Milwaukee Frozen Custard

How I heard of this place: Drive-​by. One of my travel companions was craving ice cream, and it was the first place we came upon on our long drive back to Arlington.
Type of cuisine: Frozen custard and a variety of knick-​knacky snacks, including muffins and packaged goods, coffees and teas.
Ambiance: Walking up to the strip mall location, one would not expect much from the «Smart Art» red and blue signage outside of the flat, white-​colored, single-​story building. Entering through the double glass doors, one is immediately welcomed by a larger-​than-​life inflatable snowman, a three-​foot tall Nutcracker and busy, cluttered room lit by yellowed fluorescent lights. The glass topped display cases showcase cakes, and other pastries, working down the line to the register and the back of the space, which includes the kitchen and a line of beverage cases. Pillars in the middle of the establishment separate the limited, hard seating area, where plastic tables and chairs are available for patrons to enjoy their snacks and refreshments.
What I ordered: Only two of us placed orders, mine being for the Drumstick ($ 2.99), frozen vanilla custard with pieces of waffle cone, chopped peanuts, and chocolate chunks in a waffle bowl dipped in chocolate with rainbow sprinkles (additional $ 0.99) and the second a small syrofoam cup of vanilla frozen custard with black cherry topping and hot fudge ($ 5.99).
What I loved: The waffle cone chunks in the custard.
Why I loved it: Quick, easy, with many options to satisfy any craving.
Cost: Low to average ($ 2.49-$ 6 per order of custard)

It feels like a yard sale going on in here. There are price tags on many of the objects insides and I’m not sure if this is just the warning sign for the future of the business. Other Unilocalers have obviously noticed as well. The custard itself is okay, nothing that one should go out of their way for. This place definitely needs a facelift though of it’s going to try to survive.

We only stopped here because it was the closest ice cream place in our way home. The kids liked it because they don’t know any better… but we won’t likely be back.
The custard was decent. The service was decent. The atmosphere is atrocious – why does it look like a garage sale? Why does every single thing look older than the hills? The price was expensive – we could get better for our money elsewhere.

This place is so bad its hilarious. I wanted to help them out and send them an email telling them what they need to change, but the website is just as bad as the store! When you walk in you’re greeted with a yard sale of old junk crammed into the corner. Random nonsense is hanging from the ceiling like a spongebon pinanta and a buzz lightyear plane just hanging there. There is a freezer with nothing in it but a stuffed animal. There is this huge stupid looking tree with multi colored lights that makes no sense. If you’re still there, you’ll see the ragged old artwork students have created for them posted under the counter and on the wall. It would be charming if they were’nt so old and tattered. Still there? Well check out the random case of toy cars! Then look up to the abandoned train tracks and lifeless trains. If you can get past the ridiculous atmosphere, try to enjoy all three flavors of unremarkable frozen custard. Even the signage on the soft serve machines is awful. This place needs a makeover before it goes under. There is entirely too much space for 5 customers.

Contrary to most of the other reviews, I went in for a quick lunch when I saw that they advertised $ 1.99 sandwiches. I didn’t believe them.
They were merely little stuffed buns, so I figured that’s the catch but I ordered the tuna salad sandwich anyway and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that there was a «buy one get one free» scheme for them.
Good, because college students are always hungry, as a rule.
As I bit into it, I felt the taste was worth way more than the $ 1.99 I paid. Perhaps I’m overreacting since I walked a long distance in the afternoon summer heat and anything would’ve tasted good after that, but I daresay it was good.
So good that I had to walk out with a mango Italian ice, which was good too. Maybe not 5 star worthy, but I can’t find anything to complain about.

Excellent spot for ice cream and frozen custard. The ambience isn’t going to wow you, but it’s not too expensive, and conveniently located.

I’d probably go for five stars if it wasn’t for the price. To some of the other reviewers points, that price may also go down easier if the ambiance was a little better.
It’s always staffed by the nicest high school kids I’ve met in a long time. They are so helpful and friendly. I wish there were some flavors other than vanilla or chocolate, but they seem to operate on a less is more basis. The toppings are not very plentiful or attractive– and they’re also really expensive. I’ve only had a vanilla or a chocolate dish, plain. The vanilla is much better and tastes more custard-​y. The chocolate reminds me of Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate for those from Texas.
Anyhow, the vanilla custard is REAAAAAAALLLLLY good. I don’t make it to Woodbridge often, but when I do, I can’t help but stop in.

