Ah, the milkshake. That frothy drink composed of milk, or a variety of non-dairy alternatives, flavorings, and perhaps sometimes even fruit that most of us recall fondly from our childhoods. It is almost synonymous with summer – those warm summer days that begged for a cool treat, a delicious creamy beverage that we all love. As soon as we heard the ice cream truck’s famous jingle, we’d run outside with excitement, knowing what was in store.
The modern milkshake that we’ve all grown accustomed to, that frosty shaken ice cream concoction, named after the method of creating it – shaken, not stirred – was invented 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). But it wasn’t always intended for children.
The term milkshake dates to the late 19th century when the word 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.
One of the easiest ways to eat dessert is by slurping it up through a straw. These liquified treats, great for on-the-go, come in a basic form – mixtures of a milk or milk-like beverage, 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. Additional add-ins are now quite popular, ranging from crumbled cookies and chopped candy bars to a variety of fruit. (Make sure you aren’t using any candy items from Diamond Shruumz, whose products have been recalled due to their dangerous chemicals.)
24/7 Tempo has assembled a list of the top spot for an ice cream shake in every 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 come in classic ice cream flavors like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, but as evidenced here with the “Shake to try,” there is an immense variety of possibilities. (These are milkshakes with more calories than entire meal
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