PSA: Avoid Major Disappointment at this Hudson Valley Dairy Queen

My wife and I came for ice cream and a snack, but we left with a broken heart. Dramatic? Maybe. But there's one Dairy Queen in the Hudson Valley that's different than all the others, and not in a good way.

Dairy Queen Locations in the Hudson Valley, NY

Summer is here, and what better way that to celebrate at your favorite ice cream stand? Near my house in Newburgh, NY there's the locally owned Cherry Top Dairy Bar, as well as Mary Jane's Dairy Bar. There's also a Dairy Queen franchise on the corner of South Plank Rd and Route 300. That's where my wife and I decided to visit since we were looking for some food to go with our ice cream. Big mistake.

Dairy Queen in Newburgh, NY

I was so pleased with my spontaneous mini-date idea, too. I caught my wife off guard when I randomly mention we pop down the road to Dairy Queen, and she got even more excited when we pulled into the drive thru. "Ooh, I'm getting fries!", she exclaimed. Nope.

Dairy Queen Grills in the Hudson Valley, NY

We weren't ready for the response from the other end of the speaker when we tried to place our order. "We don't have fries", the DQ worker informed us, "there's no grill at this location". They did have a microwave, if we were interested in a few limited items, but anything that needed to be cooked was nowhere to be found. Some research revealed that there are two kinds of Dairy Queens, those with a grill and extended food options, and select locations without. Here's how to tell the difference so you don't leave your next treat pitstop unfulfilled.

Dairy Queen Grill & Chill Locations

The Dairy Queen in Newburgh, NY is listed online as "treat only", something my wife and I neglected to check before we left for our dessert date. Dairy Queens with grills, like their locations in Wappingers Falls and Hyde Park, NY are designated with the added "Grill & Chill" on their name (above).

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If I've saved just one other person from suffering the same terrible non-fried food fate as my wife and me, then I've succeeded. Want to check out some locally owned options? Check out the best of the Hudson Valley (including one with ICE CREAM TACOS!) below.