I love this place’s custard and waffle cones. Everything is fresh and delicious and the special flavors are worth a planned trip. You can see the schedule online so it’s easy to pop in on your favorite day. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is for the ambiance. The look of the place is pretty cheap. They have too much memorabilia to look at and it isn’t displayed well. For that reason they would be a great candidate for Restaurant Impossible or some other makeover show. Due to the location, there isn’t much outdoor seating which would be nice in the warmer months.

We trekked on south and ended up in this realm
Can’t tell between Chantilly and Woodbridge but he said we’re in the latter so
Generous amount of parking quite convenient
Huge thumbs up for having plenty-​o-​seats
Family-​friendly due to the open space for kids to walk around
Cute spot for dates when looking for a cooling dessert
I spied Italian ice but when in Rome…
Decided on the basics so opted for the vanilla custard on waffle bowl
’Twas dense yet soft and flavorfully vanilla
Next time I’ll try the coffee custard/​waffle cone combo
Appreciated the 80’s tunes playing throughout my Milwaukee custard journey

I’m really not a huge fan of this place. Even after trying to read the other reviews to be peer pressured into 3 stars, I have to give it 2.
I’m not a Woodbridgian, so perhaps this is the best in the area, but compared to the Wisconsin-​emigrated custard of the Dairy Godmother (Alexandria), this place is pretty disappointing.
First, there’s a general sense of cheapness. Frozen dessert aficionados know that there are waffle cones that look like they come out of a plastic sleeve (and taste like it), and those that look like a dehydrated Eggo which are massive and delicious. This place serves the former, which tasted more like a sugar cone hybrid than anything related to waffle. I had to put it next to my wifes cone, who got a sugar one, to ensure they didnt give me the wrong thing. She confirmed: «see? the squares on yours are slightly bigger.»
Also big minus points for using Hydrox instead of real Oreos. There’s a massive difference in taste, and for the high price of the topping (approx. $ 1.25), you should give me the real thing. My uncle, a Milwaukee-​area native, would have thrown a fit!
Second is the ambiance. There’s a lot of small things that are odd. The drinking fountains are turned up too powerfully and I was unable to drink out of them. If I did, I’d have gotten soaked because the stream splits (and overshoots the catch basin going onto the floor…). The décor is tacky. Everything there is for sale, from «fun house mirrors» to model cars and a host of other nick nacks that no one could possibly ever want. There’s a buzz lightyear space ship randomly hanging from the ceiling. It just feels like a garage sale.
Third is the staff. The guy who helped me clearly didn’t want to be there. He asked my wife what she wanted, she said «umm…» and he barked «yeah I didn’t hear that.» Give her one second to decide man.
And finally, possibly most importantly, is the custard. It’s not bad but not great. Again I think Dairy Godmother is the one I’m used to and thus the bar this place has to meet, and it falls noticeably short. The custard was over frozen and hard. The cheap plastic spoon I was given bent 45 – 90 degrees each time I went for another bite. Custard should be smooth and soft, not hard. This had a closer consistency to ice cream than custard. And the taste was «meh.»
In short, my next trip to IKEA won’t include a stop here, as they get a lot of things wrong. It’s not the worst place in the world, but at the end of the day it’s not even worth the calories. I never thought I’d be eating custard and evaluating my dietary choices, but after my second bite here I gave serious consideration to tossing it in the trash (not just to escape the décor!).

Popped in for a bit of frozen yummy. I’m usually a fan of MFC but I think I’m not a fan of the Cake Batter flavor which was the special one that day (don’t really like pockets of cake powder in my custard). But otherwise service was friendly and efficient. Worst part of this location is the parking lot which has a single entrance/​exit for the entire strip of stores. I usually go to the one in Chantilly when I come to MFC but this one will do when I’m in the area and want a chilly treat.

Love their custards. I prefer it to Cold Stone or any of the add in places. They even take competitor coupons.

