R&R Dairy Bar
R&R Dairy Bar — photo 2
R&R Dairy Bar — photo 3
R&R Dairy Bar — photo 4
R&R Dairy Bar — photo 5

R&R Dairy Bar

738 East Washington Ave, Des Moines, IA

★★★★★4.7(1,160 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

This Des Moines institution is beloved for its nostalgic ice cream treats and creative tornado blends that actually deliver on generous cookie-to-cream ratios, drawing families and regulars who keep coming back for the cheerful, no-fuss vibe. The kitchen runs fast and friendly even during rushes, making it an ideal spot to grab something sweet on the go or linger over a shake with loved ones. Fair warning: R&R leans into its unpretentious, old-school charm—don't expect artisanal anything, but do expect a genuinely happy crowd who wouldn't dream of getting their ice cream anywhere else.

What to expect

Family friendlyPastriesSlow sitQuick grabTraditional drinks

Google Reviews

Matt Shasta
★★★★2 months ago

I wasn't expecting much, and was still disappointed. Everything here is from a food distributor. Even the ice cream was bad. Ordered a fudge brownie "tornado" and it was little Debbie cosmic brownies jammed at the bottom, Ice cream on top of that, and then a few more brownies thrown on top.

Le Anne Roundtree
★★★★★7 months ago

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We absolutely love Dairy Zone! It’s one of our favorite local spots, and as a family, we’re so happy to support them. The ice cream is always delicious, our orders are always spot on, and the service is consistently friendly. One of the sweetest touches is that they give free pup cups to our fur babies, which makes the whole trip even more special. Highly recommend stopping here—you won’t be disappointed!

Kevin Schaum
★★★★★7 months ago

It is my favorite ice cream place in town....but today was very dissatisfied. I ordered a Jr. chocolate shake for my wife and a Medium pineapple shake for myself. I usually get butterscotch and was leaning toward the black raspberry shake today. I love pineapple...a summer flavor... and its super hot today. So...I wanted to give it a try. All it was was a vanilla shake with very bland tasting super small chunks of what tasted like very expired ...dry tasting freeze dried pineapple. No flavor. Tasted like a vanilla shake with a couple of nasty straw cloggers. 💔👎🫩

Lara McAdams
★★★★★8 months ago

The most accurate sign in town. I’d going everyday if I had my 25 year old metabolism back!

Michael Luk
★★★★★10 months ago

Stopped by Dairy Zone and grabbed an Oreo Tornado — 10/10. The Oreo-to-ice cream ratio was perfect (no skimping here!), and it was blended just right. The staff was friendly and fast, even with a busy line. Definitely worth the stop if you’re in Des Moines and craving a solid frozen treat.

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