Van’s Frozen Custard & Burgers

East Dundee, United States

4.8

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 847-836-8267
Website:
vansfrozencustard.com
Address:
16 E Main St, East Dundee, IL, 60118
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Dessert
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
No
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Open now
Local time (East Dundee) 3:49 PM Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers is proud to serve the best hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dog, chicken sandwiches and much more. We have fresh cut french fries as well as sweet potato fries.

Our frozen custard is made fresh throughout the day and we are told it is the best in the area. For those with dairy restrictions, we always have sorbet — dairy– and fat-​free, our sorbets are made with fresh fruit juices and fruit purees.

Come and enjoy a relaxing meal or family treat at Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers. We have free games for the family to enjoy (checkers, Connect Four, and a variety of card games).

History

Established in 2008.

Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers is a family owned and operated business that began in 2008. Our first location was in Carpentersville, IL. where we met many of our loyal customers who have continued with us to our new location in East Dundee, IL.

Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers is located at 16 E. Main Street (IL Route 72), East Dundee, IL. Housed in a historic pre-​WWII stone service station, the building has a warm and welcoming décor. We flank the Fox River Valley Bike Trail and provide a cozy place to rest and re-​fuel on warm summer day while visiting many of the quaint villages that dot the Fox River Valley.

Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers is open year-​round. After all, who doesn’t want a great hamburger, fries and a frozen custard malt or shake even on a winter’s night? Open every day, except Mondays, Van’s is ready to become your favorite destination for date night or a family outing.

Meet the Business Owner

Victor V.

Business Owner

Victor «Chad» Van Acker is the owner and operator of Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers. He dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur and having his own ‘ice cream’ shop ever since visiting the Ben and Gerry’s home factory in Vermont when he was in 7th grade. After completing his degree in Marketing from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, Chad returned to the Elgin area and opened Van’s Frozen Custard (now Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers).

Chad is assisted in the business by his parents, Nancy and Rick. His wife, Mavy, and three young children: Sebastian, Dani, and Nico might also be there adding to the family atmosphere. Please join us for a fun afternoon or evening at van’s frozen Custard and Burgers.

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20 reviews of Van’s Frozen Custard & Burgers

