The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Dairy Queen in Canada is synonymous with ice cream on a hot summer's day.
So much so, that there are not a lot of Canadians who have really tried items apart from sweet treats on the Dairy Queen menu.
As something of a fast food expert who's tried nearly every new fast food item in the last year, I can safely tell you that this chain actually has a few eats outside of ice cream that are worth getting.
From sweet treats to savoury bites, here are some things at DQ that I think are worth ordering instead of the ice cream.
The chicken strips
The DQ chicken basket.
I'll go right out and say it — I'm sort of anti-chicken strips. I think they're boring and a lot of the time are something restaurants don't really put any thought into.
That being said, the chicken strips at Dairy Queen are genuinely, and surprisingly, quite good.
They are well crisped up and the chicken feels like actual chicken, not a sort of nugget of compressed meat that you're often served at other restaurants.
The fries
Dairy Queen fries.
Dairy Queen Canada
While they don't have the best of the best beat in the fast food chain fries department, getting the snack at Dairy Queen is a really good option if you aren't feeling like ice cream.
What I like about them is that they are much thicker than other fast food fries you'll find out there. But despite that, they're well seasoned and not too "potatoey"
That thickness also helps them stay hotter for longer, which is something that McDonald's could take a thing or two from when it comes to their fries.
Poutine
A Dairy Queen poutine.
Another item that you would be surprised that a place specializing in ice cream would do well!
While this poutine would probably not impress your Quebecois grandpa, it does hit the spot. The gravy and fries work great together, plus the cheese gets nice and melty.
Again it's not the most authentic experience and not the best in fast food, but I really think it's worth grabbing if you're at DQ and you don't have much of a sweet tooth.
Orange Julius
An Orange Julius.
While technically an item with dairy in it, these mysterious drinks are not full-on ice cream items.
If you've never had an Orange Julius, it's sort of a milky, orange milkshake/slushie item -- it's sort of hard to define. It tastes like a creamsicle, but it's not as creamy.
Whatever it is, it's really good and actually a bit refreshing.
And you can get an Orange Julius at a lot, if not most, Dairy Queen locations. So, if you're sick of getting ice cream and want a sweet treat, give this one a go! Be warned though, this does have dairy and egg in it!
And if you liked, or hated, my opinions on DQ, check out what I thought about the best french fries, chicken sandwiches and poutine in the world of Canadian fast food.
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