The Best Place for an Ice Cream Shake in Each State

The United States is the birthplace of the modern milkshake, that delicious creamy beverage we all know and love. The frosty shaken ice cream concoction started in the early 20th century in Chicago when Walgreens employee Ivar “Pop” Coulson added ice cream to malted milk (a drink that was simply milk, malted milk powder, and chocolate syrup). It was named after the method of creating it – shaken, not stirred – although its name dates even earlier, to the late 19th century when the term was used for the method of mixing an alcoholic beverage that contained cream and eggs.

While the original “milkshake” wasn’t intended for children, the technique for making it helped create a dessert that all could enjoy. The machines first used were crank-driven, a process that could be laborious and time-consuming. It wasn’t until Stephen J. Poplawski invented the electric blender in 1922 – a machine created purposefully for making milkshakes – that their popularity increased.

A milkshake is one of the easiest ways to eat dessert. These liquified treats come in a basic form – mixtures of milk, dairy, or non-dairy ice cream of choice (or sometimes frozen yogurt or sorbet), and usually, syrup of some kind, often topped with whipped cream. But there are many different interpretations now available. Add-ins are quite popular, like crumbled cookies, chopped candy bars, or various fruits. (These are milkshakes with more calories than entire meals.)

24/7 Tempo has assembled a list of the best place for an ice cream shake in each state by 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 the modern-day elaborate versions available, something is appealing about a simple, old-fashioned milkshake with just the basics.

It may come as no surprise that many of the locations listed here are old-school diners or ice cream parlors. The classic shakes are, like the classic ice cream flavors, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, but as evidenced here with the “Shake to try,” there is an immense variety of possibilities.

Here is the best place for an ice cream shake in each state.

Alabama: Oscar Moon’s

• Location: Huntsville
• Shake to try: Alabama peach pie

Alaska: Lucky Wishbone

• Location: Anchorage
• Shake to try: Hot fudge

Arizona: The Stand Arcadia Burger Shoppe

• Location: Phoenix
• Shake to try: Chocolate chile

Arkansas: The Original ScoopDog

• Location: North Little Rock
• Shake to try: Cherry

California: Shields Date Garden

• Location: Indio
• Shake to try: Date

Colorado: Milkbox Ice Creamery

• Location: Denver
• Shake to try: Rum-Drenched Churro Boozey Shake

Connecticut: A.C. Petersen Farms

• Location: West Hartford
• Shake to try: Victus Coffee cold brew

Delaware: Farmer & the Cow

• Location: Wilmington
• Shake to try: You’re Killing Me Smalls (marshmallow, graham crackers, and chocolate, with optional Plantation Rum)

Florida: Cousteau’s Waffle & Milkshake Bar

• Location: St. Augustine (2 locations)
• Shake to try: Electric Jellyfish (vanilla with homemade fresh blueberry compote)

Georgia: Leopold’s Ice Cream

• Location: Savannah (3 locations)
• Shake to try: Honey almond and cream

Hawaii: Rock Island Café

• Location: Honolulu
• Shake to try: Coca-Cola

Idaho: Fanci Freez

• Location: Boise and Meridian
• Shake to try: Watermelon

Illinois: Edzo’s Burger Shop

• Location: Evanston and Chicago
• Shake to try: Nutella

Indiana: Gordon’s Milkshake Bar

• Location: Indianapolis
• Shake to try: Honey-roasted peanut butter

Iowa: Hamburg Inn No. 2

• Location: Iowa City
• Shake to try: Wilson’s Dutch Apple Pieshake

Kansas: Cookee’s Drive-In

• Location: Pleasanton
• Shake to try: Pineapple

Kentucky: Tolly Ho

• Location: Lexington
• Shake to try: Banana pudding

Louisiana: Original Dearman’s Soda Shop

• Location: Baton Rouge
• Shake to try: Dreamsicle

Maine: Red’s Dairy Freeze

• Location: South Portland
• Shake to try: Licorice

Maryland: Papermoon Diner

• Location: Baltimore
• Shake to try: Captain Krunch

Massachusetts: Cabot’s

• Location: Newton
• Shake to try: Tropical fruit frappe

Michigan: Brome Modern Eatery

• Location: Dearborn
• Shake to try: European cookie butter

Minnesota: The Malt Shop

• Location: Minneapolis
• Shake to try: Fig

Mississippi: Brent’s Drugs

• Location: Jackson
• Shake to try: Ginger Finger (Butterfingers, ginger syrup, vanilla ice cream)

Missouri: Crown Candy Kitchen

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

Montana: Huck’s Grill at St. Regis Travel Center

• Location: St. Regis
• Shake to try: Huckleberry

Nebraska: Angus Burgers & Shakes

• Location: Omaha
• Shake to try: Toasted marshmallow

Nevada: Beefy’s

• Location: Reno
• Shake to try: Lavender chai

New Hampshire: Brgr Bar

• Location: Portsmouth
• Shake to try: The Dude (vanilla ice cream, Kahlúa, and vanilla vodka)

New Jersey: Holsten’s

• Location: Bloomfield
• Shake to try: Maple walnut

New Mexico: Shake Foundation

• Location: Santa Fe
• Shake to try: Mexican chocolate Adobe Mud

New York: Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream

• Location: New York City and Brooklyn
• Shake to try: Ginger Grape Nut

North Carolina: Tony’s Ice Cream

• Location: Gastonia
• Shake to try: Black walnut

North Dakota: The White Maid

• Location: Napoleon
• Shake to try: Cotton candy (blue or pink)

Ohio: Tommy’s

• Location: Cleveland Heights
• Shake to try: Root beer

Oklahoma: Burger Punk

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

Oregon: Fields Station

• Location: Fields Station
• Shake to try: English toffee

Pennsylvania: Flip City Shakes

• Location: Southampton and Quakertown
• Shake to try: Apple pie

Rhode Island: Harry’s Bar & Burger

• Location: Providence (2 locations)
• Shake to try: The Bam Bam (Fruity Pebbles, strawberry syrup, vanilla ice cream)

South Carolina: Kaminsky’s Dessert Café

• Location: Charleston and Columbia
• Shake to try: Mint Chocolate Chip

South Dakota: Phillips Avenue Diner

• Location: Sioux Falls
• Shake to try: Butterscotch

Tennessee: Franklin Milkshake Bar in Fork of the South

• Location: Franklin (temporarily closed)
• Shake to try: Peaches N Cream

Texas: Chill Milkshake & Waffle Bar

• Location: Spring and Magnolia
• Shake to try: Chocolate chip banana bread

Utah: Dairy Keen

• Location: Heber City
• Shake to try: Heath Bar

Vermont: The Scoop

• Location: Shelburne
• Shake to try: Malted milk ball

Virginia: Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar

• Location: Roanoke
• Shake to try: Cracker Jill (salted caramel ice cream with butter-toasted peanuts)

Washington: Shake Shake Shake

Banana Brûlée shake at Shake Shake Shake in Tacoma, Washington (Courtesy of Char M. via Yelp)

• Location: Tacoma
• Shake to try: Banana Brûlée

West Virginia: Bramwell Corner Shop & Soda Fountain

• Location: Bramwell
• Shake to try: Lemon

Wisconsin: Babcock Dairy Store

• Location: Madison
• Shake to try: Blueberry Swirl

Wyoming: Johnny J’s Diner

• Location: Casper
• Shake to try: Chocolate banana pineapple