Best Place to Get a Shake in Every State

The milkshake got its name because, back before electric milkshake-makers or blenders were invented, it was made the same way some cocktails are — shaken in a covered vessel. The first blenders date from the 1920s, and those ubiquitous Hamilton Beach milkshake machines appeared in the late '30s, but milkshakes (or "milk shakes") were being enjoyed as early as the 1880s.

Milkshakes, of course, are basically liquified desserts — mixtures of milk, ice cream (or sometimes frozen yogurt or sorbet), and usually syrup of some kind, typically topped with whipped cream and maybe a crowning maraschino cherry. These days, they're also often made with add-ins like crumbled cookies, chopped candy bars, and berries or bananas, and there's a trend in some places towards piling all sorts of confections above the rim of the glass or cup they're served in. Oh, and there's always the possibility of spiking them with alcohol. (A malt is just a milkshake with malted milk powder — made from condensed milk, malted barley, and wheat flour — stirred in.)

However they're made, they're an indulgence, probably better enjoyed as an occasional treat than a daily pleasure — so if you're going to order one and calories be damned, you'll likely want to make sure that you're getting the most delicious possible example. (Here, though, are 19 milkshakes with more calories than entire meals.)

With that in mind, 24/7 Tempo has assembled a list of the best places in every state to get a shake, drawing on reviews and ratings from numerous crowd-sourced platforms, including Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Foursquare, as well as a range of local and regional websites.

Even with their modern-day elaborations, there's something appealingly old-fashioned about milkshakes, so it's not surprising that many places on this list are old-school diners or ice cream parlors. The classic shakes are, like the classic ice cream flavors, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, but as the sample shakes mentioned here suggest, there is an immense variety of possibilities.

Scroll down to see the best place to get a shake in every state.

• Location: Huntsville
• Sample shake: Alabama peach pie

• Location: Anchorage
• Sample shake: Hot fudge

• Location: Phoenix
• Sample shake: Chocolate chile

• Location: North Little Rock
• Sample shake: Cherry

• Location: Indio
• Sample shake: Date

• Location: Denver
• Sample shake: Rum-Drenched Churro Boozey Shake

• Location: West Hartford
• Sample shake: Victus Coffee cold brew

• Location: Wilmington
• Sample shake: You're Killing Me Smalls (marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate, with optional Plantation Rum)

• Location: St. Augustine (2 locations)
• Sample shake: Electric Jellyfish (vanilla with homemade fresh blueberry compote)

• Location: Savannah (3 locations)
• Sample shake: Honey almond and cream

• Location: Honolulu
• Sample shake: Coca-Cola

• Location: Boise and Meridian
• Sample shake: Watermelon

• Location: Evanston and Chicago
• Sample shake: Nutella

• Location: Indianapolis
• Sample shake: Honey-roasted peanut butter

• Location: Iowa City
• Sample shake: Wilson's Dutch Apple Pieshake

• Location: Pleasanton
• Sample shake: Pineapple

• Location: Lexington
• Sample shake: Banana pudding

• Location: Baton Rouge
• Sample shake: Dreamsicle

• Location: South Portland
• Sample shake: Licorice

• Location: Baltimore
• Sample shake: Captain Krunch

• Location: Newton
• Sample shake: Tropical fruit frappe

• Location: Dearborn
• Sample shake: European cookie butter

• Location: Minneapolis
• Sample shake: Fig

• Location: Jackson
• Sample shake: Ginger Finger (Butterfingers, ginger syrup, vanilla ice cream)

• Location: St. Louis
• Sample shake: Johnny Rabbit Special (banana malt with whipped cream, nuts, and nutmeg)

• Location: St. Regis
• Sample shake: Huckleberry

• Location: Omaha
• Sample shake: Toasted marshmallow

• Location: Reno
• Sample shake: Lavender chai

• Location: Portsmouth
• Sample shake: The Dude (vanilla ice cream, Kahlúa, and vanilla vodka)

• Location: Bloomfield
• Sample shake: Maple walnut

• Location: Santa Fe
• Sample shake: Mexican chocolate Adobe Mud

• Location: New York City and Brooklyn
• Sample shake: Ginger Grape Nut

• Location: Gastonia
• Sample shake: Black walnut

• Location: Napoleon
• Sample shake: Cotton candy (blue or pink)

• Location: Cleveland Heights
• Sample shake: Root beer

• Location: Oklahoma City (2 locations)
• Sample shake: Punk Shake (vanilla bean soft-serve, miso caramel, and choice of Butterfinger or Oreo topping)

• Location: Fields Station
• Sample shake: English toffee

• Location: Southampton and Quakertown
• Sample shake: Apple pie

• Location: Providence (2 locations)
• Sample shake: The Bam Bam (Fruity Pebbles, strawberry syrup, vanilla ice cream)

• Location: Charleston and Columbia
• Sample shake: Mint Chocolate Chip

• Location: Sioux Falls
• Sample shake: Butterscotch

• Location: Franklin
• Sample shake: Peaches N Cream

• Location: Spring and Magnolia
• Sample shake: Chocolate chip banana bread

• Location: Heber City
• Sample shake: Heath Bar

• Location: Shelburne
• Sample shake: Malted milk ball

• Location: Roanoke
• Sample shake: Cracker Jill (salted caramel ice cream with butter-toasted peanuts)

• Location: Tacoma
• Sample shake: Banana Brûlée

• Location: Bramwell
• Sample shake: Lemon

• Location: Madison
• Sample shake: Blueberry Swirl

• Location: Casper
• Sample shake: Chocolate banana pineapple