What You Need To Know About Dairy Queen's Breakfast Menu
There aren't many fast-food brands as iconic and longstanding as Dairy Queen. The Illinois-based restaurant chain has been serving its famous DQ soft-serve since 1940. In fact, DQ's founders are the ones who invented the concept of soft-serve ice cream we know and love today.
Over the years, the Dairy Queen brand has grown well beyond its humble beginnings as an ice cream shop. There are now more than 4,500 locations around the U.S., plus thousands more international stores in 28 countries. The menu has expanded over the years as well, adding burgers, sandwiches, chicken, and an array of dessert treats.
Some might not know this, but that expansion has also included adding breakfast menu items at select locations. There's not a lot of information about breakfast on Dairy Queen's website, so we've done some digging. Keep scrolling to find out what you need to know about Dairy Queen's breakfast menu.
Not all Dairy Queens serve breakfast
The breakfast menu isn't available at all of Dairy Queen's locations, but it can be found at some of the chain's newer restaurants. In the early 2000s the company introduced a new flagship store concept, the DQ Grill & Chill. More than 2,000 Grill and Chill locations have opened since the new concept was launched. The new stores have updated and improved features, and expanded menu items. That includes the option to serve breakfast items, according to the Dairy Queen's franchising website.
Unfortunately, Dairy Queen doesn't provide a list of which of its new Grill & Chill restaurants actually serve breakfast. The company does have a store locator page, which is supposed to denote which locations have a breakfast menu. However, a few online searches proved that it's not always accurate. So you'll have to check your local DQ's to see if they offer up the breakfast menu and at what hours. Worst case scenario — you visit for breakfast but leave with a Blizzard.
The Dairy Queen breakfast menu includes a range of items, from burritos to breakfast bowls
If you do find a Dairy Queen near you serving breakfast, you can expect a range of classic options. Menu items include breakfast sandwiches with bacon, ham, or sausage served inside a biscuit. If you're more of a plate of eggs kind of person, there are also several breakfast platters to choose from. For those who like a sweet breakfast, there are pancakes on the menu. Other breakfast options include the southern classic, biscuits and gravy, as well as a breakfast burrito. If you're not a breakfast person at all, the morning menu also includes chicken strips and steak fingers.
One of the more unique offerings from DQ's breakfast menu would be the breakfast bowls. They're made with eggs, sausage, and hash browns all smothered in grilled onions, cheese, and the choice of gravy or salsa.
Some Dairy Queen locations have their own unique additions to the breakfast menu
Unlike a lot of other popular fast food chains, all but two of Dairy Queen's restaurants are individually-owned franchises. That means the look and feel, as well as the menu may vary among different Dairy Queen locations. So depending on which store you go to, you may have breakfast items to choose from that are unique to that franchise, in addition to the chain's signature items.
For example, this DQ in Kentucky features a Cinnamon Pull-A-Part roll on its breakfast menu, as well as fruit smoothies. Another location in Pennsylvania advertises french toast in addition to pancakes, with a variety of topping options to customize with. Some locations in Texas have added breakfast taquitos to their menu. Other more creative items available at some DQ locations include miniature sugared donuts called Lil' Donuts and Biscuits & Gravy Dunkers. If you want to try all of these unique Dairy Queen breakfast menu options, a road trip may just be in order.
You might be able to get a Blizzard with your breakfast at some Dairy Queen restaurants
Dairy Queen's famous Blizzards and other dessert treats are not officially on the breakfast menu, but you still might be able to get one alongside your breakfast sandwich at some locations. It varies from franchise to franchise, which all have unique store hours. Many DQ locations open in the early morning and offer their breakfast menu for a few hours each day before switching over to the regular menu. There are some locations open a little later, and offer breakfast items right alongside their regular menu.
For anyone determined to have dessert for their first meal of the day, it's worth noting that most DQ locations open before lunchtime. So, you can still start your day with a Blizzard. After all, Dairy Queen says the frozen treats are "made to be eaten for breakfast."
