Hands down best soft serve I have ever had. I never would have thought I'd find it in a small town…read morein Iowa. I would compare this creamy soft serve to Dairy Queen, except even better! They also have the best cookie ice cream sandwich I've ever had. Thelma's cookie sandwiches blew my mind. There was inside and patio seating available. The inside is very cute and quaint and there are sooooo many options to choose from. The drive through was also very convenient for small orders. This place is ran by high schoolers, so have patience. They did mess my order up a couple times, but the ice cream is so worth it. I wish I was from the area because I would literally come here every day if I could.

As always.... Decadent deliciousness! I love the selection of flavors…read more It is a clean shop and easy on street parking.

Our family loves Al's dairy freeze and we especially enjoy going through the drive thru. Service is…read morealways great the staff is friendly and they are fast. Ambiance seems like it's chill inside we just have yet to go in. My favorite so far is the dole whip twist. I love their vanilla ice cream. I'm normally a chocolate ice cream lover because I'm picky about my vanilla. Al's tastes so good and homemade. Definitely recommend to go indulge yourself in an ice cream dessert from Al's.

I give one chance and you blew it. I asked if you had a military discount and she said no. So I…read morewill never be back.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $7 05/01/2026 While this place was closed the last time we drove through, I vowed to stop on the next trip and we got our chance to enjoy a stop with our grandson and his parents last night. It enjoys a great location on a corner next to a park and has a modern, clean look inside and out. We enjoyed several types of ice cream, but my wife and I shared a Comet (Blizzard) with Salted Caramel Ice Cream and Heath candy mix-in (see picture). It was a great combination that we would highly recommend and would order again! If you are in (or driving through) Polk City, this is a must-stop to enjoy some great ice cream! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Cute simple shop kinda warm inside but the yummy ice cream made up for it. The staff was efficient…read moreand moved quickly through the long lines.

A LOCAL GEM!! On a recent trip home, I simply HAD to stop for Van Dee's. It brings back so many…read morememories going to school just a few blocks away and coming over after school or games for a treat! Important: they only take cash. I've been burned by this in the past - come prepared! I just love the vibe of the shop, the way it's decorated, the staff are friendly, and the ice cream is great. My go to is plain vanilla soft serve in a cup with Krunch Kote! It's a peanut butter flavored crunchy topping that I have dreams about. The googly eyes they put on everything is so iconic! A Johnston staple I hope is around for many years to come :)

The fact that they don't take cards sucks, but the ice cream was good! Not remarkable, just good.read more

On the surface it looks like it would alright at the bare minimum, but it's actually just a tacky…read morerestaurant trying to come off as modern and preppy. Kiosks asked for my phone number and/or email 3+ times, the bathrooms were not well put together at all, it took 15 minutes for them to put together a couple small ice creams that cost me TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. They were painfully MIIIIIIIIID. Service members didn't even acknowledge me either. Do not recommend at all, stay away.

Decent boba shop by Drake University. They are currently doing "takeout only", but there's three…read moresmall tables inside to wait for your drink. If you are ordering with credit card, there's self service kiosks now! There is a cashier available too if you're paying by cash. + Ube Latte: This was just okay. The ube paste was very grainy and the drink was overall kind of bland. The egg pudding was also pretty basic and did not have a strong egg flavor or sweetness to it. + G Dragon: Fresh red grapefruit slices and dragonfruit bits! The green tea is fragrant too. Pretty good at 0% sugar even!

Shaking Boba takes the GOLD for boba! Been to so many local…read moreboba cafes in Des Moines but Shaking Boba does it the best. I appreciate the different milk options for the milk teas. Very accommodating and food allergy safe cafe. We love all their milk and fruit teas with boba. And they have NEVER run out of boba when we've visited. Even at the end of the night right before closing. That speaks VOLUMES of their management. They have even served us 10 minutes before closing with my phone order to cure my boba addiction. Service is always friendly. The owner, Paray, is there sometimes and she makes our visits so pleasant. Cafe is easy to find on University, plenty of parking, and shop is always clean. Super cute decor with egg seats and booths. Seasonal decorations make this cafe super fun to visit all year long. I love how Shaking Boba loves their community. Sometimes they host special events. Highly recommend!! Don't go anywhere but Shaking Boba!!

I've ordered here multiple times before I moved out of Iowa but it's so good. I usually order the…read moremango bubble tea. It has a yogurt mango taste but it's not too sour the way yogurt is. It's tart and flavorful. It may be too sweet for some but you can adjust the sweetness percentage! The atmosphere is like a candy shop when you walk in. You can't really see the workers because there's a massive wall blocking you from them but they have a self ordering station at that wall. So if you're an introvert or would prefer not to talk to anyone this is a good place to get boba!

The end of the season is fast approaching…read more We stopped by for dessert. The crowd was all happy and enjoying the lovely weather while waiting for their orders. Everyone inside Snookies was buzzing around the inside. The interior was extended to house all the goodies and options. Ordered a small chocolate malt and hubby got a large marshmallow malt. They were both fantastic. We got our orders and headed back to the car while the crowd continued to grow. Love this place forever.

We stopped by on a Thursday evening and there was a line for both drive-thru and walk-up windows…read more We ordered one mango flavored Dole whip and one medium cup with twisted soft serve and crunch topping. Both items were very lacking in flavor. In fact, the chocolate for the twisted looked more like vanilla. The crunch topping, a crushed peanut brittle with sprinkles, was good though.

I've been coming here for a while now and they do not disappoint. The drinks are refreshing and…read moreclearly made with fresh fruits, as advertised. I've also had their sushi and desserts. Their sushi is fresh and made with quality ingredients- dare I say, better than some sushi restaurants in the DSM metro. Their service does take a while but that's because the owners are the only ones working. Buthey have tables and comfy chairs for waiting. If you don't have the time to wait, order ahead of time. My favorite drink on the menu is their Mango Sweet Dew. I'm still exploring their fruit teas, but you won't be disappointed.

3 Bears Tea has a charming, cozy vibe -- perfect for catching up with friends over drinks. But what…read morereally sets it apart is the quality: hands down, this is the best bubble tea spot in Des Moines right now. They use real fruit, let you customize sugar levels, and the flavors are fresh and well-balanced -- not just overly sweet or powdery like so many others. I really hope they keep it up. Des Moines has had its share of disappointing bubble tea, and this place is a much-needed change.