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Des Moines is home to many original ice cream shops. I went to four: Snookies, Outside Scoop, Over the Top and Dairy Zone. My mission when going to each establishment was to focus on the variety of menu options, the taste of the ice cream, the service provided and the atmosphere of the building.

Dairy Zone

Dairy Zone is a small shop located on the east side of Des Moines. The shop is identified easily with a large ice cream cone sign displayed in front of the store. This fast food and ice cream combo has been around for 31 years. 

When looking at the menu, the first thing I noticed is that they have a large list of what they call “Tornados,” their equivalent of Dairy Queen’s Blizzard. They also have slushies, frozen items, cones, sundaes, malts, shakes, toppings, banana splits and parfaits. The ice cream is served in a classic Coca-Cola soda cup and topped with desired toppings. 

I ordered a Monster Cookie Tornado, which is cookie dough ice cream topped with a drizzle of peanut butter and crushed M&M’s. Along with this, I ordered the Fudge Brownie Tornado, which is vanilla ice cream mixed with fresh brownie bits and a Cosmic Brownie on top that brought me straight back to my childhood. Overall, the ice cream was exceptionally smooth and creamy and had an even distribution of toppings mixed into every bite. I was full but couldn’t seem to stop myself from finishing my dish because of how delicious it was. 

The prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food that is given, and the employee who was working there was kind and quick, despite being one of only a few workers present. The location of this restaurant was interesting as it is situated on a busy street, which did not leave room for many parking options. There is no indoor dine-in seating available, making the drive-through line all the way out into the street. Despite this, the service went surprisingly quick. Overall, I would rate Dairy Zone 8/10.

Outside Scoop

Outside Scoop is a newer ice cream shop that opened two years ago in Ankeny. This shop is in a great location, surrounded by other up-and-coming stores for shopping and entertainment. It would be a perfect place to stop for a quick treat while shopping. There is outside seating leading to a charming patio covered by twinkling lights. When you walk indoors, the walls are different shades of pink accented with rows of ice cream pictures, a neon pink ice cream cone sign and an extra-large chalkboard wall that displays the menu in beautiful handwriting. 

Two of the glass displays contain classic ice cream flavors that you can find in almost any ice cream shop. The other two, however, were rotational flavors made by the owners. These rotational flavors were new to me such as strawberry lemonade, banana bread, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and even goat cheese with roasted cherries, which I was skeptical of. In total, there were 28 toppings to choose from and a large variety of shakes, malts and sundaes. They also have floats and Italian sodas, which I have yet to see at any other ice cream shop. 

My favorite aspect out of all the options, however, is the ice cream cookie sandwiches that are baked fresh daily and have a build your own option.

When ordering, I wanted to try one of the rotational flavors as well as a classic. I ended up getting a scoop of strawberry lemonade in one cone and a classic scoop of chocolate in a bowl. Both were absolutely amazing. While it was not super sweet, the flavor was crisp. Even without seeing the names, I would be able to identify them with ease. They had an almost whipped texture to them. The appearance of each was great, and I especially liked the cardboard bowls they used for the ice cream. The service was great too. The employee was patient with my indecisiveness and allowed many samples of the ice cream.

I loved the ambiance, every flavor I tried and the kind service. This is my new favorite ice cream stop, and I will definitely be back soon. Overall, I would rate this place 10/10.

Over The Top

Over the Top is an ice cream store in Pleasant Hill, right off Highway 163. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating along with a drive-through option. This is a local, family-owned and operated business that gets ingredients from local businesses. 

This store was the most COVID-conscious out of the four establishments I went to. They had a giant window between the customers and employees that still allowed the patrons to watch as their dessert was created. They also had a baby monitor outside of the door that employees used to inform customers if they were able to come in based on capacity limits, which I thought was rather clever.

They were awarded the 2018 Grand Master Ice Cream Maker award by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association, along with the National Award Winning Ice Cream in 2012 and 2015–2018. They have a large digital menu that has 33-plus homemade ice cream flavors, as well as milkshakes, malts, floats, smoothies, cones and bowls, sundaes and ice cream pizzas. They had a brownie crust topped with their homemade ice cream and 22 toppings to choose from. They also sell quarts, ice cream sandwiches and cakes to go. I ordered a scoop of “Over the Moon,” which was a combination of tutti frutti ice cream and gummy bears and a scoop of cake batter. Surprisingly, the bears were not frozen as I had seen in other places. The cake batter was exactly as I expected: delicious but nothing out of this world. I would also say the same about the consistency and taste, very thick and cold. Their ice cream was fairly typical.

One unique thing that this shop offers is a little scoop of another flavor on top of your ice cream. This allows the customer to taste another flavor without the commitment of getting a whole scoop. I liked how they put their cones in a cute spinning tray so there was no contact in the delivery—both COVID-friendly and adorable. I would come back if given the opportunity, but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to get it. I would rate my experience at Over the Top 7/10.

Snookies Malt Shop

Snookies Malt Shop is in Beaverdale on the corner of Beaver Avenue and 41st Street. This ice cream shop has been around since 1986 and is a cute retro shop that you can either order at the walk-up window or go through the drive-through. This place is always packed, but the line goes by fairly fast.

The menu offers shakes, malts, floats, freezes (an ice cream blend with a choice of 10 assorted flavors), slushies, sundaes, and arctic blasts (ice cream blended with a choice of 13 candy options). They also have plain, crunch, sour worm, or dipped cones. I loved the ambiance of this place; it made me feel like it was summertime, and everyone—workers and patrons—was so happy. The atmosphere was, in my opinion, the best part of coming here. 

I ordered their vanilla crunch cone and a hot fudge malt. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in the small amount of crunch they actually put on my cone. The sprinkles and sweet nuts I did find were good, but I wish they added twice as much. On the other hand, the malt I had was very good. The chocolate taste was not as overwhelming as some of the fudge treats. I personally would recommend their malts and shakes over their standard cones. I would rate this place 6.5/10.