Friday, 6:00PM.
Quickie:
+Sampling allowed
+Cool old school paraphernalia
And then???
CUSSSSSTARD is sooooo goooood.
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Vanilla and chocolate custard
+Custard-​y with both flavors evident

I will readily admit that I had no idea what frozen custard is. It doesn’t sound appealing to me, actually, and I associate it with some type of medicine. «Ah, geez, Billy, you got the ‘frozen custard’? I am so sorry… my condolences.» Alas, don’t worry, it’s just ice cream with the addition of eggs. Thanks Wikipedia, my source for all info except APA formatted college papers. The current flavor of the day is «Birthday Cake.» Yeah, now you can have your cake and eat it too! The inside even has a train that rolls around the entire room, if you’re into that kinda stuff. The staff is super-​friendly, so plus two bonus points for that.

I miss this place. There are no frozen custard places near where i live now. : — (Custard is just on a different level than Ice Cream. It’s SOOOOO much creamier, richer, and thicker. The various flavors are always good, and if you don’t agree with one, you can always go with Vanilla or Chocolate! : —)

I grew up on frozen custard and never thought in a million years I would find something as good as I grew up on. Boy was I wrong. Milwaukee Frozen Custard is GREAT.
If you are looking for that old school frozen custard, you have to go here. You get generous portions for what you pay.

I just have to say… after not coming here for over 5 years and making my way back to this area I HAD to stop by. Good thing I did! It was better than I remember it! It was so creamy and delicious! I ordered the Vanilla no sugar added flavored custard and OMG just as good as the regular. This is probably the best custard I’ve had in the East Coast!

It brings great sadness that the Manassas location of MFC is closed, but oh joy! Woodbridge is still up and running. I always have the flavor of the day calendar up (at work and home) and make a special trip on the days they have flavors i particularly enjoy.
The waffle cones (i also have a weakness for them) are either freshly made or bought fresh, they always taste delish. As a warning, i ordered a medium and it was too much for me. I am borderline obsessive with ice cream, and i couldn’t even finish it. Small for me next time!

The custard is good but not great. It tastes closer to soft serve than frozen custard should. Compared to other custard places like Carl’s in Fredericksburg or BR in Woodbridge, the serving sizes are small and the price is high.
The location is convenient to Potomac Mills. The atmosphere is very brightly lit with toy trains and cars on display inside, outside the parking lot is next to the Prince William Parkway, so it’s kind of noisy.
Best reason to go is because you’re already at the mall. Otherwise, there are better alternatives if you want to look around.
Unfortunately the service more often than once was bad. Our two low point visits were both the same thing, we went at night and found a single employee apparently closing the entire store alone, who clearly wasn’t happy. On the most recent visit our server had friends in the store and seemed to think we were imposing on his time, and went completely silent after we had to point out he’d prepared the order wrong. They need a little in-​house management.

It’s probably no secret to many, but I must admit that I’m a serious sucker for all things sweet… it’s true. It all started at an incredibly young age… like we’re talking straight of the womb and I was already sold on the wondrous thing called SUGAR.
I quickly developed a deep love for zebra stripe gum… and tootsie rolls… and tootsie pops… because you know, I just HAD to figure out many freakin’ licks it took to get to the center of those damn things. Then there were ring pops… and candy necklaces… and bit-​o-​honey! There was no stopping me.
21 years later and that love is still going strong. The only thing is that it has now developed to a much more mature love, and I can appreciate sweets beyond their shiny wrappers and great accessory appeal. I can appreciate them in nondescript looking shops in the middle of Woodbridge that I drive by and see because of the huge bright blue and red sign that reads «Milwaukee Frozen Custard» and has me thinking…
«Oooooh. That sounds good… real good.»
It’s the kind of love that makes me bust a u-​turn real quick, delaying my arrival at Potomac Mills Mall… because the desire, the craving, and the attraction to the sugar is just so strong… I just can’t help myself.
It’s a love that is consistently thick like pudding… soft as velvet… and consistently delicious as vanilla and chocolate. Yet it’s also a love that’s exciting… refreshing… and never disappointing because there’s a new flavor everyday, such as blueberry cheesecake… death by chocolate… lemon… silk… caramel apple pie… or even pistachio.
This love will never die because I just can’t help myself… I’ll tell the world I love you. I love you.