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Place rating: 5
Carpentersville, IL
Been here several times. I think the burgers are outstanding. Went yesterday and had the flavor of the day which is key lime pie and it was amazing. A small is 2 huge scoops I think u really get a lot for your money! Love al the different flavors.
Place rating: 5
Mt Prospect, IL
We stumbled upon this place while driving through the area, we were hungry and want to get something quick. It was late afternoon, so they were not too busy but the restaurant were still half full. We both ordered the burger, I had the regular fries and my husband had the sweet potato fries. We were pleasantly surprised by their burgers, they were huge and delicious, the beef petty were so thick and juicy, my fries were good but my husband’s sweet potato fries were Great. The price is right, of course it is pricier than Micky D, but still cheaper than a lot of those Gourmet Burger place. We didn’t tried their Frozen Custard, but will definitely try it next time we are in the neighborhood.
Place rating: 5
Glendale Heights, IL
This is one of my favorite places to eat. They have delicious burgers and grilled Cheese. Their sweet potato fries are spot on ! Great service and great place to get great quality food.
Place rating: 5
Carpentersville, IL
Excellent ice cream! We would choose Van’s over DQ any day. The muddy buddy sundae is the best!
Place rating: 5
Northbrook, IL
Awesome frozen custard and sundaes. Great staff and service. Peach Melba sundae almond joy sundae and turtle sundae are our favorites.
Place rating: 5
Hampshire, IL
Best ice cream place in the Northwest Suburbs. My favorite is the French Silk Ice Cream. And surprisingly, their hamburgers and fries are really good.
Place rating: 4
Township of Dundee, IL
Delicious burgers, fresh, huge portions and friendly staff. Only drawback is they over cook their fries. My husband is into the burnt fries but myself and my children threw them away. I suggest them offering the option of ice cream instead of fries if they don’t want to change the fry cooking style. Overall, clean friendly place one of the better businesses in Dundee.
Place rating: 5
Nashville, TN
Cute place nice family atmosphere :) great variety of custard toppings– would highly recommend
Place rating: 5
Homer Glen, IL
Loved it! Fresh burgers, tasted so good! I had a bacon cheeseburger and it was amazing. Tons of bacon, I also had a root beer float, the ice cream was really good. Try it, you’ll like it. Clean place, friendly people.
Place rating: 4
Webster City, IA
Stopped in with my sis-​in-​law after doing a drive by at the old C-​ville house. waffle cone full of Van’s custard was especially good after five years away.
while generally not a fan of butter pecan it was the flavor of the day — suffice to say that custardy BuPec is far superior to the creamed-​ice version. couldn’t find the daily-​special-​board so I don’t know if there’s still a special concrete. did I just miss it?
not sure that I am a fan of the new location: too much décor, visually busy. maybe when I have time to absorb it all that will change but for now its just like that…
Place rating: 4
Bloomingdale, IL
I went out of my way searching for some delicious custard dessert, and delicious custard dessert is precisely what I got!
I walked in about a half hour before closing, but the teen/​early 20-​somethings employees were hyped up and ready to help dish out orders. They were friendly and (for once) it was cool to see some youth enjoying their jobs.
The décor and setup was charming, and the place was clean.
I went all out and ordered the Grandma’s Brownie Sundae (regular size = $ 6). It was a delicious chocolate monstrosity that, had I had someone else with me, would have been perfect for sharing.
I need to keep Van’s Bookmarked — even though it’s a bit of a drive for me, it’s definitely a better option than the chains.
Place rating: 5
Hampshire, IL
Vans is one of the best little joints in the area. The custard is delicious and way under priced compared to the other guys.
Also, the sundaes are fantastic, in particular the «sweet & salty» which has raspberry sauce, pretzel pieces and little cubes of cheesecake! I can hear myself getting fatter when I eat it and I don’t care.
Oh, and did someone mention burgers? How about burgers with Funyuns as a topping? Yeah, that’s an option at vans and you won’t believe how well it works. In fact, I only want Funyuns on my burgers now. Hear that noise? I’m getting fatter again.
Great staff, great food and Funyuns!!!
Place rating: 5
Carpentersville, IL
I’m no expert on Frozen Custard but I had some family from out of town that knew quite a bit about Frozen Custard (they lived near the famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard shop in Saint Louis for a while).
They said this was some of the finest Frozen Custard they’ve had. We had vanilla with nothing mixed in.
On a separate occasion, I ordered an oreo and peanut butter concrete custard and it was delicious!
Place rating: 5
Elgin, IL
I’m usually not a huge fan of frozen custard in general but had kept hearing about the grill at Van’s. Gotta saw I love me some meats and especially love when they’re combined. The bacon cheeseburger there is simply bar none the best around. The bacon is amazing to say the least and the burger takes me back to being a kid in my mother’s downtown shop and walking to pick up lunch at the Lyons drugstore lunch counter. Simply stellar.
I can’t recommend it enough. We run the bike shop a couple blocks away and find ourselves recommending Van’s to the pros that come in for their rigs and have a few minutes to kill before heading back to their homes.
Place rating: 5
Elgin, IL
