Open since 1947, the Dairy Inn has been a great place for food and sundries in the Crescent Lake neighborhood of St. Petersburg. It began as a Dairy Queen, and the first one in the country to have a Griddle. But after changing hands in 1969, the new owners decided they did not want to pay a franchise fee, and changed the name from Dairy Queen to Dairy Inn. It remained a great local spot for fast food and ice cream.
Since its opening, the Dairy Inn is known for its soft-serve, hard-dipped ice creams, and malt milkshakes. They are some of the most authentic and best in town! The current owners, who purchased the property in 2007, had French culinary backgrounds, and decided to expand the menu. The Dairy Inn now serves Breakfast, with your typical eggs and bacon platters, new Breakfast burritos, and bagels. However, my favorite is usually a daily special: Beignets and a cup of coffee. 
For the lunch and dinner crowd, burgers, Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, wings, wraps and NY Deli-style sandwiches are all on the menu. One of my favorite meals is one that takes me back to my childhood, and was a favorite of my Grandmother: a Chicago Hot Dog with a side of tater tots and a Coke float.
Dining is usually to-go or sitting outside on their covered patio. Open every day from 7:00am to 10:00/11:00PM, this neighborhood site is perfect to come with friends or family. And don’t forget to save room for dessert – they make soft serve ice cream, hard dipped ice cream cones, floats, chocolate covered banana splits, and over 40 kinds of smoothies and shakes.
Dairy Inn is located at 1201 Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Street North in the Crescent Lake neighborhood. Check out their menus here, or better yet, go visit them in person for the daily specials. We will see you there!