Your dessert gets flipped completely upside down at the window, and not a single drop falls out.
That’s the whole point. The staff does it on purpose to prove how thick the custard really is.
The treat is called a concrete, and it has been around since 1959. It starts with a rich vanilla custard made with egg yolks. Then it gets blended with fruit, candy, cookies, or nuts until it practically laughs at gravity.
You order at a walk-up window on a famous old highway in Missouri. Your cup comes back upside down, and suddenly you’re grinning like a kid. Honestly, I think every dessert should arrive with a little stunt like this.
Gravity has been losing to this custard since 1959.
The Upside-Down Flip Is A Promise, Not A Party Trick
Gravity usually wins with ice cream. At Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis, it loses every single time.
The stand serves its signature concrete through a walk-up window, and staff turn the cup upside down before handing it over. Nothing slides out. The custard holds tight, spoon and all, because the blend is that dense.
The concrete got its start in 1959. The story goes that a teenager named Steve Gamber kept asking Ted Drewes Jr. for a thicker malt. Ted kept making it thicker until it could stand up on its own.
Steve got his wish, and St. Louis got a new tradition.
That moment at the window is the reason so many people bring their phones ready to record. It’s a tiny show that lasts about two seconds. Still, it tells you everything about what’s inside the cup.
Here’s a friendly tip for first-timers. Keep your hand steady and take the cup by the sides once it flips back. The custard isn’t going anywhere, but a little confidence makes the handoff smoother.
Then grab that spoon and get to work while it’s perfectly cold.
Egg Yolks Are the Secret Behind All That Thickness
Frozen custard and ice cream look like cousins. The big difference comes down to one ingredient, and it’s egg yolks.
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard builds everything on a classic vanilla custard made with egg yolks. That gives it a denser, richer, smoother texture than regular ice cream. It also explains how a concrete can survive being flipped over without a mess.
Think of the vanilla base as a blank canvas. On its own, it’s simple and creamy. Mixed with toppings, it becomes the foundation for nearly every treat on the menu.
The stand makes its custard the old-fashioned way. That approach has stayed in the family for generations, which is a big part of why the recipe feels so steady and familiar.
Want the purest taste? Try a plain vanilla cone first. You’ll get a clear sense of what makes the custard special before you start piling on extras.
After that, every mix-in will make more sense.
One more small thing worth knowing. The custard itself is gluten-free, and the stand offers gluten-free toppings too. Anyone with serious allergies should mention it at the window when ordering so the crew can help.
Good Luck Picking Just One Signature Concrete
Cardinal Sin. Terra Mizzou. Crater Copernicus.
The names alone sound like a quiz on St. Louis pride, and that’s half the fun.
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard offers a long list of signature concretes and sundaes. Cardinal Sin pairs cherries with hot fudge, a nod to the city’s beloved baseball team. Crater Copernicus brings devil’s food cake, hot fudge, and whipped cream together in one cup.
Other house favorites include Twisted Caramel and Lemon Crumb. There’s also the Dutchman Delight, which mixes chocolate, butterscotch, and pecans. Fans of classic flavors can go with a Turtle-style combo of hot fudge, caramel, and pecans.
Feeling creative instead? You can build your own concrete from a huge list of fruits, candies, cookies, nuts, and syrups. Every visit can turn into a brand-new experiment.
A smart move for groups is to order different flavors and share. That way, everyone gets a taste of several signatures without committing to just one. You’ll also have a head start on picking a favorite for next time.
Indecisive people, consider yourselves warned. This menu could keep you busy for an entire summer.
Concretes Get the Fame, But The Rest Of the Menu Deserves A Look
Sometimes the sidekicks steal a little spotlight. At this stand, the supporting cast is surprisingly strong.
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard serves classic sundaes, malts, and old-fashioned ice cream sodas, all made with its creamy custard. Prefer something simple? Hand-dipped vanilla cones are available, and you can even get them dipped in chocolate.
Strawberry shortcake is a popular pick that shows up often in conversations about the stand. It offers a lighter, fruitier change of pace from the heavier candy-loaded concretes.
