up, get out and order from the walk-up window or just do drive-thru. The menus are next to the windows and they are always changing their flavors of the day. You read that right, FLAVORS. Plural. None of that just vanilla, chocolate, or twist only nonsense. You have those three flavors plus ten other flavors to choose from on the daily. You can do scoops, sundaes, shakes, malts, banana splits or sodas. One of my favorites is the Caramel Cashew Nut. They are all tasty though. Definitely give them a try! read more

Classic Frozen Custard - The storefront... love this place! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

They made a custom order for my husband without dairy was awesome and the flavors are amazing

Best ice cream in des moines, ridiculously large portions and good prices. Must try if you are in the DSM area.

This is the best ice cream (frozen custard) in all of Des Moines!! We love going here for every celebration.

This is one of my all-time favorite places to get dessert in the metro. The service is always iffy when the young staff is working. Today was no different. One of the workers picked up the phone while running our credit card, disrupting the transaction. It's always something I swear. It's just not speedy service. The turtle sundae is amazing and the twisters are thick and delicious. I wish they had Butterfinger as a topping but they don't. I've never had the flavored custard but I'm sure it's great. Definitely stop by, but just be prepared to be overwhelmed by the south side whenever you visit. read more

These treats are outstanding and the price is great for the size portion you get. Some great frozen treats with some great flavors. Only recommendation is to have a seat and enjoy it outside on their patio area. The treats melt quite quickly. The drive through is convenient, but again I wouldn't recommend driving and trying to hold a cone. Site looks a bit aged, but the food more than worth it. RECOMMENDED! read more

You can never go wrong with a cookies and cream waffle cone from here! It is the best cookies and cream to date that I've ever had and nothing touches it! I always leave with extra quarts to take home from here. They are always popping with customers as this place is a hidden gem in Des Moines. If you are looking for ice cream, go here instead of Dairy Queen! read more

Food tastiness: 5 stars Very creamy custard with bold flavor. Cookies and cream was full of cookie bites. If you want real banana make sure you ask for it, or else it will be banana flavoring. Wait time: 1 star Takes a LONG time, even with only 2-3 people in front of you. Cleanliness: 3 stars Needs a REAL good cleaning. Updates are absolutely necessary, very worn down and you can tell. Price: 3 stars Much higher than other local ice cream shops. read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Strawberry and banana sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Very expensive! Not worth what you have to pay. Paid $7 for a medium banana shake..and it wasn't even that good

Frozen custard is always a go to for icecream. I highly recommend the cookies and cream.

Ok, ok I have to admit. The place looked sketch, but... $2.97. That's how much I spent and what did I get? A TOWER of FROZEN CUSTARD... with a cone on top :) I actually asked for a junior size at first ($1.90ish?) but I couldn't decide what flavor to get so I bought the next size up so I could get 2 flavors! bad idea... SO MUCH GOODNESS. I really liked how the frozen custard was not as creamy as soft serve, but not as hard as normal ice cream. Sooo.... I got maple walnut and hazelnut. They were both delish! I really love how they have chunks of nuts in them. It was way worth it. I gobbled last bit of it! They had my custard ready in a jiffy! The longest part was deciding which flavor to get! There were too many yum yum choices! read more

A classic old school Custard stand. It's a hidden gem in Des Moines and doesn't have a fancy outside facade but it predates all the other custard type places around including Culver's. it does not have 20 candy choices that you may think is what an ice cream place is all about where you get to pick candy to have with your ice cream. This place is about the ice cream custard. I've been here so many times and usually I have no problem going there and getting in and out. it's right off of Southeast 14th Street and it's well worth the trip from anywhere in Des Moines really anywhere in the greater Des Moines area. It has enough parking so If you have kids or if you want to go on a little nostalgia thing or if you just love good custard check it out. Many times I order the lemon, but I've had strawberry, cookies and cream, chocolate and even vanilla and have never been disappointed. I'm a person of a certain age so quite frankly I usually get a junior cup and it's well worth it for me and they usually put enough in there that you couldn't ask for more. It's just so smooth rich and creamy. read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Front facade of classic Frozen Custard - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Best Frozen Treat in Des Moines! This frozen custard is better that any other place in Des Moines, by my account. Everyone I've taken here raves about how good it is. So the outside is a little rough and could use some sprucing up, but who the heck cares when this creamy, frozen goodness is inside. My favorite go to is the cookies and cream, which is a standard, however I've never had anything that I didn't like from this place. When you go there, have patience. It's a popular place and when the weather is warm they get really busy. But it's so worth the wait and they usually take care of customers pretty quickly. Give it a try. It's delish! read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Cookies and cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Okay, so as a kid growing up on the east side, going out for Ice Cream was an indulgence my parents couldnt afford, so I used to envy kids and their families enjoying their frozen custard everytime we would pass Classic Frozen Custard with signature giant ice cream cone on SE 14th when we had to go to Target or Southridge mall. As an adult, sadly I only decided to finally try CFC during my last 2 months before leaving Des Moines for California. The frozen custard is soo thick and dense and the flavors are absolutely delicious!!! My favorite flavors are Lemon and Carmel Cashew. If you grew up on the east or southside and find yourself craving a little flashback of your childhood, CFC will definitely trigger some massive nostalgia - this place has not changed one bit!!!! I like that when its late and dark out, I have the option to stay in my car and order via drive thru. Also, they do accept credit cards here, so at least their payment methods are up to date! read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Lemon Custard + Caramel Cashew. My favorites! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This ice cream is so delicious... it reminds me of home... it brings me a tear to my eye every time I think about how delicious it is. It brings up childhood memories and I'm so glad it's still around. Never go out of business #myloveforever read more

One of those south side staples. I've been coming to this place for years and I remember it being here as far back as I can recall as a child. It's basically a landmark for south side Des Moines. Great frozen custard! They have delicious flavors of the week. Come here and support local! read more

Was my first time trying Frozen Custard and the person at the window was super helpful giving me the 411 on what it is and recommendation for ordering. Ended up getting the cookies and cream flavor "one scoop" which is really closer to 2 or 3 but hey, that's IOWA. A little bigger scoop, you'll be fine. The outdoor area had about 2 large sharing tables, and you can watch the cars go by. GRAB NAPKINS if you will be sitting outside because well...Iowa flies like custard just as much as you do and will not be afraid to take some of yours. Not crowded at all unlike other shops and there is plenty of parking. Enjoyed myself! read more

Not much to add to others reviews, this place is GOOD. Come hungry OR just order a small and split..... the portions are huge. My personal favorite is the turtle! read more

Classic Frozen Custard - Small turtle sundae. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place have really good ice cream the premium strawberry was good.but they got to update the outside

First of all, for the guy who complained about then not being open all year. There is a location in Altoona right across from the Adventureland Inn that is open all year around. (edit: the Altoona location has since closed) Second. Perfect. I love old fashioned frozen custard. I have been to a bunch of places that serve it around the midwest. This is the best. Period. You get a lot for your money. A lot of custard, a lot of flavor. Go there ... now. read more