Dairy Queen Grill & Chill — Restaurant in Ellensburg

Two Stars – But Only Because the Blizzard Flipped

Ah, from the outside, this Dairy Queen Grill and Chill screams mediocrity with all the charm of a highway rest stop. Once inside, you’re greeted by paper snowflakes dangling from the ceiling like a sad holiday party that refuses to end. In July. That’s not festive, it’s confusing. Maybe it’s a metaphor for their service: seasonally out of sync and oddly limp.

The dining area is a claustrophobic cluster of booths, arranged with all the precision of a game of Tetris played blindfolded. Fire code violations? Possibly. A rodeo poster here, a dusty Ellensburg shout-out there, it’s like the walls are trying to convince you they’re in on the local charm, but much like the lighting behind the menu board (burnt out and tragic), it’s a dim attempt.

And then Del. The monkey. Hanging from the menu board with more presence and personality than the staff. He had a name tag. The employees? Not so much. I had to play service roulette trying to figure out who handed me my Blizzard after a stint of chocolate-themed heartbreak. No chocolate ice cream. At Dairy Queen. I audibly questioned reality and patriotism.

The only thing that spared this place from a one-star black hole was the fact that the card reader didn’t corner me into tipping for the tip-less experience. Oh, and someone, nameless still, flipped my Blizzard upside down like it was 2010 and they still had pride in their craft. It almost felt ceremonial. Although flipping a blizzard with a lid on it kind of spoils the effect.

Sadly, the chocolate syrup was rationed like it was post-apocalyptic currency. But a Blizzard is resilient. You could hand one to a raccoon in a thunderstorm and it’d still taste vaguely like happiness.

To wrap things up, I spotted “Coyote”—a tall, blonde, gangly enigma who may or may not have followed me here. Fitting end to an oddly...

Unfortunately I cannot recommend this place. I went there, and bought what I assumed would be their "flagship" meal. Their biggest burger, with a small fry and a small strawberry shake. It ended up over $15, to which I thought, "okay.. I'll give it a shot".

The burger was slapped together with a wet bun, overcooked bacon, and toppings that looked perished. The frys tasted fine, but they were placed in a fry-box that is approximately 2.5x2.5x2" in size, and a total number of

I drove up to an EMPTY drive-thru and it took 32 minutes to get me two small Blizzards. The drive-thru had hundreds of flies from the nearby trash and spilled food, so I had a dozen or so fly into my car to keep me company while I waited. When the Blizzards came out, they were overfilled, melty, and had tall lids on, so there was no way to take off the lids without exploding ice cream all over my hands and car. I opened the second one at home in a bowl and it still got all over the cup, my hands, and the counter.

I have given this location several chances in the three years I have lived in Ellensburg because it is close to where I live and I love Dairy Queen. As a big fan of DQ, I have been completely disappointed every single time. This location needs to shut down and figure its stuff out. I do not blame the employees, they seem like they are trying their best, but there has to be something seriously wrong with the way this DQ is being run. This is a college town. Having a DQ this close to campus should be a slam dunk, but it is the worst fast food joint I've ever been to.

If you need food and treats, go somewhere else. If you need DQ, drive across town to the...