The Dairy Queen breakfast menu is pretty cheap
If you're looking for a fast food breakfast that will fill you up for just a few bucks, Dairy Queen might be just what you're looking for. You can get an entire breakfast meal at Dairy Queen for less than ten bucks. Some DQ locations even offer an entire breakfast menu for under $5, including the combos. One of the most expensive things on the menu is the Ultimate Breakfast Burrito Combo, which is priced at $5.29. It's worth noting that prices can vary slightly from franchise to franchise.
Some Dairy Queen locations also offer a deal for a complete breakfast for as little as $3. The $3 Buck Breakfast deals include a chicken and gravy burrito meal, a sausage biscuit breakfast sandwich, and the biscuits and gravy breakfast. All of the combos are served with a side of hash browns, and a coffee or soft drink.
Breakfast at Dairy Queen is not exactly healthy
While Dairy Queen breakfast might be a good deal for your wallet, it's probably not a good deal for your diet. According to the nutrition information offered up by the company, Dairy Queen's breakfast options are packed with calories, fat, and lots of sodium.
The most fattening single item on the menu is the breakfast bowl with gravy. It's loaded with 59 grams. However, it's not even the most unhealthy thing on the menu. That designation would go to the chain's Country Platters, served with either sausage, bacon or ham. One estimate ranked the Country Platter with Sausage as the worst of the bunch, with a whopping 1,360 calories and 91 grams of fat. It's also got well over 2,000 grams of sodium.
Some of the lighter options (relatively speaking, of course) include an order of Lil' Donuts, which have 290 calories, or the Pancake Platter with ham, which will net you about 390 calories and 9 grams of fat.
The Dairy Queen breakfast menu gets mixed reviews
When it comes to the quality of Dairy Queen's breakfast menu offerings, the reviews are mixed. One reviewer on TripAdvisor called Dairy Queen the "best breakfast hands down." On the other hand, some Yelp reviewers have slammed the chain's breakfast. One reviewer lamented that the hash browns were "so soaked with grease or butter they were uneatable," and another went so far as to say their "entire meal was trash." Ouch. That's definitely not the sort of meal a person wants to start the day with.
There is at least one YouTuber who's taken on the task of reviewing several signature items on the Dairy Queen breakfast menu. According to Reed Reviews, one Dairy Queen item you should never order is the Salsa Breakfast Bowl. Reed calls it a "flat out disaster" and won't eat more than a single bite. The Biscuits and Gravy are apparently another story. Reed calls them "absolutely amazing" and says they are even "better than mom used to make."
Dairy Queen also offers some breakfasts options at its international locations
Dairy Queen's breakfast menu is not just limited to its locations in the states. At least some of Dairy Queen's thousands of international locations serve breakfast as well, offering versions of the chain's biscuit sandwiches, hash browns, pancake platters, and more. Outside of North America, the company does not specifically list which international stores serve breakfast. However, you can use Dairy Queen's store locator page to find which locations in Canada have a breakfast menu.
One international location that we know offers breakfast is Dairy Queen's DQ Grill & Chill location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The store opened in 2011 and it also happens to be the largest Dairy Queen restaurant in the world, as well as the only one that's two stories. Since then, dozens more DQ Grill & Chill locations have opened in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East.
You can get breakfast delivered at select Dairy Queen locations in the U.S.
Whether you work remotely, or need a morning pick-me-up sent straight to the office, Dairy Queen may have you covered. Some DQ restaurants around the country can deliver your breakfast right to you. Once again though, the only snag is that it varies from store to store.
The Dairy Queen company does not officially have a delivery program. However, many of Dairy Queen's franchise locations have decided on their own to partner with third-party companies to offer pickup and delivery options to customers. You can find Dairy Queen stores on all the major delivery apps, including UberEats, DoorDash, Seamless, Postmates, and Grubhub. So while there's a good chance you can find a Dairy Queen to deliver near you, it might take some searching. You'll have to look up the individual DQ locations near you to find out if they offer delivery and if so, through which apps.