A great place for a getaway desert but helathy? Well you dont eat CUSTARD for health you eat it to enjoy.
Wow, this is a wonderful little place with a great atmosphere and wonderful array of deserts.
Good quality, good service and oh so yummy custard.
Parking can be a pain but it’s worth the hassel
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I can probably count on one hand the number of times in my life some place or experience has exceeded my expectations. I can now add Van’s Frozen Custard and Burgers to that list.
Housed in a remodeled Standard Oil gas station that dates back to 1927, Van’s is the creation of Tulane graduate Chad Van Acker — inspired he sez, by a visit to the Ben and Jerry’s factory when he was a toddler.
Located on Main Street in the quaint village of East Dundee, steps from the Fox River and across the street from a Dairy Queen, Chad has carved out a niche for himself as well as a popular following by serving fresh and refreshing flavors of custard and sorbet, as well as some pretty outrageous burgers and sandwiches.
My intention was just to stop in for a small cup o’ custard on a hot Chicago summer day, but when I saw some other patrons enjoying the burgers, my priority shifted.
I ordered the bacon/​cheddar burger (all burgers come with fresh cut fries), and there is a healthy list of condiments you can add gratis. I went with my usual: mustard, pickle, raw onion.
Here’s an insider’s (me) tip: if you plan on eating the burger, don’t start munching the fries first. They are addictive. Hot, crisp, potato-​y, lightly seasoned, amazing fries. Even In N Out would be jealous. Even the fat cats in Oak Brook.
The amply-​sized beef patty had a nice char on it from the gas grill, with a very fresh sesame bun, lots of thick cut smokey bacon, and freshly prepared vegetable condiments. I’m glad I stopped with a short-​list of add ons, if I had added lettuce and tomato, the burger wouldn’t have fit in my mouth — it’s a massive sandwich.
If you want to know just how good it is, peel off a section of the bun and condiments and take a bite of just the beef. Flavorful and tastes the way beef should taste.
I chased the burger with a cup of the custard flavor of the day, Mint Chocolate Chip, which was creamy and delicious.
Mr. Van Acker, congrats. Build a dozen or so more.
Place rating: 5
Algonquin, IL
After driving past Van’s multiple times a week, I decided to check it out randomly on a hot day. It looks like a small shack from the outside (I was expecting it to be like a small Dairy Queen), but inside it looks much bigger and there is ample seating.
Everyone seemed to be eating burgers and fries, but all I wanted was a small cup of the vanilla custard (boring. I know), but all I wanted was something refreshing. Not a sugar overload. There are many toppings to choose from and there are many weekly specials. I saw some sundaes pass by me as they were delivered to customers and WOW, did they look good!
The girl that rung me up was super enthusiastic and very friendly. I ordered two small cups of vanilla custard and the total was a little over $ 5.
The custard is really creamy and overall very good. A small cup is all I would ever need with two good sized scoops. I can’t wait to return and try some of the different topping combinations!
Place rating: 5
Algonquin, IL
Van’s has turned me into a legitimate frozen dessert snob, and who could blame me? Their custard is fresh made every day & they also make their own sorbets (usually 2 flavors a day) and you can top it a zillion different ways. The custard is super rich & creamy, not really needing to be topped with anything, but when there are toppings like peanut butter sauce and marshmallow crème, you’d be a fool not to indulge. My go-​to is whatever the sorbet is, topped with pretzel crunch (candied pretzel sticks) and marshmallow crème. It’s pure heaven! This place will have you craving a custard creation in the dead of winter.
If I HAD to name a negative about Van’s, it’s that parking is scarce, but let me tell you, I’d walk there if I had to (luckily, I have a car, so that’s not an issue). If you haven’t been to Van’s Frozen Custard, I think you should ask yourself why.
Place rating: 4
Columbia, MO
Stopped in for a sweet treat, and this was the right choice! The frozen vanilla custard was delicious, especially with the toppings. The hot chocolate was simply powder in hot water, but it was a nice complement to the custard.
The sandwich menu looked great, with a variety of grilled cheeses and burgers. There are bins of toys for kids to keep busy. I can imagine this place is packed in the summer.
Only negative is the limited parking.
Place rating: 5
Elgin, IL
What’s not to love? My family visited Van’s two Saturdays in a row and our only regret was not checking them out sooner! The first time we visited their frozen custard Flavor of the Day was Peanut Butter Oreo and it was a HUGE hit with my husband. We loved the creaminess of the custard. I had the Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
I also loved the family board and card games at Van’s. My son and I played Connect 4, but there were many others — like a giant table game of checkers! There are also crayons, coloring books, and small toys to keep kids occupied while you wait.
After we visited, friends kept mentioning how great their burgers were. So we went back the next weekend to try some. They certainly didn’t disappoint. I only wish I knew that you had to ask for all your toppings separately. I ordered a bacon mushroom cheeseburger that I thought would come with lettuce, tomato, mayo. etc. It doesn’t. Otherwise, it was great. The Flavor of the Day that day was Toasted Coconut, and it was incredible. I have to keep an eye out for when that flavor comes back again!