Classic Frozen Custard

Des Moines, United States

4.4

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 515-287-1194
Address:
4000 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA, 50320
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2.8 miDes Moines passenger depot
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wi-Fi
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Des Moines) 3:54 AM Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

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20 reviews of Classic Frozen Custard

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Place rating: 5
West Des Moines, IA
CFC is a south side tradition for sure. Today I decided to go since it was super hot and humid today and I was so excited to take the first bite!
I was super impressed with the amount of flavor selection. And I know most of the reviews on here state it is a run down place, it really isn’t bad at all. The inside looked clean and the gal behind the window was pleasant. I ordered a «Small» sundae with Birthday Cake batter custard and butterscotch custard with chocolate syrup on top. Unusual combination to most but it was sooooooo good!!! Super creamy not overwhelmingly rich, the bowl did not seem to melt into goop like Dairy Queen does.
They have such an amazing selection and great prices. Make sure to come here!!!
Place rating: 5
West Des Moines, IA
Love Classic — the flavors are fun, the custard is delicious, it’s well worth the drive over. You get a ton of custard for your $. I order the junior size and it’s more than enough. The only problem — I can’t eat as fast as my custard melts when it’s 100 degrees out. :-)
Place rating: 5
Des Moines, IA
I’ve been here a few times & tried the caramel cashew, lemon, cookies & cream, and turtle flavors. My favorite is the caramel cashew and my second favorite is the cookies & cream flavor. The lemon was sweeter than I expected & the turtle was way too sweet for me too. If you go here later in the night it gets really busy. Especially in the drive thru but if you come here around 6 it is not as bad. This is def my new to go ice cream place!
Place rating: 5
Des Moines, IA
I have been a Frozen Custards fan from day 1! No where compares! They’re smooth, creamy, flavorful– pretty much everything an authentic frozen custard should be. Not to mention they’re servings are HUGE! They also make malts and shakes in all different flavors. They’re specialty flavors change daily so be sure to tune into their Facebook or just give them a call to find out what they are. The coconut and the caramel cashew are my faves. They also have a drive– thru if you don’t want to get out of your car.
Place rating: 5
West Des Moines, IA
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!
Place rating: 4
Orange County, CA
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!
Place rating: 2
Charleston, IL
I’ve been here a few times. I really do not see what the hype is all about. I don’t think the frozen custard is THAT great, maybe it was the flavors I got but they all tested fake (especially the yellow cake batter ice cream, tasted like play dough). Also I think their portion/​price ratio is a bit outrageous especially if it’s just plain frozen custard in a cup. Ok service.
Place rating: 5
Omaha, NE
The peanut butter & chocolate is still my favorite! It was so cool to see how high the staff was able to get some of the multi scoops! I’ve seen them make their famous four and five scoop cones over a foot tall! The inside walls do need some attention (maybe a few murals would make it feel more inviting) it’s clean and bright but bare. Regardless, the prices are amazing for the quality and quantity! We haven’t found another frozen custard, yogurt, ice cream place that measures up with the taste of the Frozen Custard store but if we ever did I don’t believe they would compete with it’s value‼ It is great to find them in Altoona in addition to the ?? Don’t really know how many years-​decades the south side one has been in business. Surely your visit will be a memorable experience for all.
Place rating: 1
Des Moines, IA
Although the custard was great we were pretty grossed out when the kid mixing our shake poured it out of the silver mixing cup into our to go cup then proceeded to drink the rest of our shake in front of us. Although I’m sure this might be a common practice doing it in a glass enclosed building in front of the customer who bought the shake is not a good idea :(Don’t get me wrong it was good but considering I was the one paying for it I would’ve liked to have had first drink. All I have to say is I really hope they sanitize cups in between use — gross!!!
Place rating: 5
Des Moines, IA
Let me first say that my husband is an icecream snob. Not to throw him under the bus, but you might be too if you were from Chicago where they have Oberweis.
On his first visit (my second) he was blown away by this little custard joint. He said it was a close second to his beloved Oberweis. At risk of our ever tightening waistlines we have been back twice. The last time he said ‘who needs to go to Chicago when we have this place’?!
Their vanilla is amazing and the strawberry banana shake was ridiculous. Beware of the huge portions. I can barely finish a junior most of the time. But I’m a wimp.
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
When they say «Classic,» they aren’t kidding. This stuff is cheap and the place is old school. No really, I think the sign is actually falling apart. It’s super old.
Place rating: 5
Des Moines, IA
Holy custard! I thought I had some good custard until I tried this place! So freaking delicious! They have a good variety of flavors and treats to fuel your summer. I ordered the brownie sundae with chocolate custard and man that thing was huge, very rich and yummy! I recommend if you are in the area to check out this Southside gem!
Place rating: 1
Denver, CO
I ordered a regular tiramisu cone, but it tasted like vanilla. When I asked the cashier if it was right, she said «yeah, it should be coffee flavored». I said, «no, it’s more of an amaretto.» It was disgusting, she walked away even though it was obvious I found it dissatisfying… I took one lick and tossed it in their garbage. What a waste. Disgusting. Terrible service. Run down exterior. Really disappointed in their selection. Too bad.
Place rating: 5
Ames, IA
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.
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.
Place rating: 5
Ankeny, IA
Just go here and get something. You can thank me later. Two tips: 1.) Bring cash 2.) the «regular’ is generally big enough.
Place rating: 5
Ankeny, IA
I only got to try this place once and the only thing I am disappointed about is that they do not open year-​round. I ordered their Turtle ice cream and it was BIG and flavorful. I would come here more often if they were open year-​round.
Can’t wait to go back here!
Place rating: 5
Anita, IA
The place is older and run down, but the custard is great! I don’t recommend getting more than two scoops as it is a ton!
All the custard is good, but it’s best if they made it fresh that day.
Place rating: 5
Des Moines, IA
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!
Place rating: 5
Urbandale, IA
YUM! This is frozen custard?
You can’t judge a book by its cover because this place looks kind of run-​down — but it is WONDERFUL and pretty cheap. You get a lot of custard for your buck. I ordered the strawberry rhurbarb pie frozen custard and it was more than enough for me. The texture of the custard is perfect. The setting is adorable and kind of old school. Judging from the store’s sign, the joint has a lot of history to it. There is also a drive-​thru window if you are in a rush.
Place rating: 5
Des Moines, IA
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!