Cookie sandwiches are another handheld option for anyone who wants dessert on the move. For something without custard, there’s an orange slushy. Dad’s Scotch Oatmeal Cookies are also on hand, which helps folks looking for a dairy-free treat.
Size options make it easy to match your appetite. Mini sizes work well for a quick snack, especially if you’re on a road trip with more stops ahead.
Parents of little ones, take note. Sundaes can come served in mini baseball helmets, which turns dessert into a souvenir. Kids usually treat that helmet like a trophy long after the last spoonful disappears.
Your Spot On Route 66 Comes With A Side Of Nostalgia
Old Route 66 still has plenty of stories to tell. One of its sweetest sits right on Chippewa Street in south St. Louis.
You’ll find Ted Drewes Frozen Custard at 6726 Chippewa St, St. Louis, MO 63109. This location opened in 1941 and became the flagship stand. It sits along the historic highway, which makes it a natural stop for road-trippers crossing Missouri.
The white building and classic roadside sign feel like a snapshot of mid-century travel. It’s the kind of view that practically begs for a photo before you even reach the window.
Ordering happens outside at the walk-up windows. There’s no indoor dining room, so this is an open-air experience from start to finish.
Some benches sit off to the side of the parking area. Plenty of folks simply stand around the lot, custard in hand, chatting with friends and family.
Planning a Route 66 adventure? Mark this one on the map early. It pairs nicely with a summer evening, a full tank of gas, and absolutely no rush to get anywhere else.
Long Lines Move Faster Than You’d Expect
A packed parking lot might look intimidating. Don’t let it scare you off, because the crew here is famously quick.
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is known for long lines, especially on warm evenings. The good news is that the lines tend to move fast. Multiple windows and an efficient staff keep orders flowing even when the lot is full.
First visit? Take a minute to study the menu while you wait. The choices are huge, and deciding before you reach the window keeps things moving for everyone.
Not sure what to get? The staff can help with suggestions. That’s handy when you’re torn between ten flavors that all sound amazing.
Timing matters too. The stand opens at 11 a.m. most days and stays open late into the evening. Hours can change with the season, so it’s smart to check before heading out.
A little patience pays off here. By the time you’ve finished people-watching, your custard will probably be in your hand. And honestly, watching cup after cup get flipped upside down makes the wait feel like part of the show.
Winter Swaps Spoons for Spruce, Well, Fir Actually
Most custard stands quiet down when the weather turns cold. This one starts selling Christmas trees.
Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the Chippewa location of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard becomes a holiday tree lot. Live trees and greenery fill the space. It’s a long-running tradition that many St. Louis families build their season around.
The trees come with a story, too.
For decades, Ted Drewes Jr. or his son-in-law, Travis Dillon, traveled to the family’s tree farm in Nova Scotia to select Christmas trees for the St. Louis stand.
The lineup includes Canadian Balsam Firs, Fraser Firs, Scotch Pines, and White Pines.
That means you can grab a tree and a frozen treat in the same trip. It’s a combination that sounds odd on paper and makes total sense in person.
Bundle up if you plan to visit in December. Missouri winters can bite, but cold custard somehow still tastes great with a fresh tree tied to the roof.
Holiday hours may differ from summer hours, so check ahead. Then make it a family outing. Pick the tree, order the concretes, and call it the official kickoff to the season.
Four Generations Keep the Recipe in the Family
Plenty of famous food brands get sold, merged, or turned into chains. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard took a different path and stayed in the family.
The business began with Ted Drewes Sr. in 1929. It has now passed through four generations. Ted Drewes Jr. handed the company to his daughter, Christy Dillon, and her husband, Travis Dillon.
That continuity shows up in small ways. The custard still starts with the same rich vanilla base. The upside-down flip remains part of every concrete order, just as it has been for decades.
There’s even a concrete called the Christy, made with brownie, vanilla custard, caramel, and hot fudge. It’s a sweet nod to the family behind the windows.
The company has long focused on quality, hospitality, and friendly service. Those values help explain why the stand still feels so personal, even with national fame.
Leaving Missouri soon? Make this stop part of your goodbye. Few places let you taste nearly a century of family tradition in one cup.
Even fewer hand it to you upside down with a smile.