If you've spent any time in St. Louis, you've likely heard of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. It's one of those places that's become part of the city's shorthand for dessert, and for good reason: it's been serving the same rich, creamy custard since 1941. The flagship stand sits at 6726 Chippewa Street on Historic Route 66, and it's now in its 97th season. The second location, over on South Grand, is summer-only and closed for the season, so Chippewa is the place to go right now.
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The custard itself is what keeps people coming back. It's made fresh daily from an original recipe enriched with plenty of egg yolks, which gives it an ultra-smooth texture without the icy crystals you find in cheaper frozen treats. The most famous order is the 'concrete' — a shake so thick it's famously served upside down, though sundaes and shakes are just as popular. Toppings run from banana, caramel, strawberry, and blueberry to a lemon graham cracker, and for kids, sundaes come served in baseball helmets. The concrete was actually born from a request by a teenage customer named Steve Gamber back in 1959.
There's a bit of history behind the counter, too. Ted Drewes Sr. was a St. Louis native and a tennis champion who dominated the Muny Tennis Championships from 1925 to 1936 before opening his first stand in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1929. He brought the business back home, opening a brick-and-mortar store on Natural Bridge Road in 1930, a South Grand location in 1931 — the oldest still in operation — and finally the Chippewa stand in 1941. The business is now in its fourth generation. Ted Drewes Jr., who passed away in August 2024, carried on the family tradition and added a few St. Louis staples along the way.
If you want to lean into the history, the Gift Shop & Historical Museum sits right next door at 6708 Chippewa Street. It's open Monday through Thursday from noon to 8:00 pm and Friday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 8:30 pm, and it walks you through nearly a century of the business with vintage photographs and exhibits. You can pick up apparel, collectibles, and St. Louis-themed merchandise there, including a limited-edition Route 66 Centennial Root Beer Mug to mark the highway's 100th anniversary, which you can buy empty or filled with a homemade root beer float. Gift cards are available in-store and online.
And if you're visiting around the holidays, the Chippewa location doubles as the Ted Drewes Christmas Tree Lot, selling freshly cut pine and fir from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. It's a nice example of how a simple custard stand grew into something more. Whether you're there for a concrete, a stroll through the museum, or a little piece of Route 66, it's the kind of place that rewards taking a little extra time. The lines move quickly, so it's an easy stop whenever the craving hits.
