Where to get ice cream, soft serve, and frozen custard in Grimes.

Where can I get ice cream in Grimes?

Grimes has three ice cream shops and two custard drive-thrus. The three shops are the ones worth a special trip.

Heavenly Delights

105 E 1st St, (515) 249-9602. An ice cream shop, not a bakery. Catch Des Moines counts 40 hard-pack and 19 soft-serve flavors, recommends the French silk shake, mint cookie, and cherry amaretto, and says the summer line moves fast. Hours are not posted in the places we checked. Its Facebook page, linked from its Chamber listing, is the place to look before you go.

Al's Dairy Freeze

1220 NE Station Crossing Dr, Suite 102, (515) 689-6751. The soft-serve stand: cones, sundaes, shakes, parfaits, and Snowstorms, per its Chamber listing. Its website lists hours of noon to 9 p.m. daily and keeps a Dole Whip calendar for the days that flavor is on.

The Outside Scoop

1601 NE 12th St, Suite 100, 515-897-6606. Near the Hy-Vee Multiplex, so it pairs well with a game. The company has made its ice cream from scratch in small batches since 2010, and serves scoops, sundaes, and shakes. You can order pickup or delivery online, and it rents ice cream trucks for parties and events. Hours are not on its site; call or check its Google listing.

Where can I get frozen custard in Grimes?

• Culver's, 1601 E 1st St, (515) 381-9062. Lobby 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; drive-thru and curbside until 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. The Flavor of the Day changes daily and varies by restaurant, so check the Grimes page before you promise the kids a flavor.
• Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, 2151 E 1st St, in front of Menards. It opened in December 2022 as the first Freddy's in the Des Moines metro, with a drive-thru, a patio, and vanilla and chocolate custard. Call ahead for current hours.

Which ice cream place in Grimes should I pick?

• Kids who cannot decide: Heavenly Delights, for the size of the flavor board.
• Classic cone on a hot night: Al's Dairy Freeze.
• Pints at home or a party: The Outside Scoop, with online ordering and truck rentals. Its site says truck dates fill fast.
• After 9 p.m.: the Culver's drive-thru.
• Cold months: none of the three shops posted a seasonal closing date where we checked, so call or check Facebook before a winter run.

Grimes ice cream: FAQ

Where can I get ice cream in Grimes, Iowa?

Heavenly Delights (105 E 1st St) for a long list of hard-pack and soft-serve flavors, Al's Dairy Freeze (1220 NE Station Crossing Dr) for soft serve, and The Outside Scoop (1601 NE 12th St) for small-batch scooped ice cream. Culver's and Freddy's on E 1st St serve frozen custard.

What are Al's Dairy Freeze hours in Grimes?

Al's Dairy Freeze lists hours of noon to 9 p.m. daily on its website. It is at 1220 NE Station Crossing Dr, Suite 102.

Is Heavenly Delights in Grimes a bakery or an ice cream shop?

An ice cream shop. Catch Des Moines lists 40 hard-pack and 19 soft-serve flavors at its shop at 105 E 1st St.

Where can I get ice cream late in Grimes?

Culver's at 1601 E 1st St keeps its drive-thru open until 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and until 10 p.m. the other nights.