Concrete at gate A15 without leaving Terminal 1
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard sits in Terminal 1 by gate A15, bringing the Route 66 classic inside STL. It’s post-security, so you can grab a custard after clearing TSA and still be at your gate in under five minutes. This is dessert-only territory: frozen custard, concretes, and sundaes, nothing savory.
Prices stay airport-friendly by dessert standards, with most concretes and sundaes landing in the $5–$8 range. The stand stays open through the day whenever flights are running, so mid-morning sweet tooth at 10:30 or a 9 p.m. sugar hit before the last departures both work. Type on the board is pure American dessert: vanilla or chocolate bases, mix-ins like Oreos and hot fudge, and seasonal flavors when they have them.
The signature move here is the concrete so thick they can flip the cup. Go for a classic like a chocolate chip concrete or a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream if you want the “St. Louis icon” experience without overthinking the toppings. Portions run big for an airport, so a single small concrete often works for two kids or as a shared snack between two adults on a short hop out of Terminal 1.
There’s no real seating at Ted Drewes itself by A15, just the counter and a bit of standing room, so plan to carry your custard back to your gate area chairs. Lines spike right after big banks of departures around A10–A20, and a queue of 8–10 people can still move in under 10 minutes since the menu is short and prepped fast.
Tip: flying out of Terminal 2 on Southwest and craving Ted Drewes anyway? You’d need to exit and re-clear security at Terminal 1, so only attempt it with at least 90 minutes to spare and no checked bags drama.