Summer 2024 is moving way too fast. Just last month we launched a big ranking of all the best chocolate milkshakes in fast food and opened that article with the line “It’s starting to feel like summer,” and now here we are just a little over a month from that date, and it feels like the season is just breezing by.
In less than a month from now, people will already be heading back to school, and although it’ll technically still be summer until the end of September, let’s face it, once college classes start up again and the weather cools down a few degrees, the season is, for all intents and purposes, over. So before summer comes to a close, treat yourself right by grabbing the coldest, thickest, and tastiest milkshakes your money can buy.
Last month’s ranking was great for fans of chocolate milkshakes, but chocolate isn’t everyone’s favorite flavor, so for this ranking, anything goes! We’re shouting out and tasting the best milkshakes from our favorite fast food restaurants, and ranking them from good to great.
Yes, you might find one or two chocolate milkshakes in this ranking (some are too great to deny), but mostly we’re going to be focusing on the more adventurous flavors. Let’s sip!
16. McDonald’s — McCafe Chocolate Shake
Thickness: 2/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
McDonald’s shake game is weak. The chain just doesn’t have a single decent milkshake, the only dessert you should ever be picking up from McDonald’s is a soft serve cone or a McFlurry.
If you insist on drinking a milkshake, the only choice worth picking up is the Chocolate Shake, but be warned, you’re going to be disappointed.
This milkshake consists of some chocolate syrup mixed into McDonald’s vanilla soft-serve base. It’s loose, watery, and not nearly as chocolatey as we need it to be to be considered good. Luckily for all of us, this is the one true dud on this list.
The Bottom Line:
Skip it entirely. Get a McFlurry.
Find your nearest McDonald’s here.
15. Wendy’s — Triple Berry Frosty
Thickness: 5/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Wendy’s latest Frosty flavor is its best. The Triple Berry Frosty combines fruity notes for a refreshing dark berry flavor that is addicting as f*ck. According to Wendy’s, the flavor combination is a mix of strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but I’m tasting the woody floral notes more typical of blueberries and blackberries than anything else.
It’s not quite as versatile as the chocolate Frosty, and doesn’t serve as a better fry dip than vanilla but I think the flavor is much more interesting than anything Wendy’s has put on the dessert menu in awhile.
The Bottom Line:
The Triple Berry Frosty isn’t for everyone, but if you like berry-forward flavors and the refreshing quality of a strawberry milkshake, this is by far Wendy’s most interesting dessert offering.
Find your nearest Wendy’s here.
14. Dave’s Hot Chicken — Vanilla Shake
Thickness: 3/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
I’m fully aware that Dave’s Hot Chicken has milkshakes with mix-ins, including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, M&Ms, and crushed Oreos but I think Dave’s shakes are at their best when they are as simple as possible. Dave’s Hot Chicken is all about, well, hot chicken, you need something to offset all that heat and what better way to do that than with a nice cold, simple, vanilla milkshake?
A lot of fast food milkshakes out there use vanilla as a base and its virtually flavorless, but Dave’s actually tastes like real vanilla. It has this delicate floral quality about it that I find absolutely addicting.
While I love the flavor though, I have to knock points off this one for being a bit watery and not thick and luxurious like a milkshake should be.
The Bottom Line:
A great-tasting vanilla milkshake, but the consistency leaves a lot to be desired.
Find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken here.
13. Burger King — Chocolate Oreo Milkshake
Thickness: 3/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
I’m giving Burger King points for being one of the few fast food chains that has a chocolate Oreo milkshake rather than the typical vanilla base. Because chocolate doesn’t taste anything like Oreo creme, this milkshake tastes less like a giant drinkable version of an oreo and more like a rich brownie-flavored shake with bits of dark chocolate cookie providing texture.
I kind of love that! The only weak point on this shake is the consistency. If it was just a bit thicker, we’d be willing to bump this up a few spots. But in a milkshake ranking, thickness is everything.
The Bottom Line:
Wonderfully chocolatey with a nice cookie-filled texture. One of BK’s best menu items but compared to the competition, this milkshake is merely good, not great.
Find your nearest Burger King here.
12. Carl’s Jr. — Hand-Scooped Vanilla Ice Cream Shake
Thickness: 4/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Carl’s Jr. milkshake has the same vibe as Dave’s Hot Chicken, it tastes like vanilla, not like sweet milk. It’s floral with gentle notes of honey! But unlike with Dave’s, the thickness actually delivers here.
That’s because Carl’s Jr.’s milkshakes are made with scoops of ice cream rather than a soft serve base. So think of this as a drinkable scoop of ice cream. Actually, don’t do that, because that sounds incredibly unappetizing.
Good as this milkshake is, at the end of the day it’s just a vanilla milkshake. If it had some interesting mix-ins to add texture that might be enough to rank this higher, but as it stands right now, it’s very good, but not great.
The Bottom Line:
Thick and creamy, with a strong vanilla flavor. But it’s a little boring compared to what we’ve ranked higher.
Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.
11. Arby’s — Jamocha Shake
Thickness: 3/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Arby’s doesn’t get enough credit for having good milkshakes. Contrary to popular belief, Arby’s isn’t all about the meats. They’ve got the milks too! Okay, sorry, that sounds disgusting. What we’re trying to say is that the Jamocha Shake is worth the pick-up, especially if you like coffee-flavored sweet treats.
What you get here is a rich and decadent coffee flavor hovering over deep chocolatey notes. Think of a Mocha Frappuccino, but with a bigger focus on the chocolate rather than the coffee. That’s not to say the coffee is weak, you still get that slightly bitter vibe and a hit of caffeine from this drink, but the dominating flavor is chocolate.
The Bottom Line:
There are few pleasures greater than hitting up an Arby’s drive-thru in the morning for a coffee-infused milkshake. It’s the sort of thing that makes summer the season.
Find your nearest Arby’s here.
10. Del Taco — Strawberry Shake
Thickness: 4/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
I’ll never understand the hate strawberry milkshakes get. As one of the classic big three of milkshake flavors, this is the only one that has a lot of haters. If you hate strawberry milkshakes, I have to ask — what’s wrong with you?
This milkshake is fruity and refreshing with a luxurious consistency. Del Taco’s strawberry shake has chunks of real frozen strawberry that come through the straw and offer the occasional burst of tangy flavor. It’s not just a great strawberry milkshake, it’s the best strawberry milkshake in all of fast food.
The Bottom Line:
Wonderfully refreshing, fast food’s greatest strawberry milkshake.
Find your nearest Del Taco here.
9. Jack in the Box — Oreo Milkshake
Thickness: 2/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Jack in the Box was once the gold standard of Oreo Milkshakes. While I think that in 2024 there are a few fast food brands that do the flavor a bit better, this is still very, very good.
JiB’s Oreo Milkshake is luxuriously thick with a vanilla cream-forward flavor that ends with a strong chocolate finish. Somehow JiB is able to keep the cookies that are mixed in crunchy despite being inundated in a vanilla base. And JiB goes heavy on the mix-ins, giving you a good amount of cookie flavor in every sip.
No complaints here, this is a near-perfect milkshake, but not one of our absolute favorites.
The Bottom Line:
Near-perfect, but there are a couple of Oreo-based shakes we like better.
Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.
8. Sonic — Strawberry Cheesecake Master Shake
Thickness: 5/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Sonic’s Strawberry Cheesecake earns its ridiculous “Master Shake” name, this thing delivers! Drinking this milkshake will take you on a journey that begins creamy, shifts into a sharp wince-inducing tang, morphs into sweet cherry and fruity strawberry flavors, and finishes with a nutty cinnamon graham cracker finish. And that’s all in one sip!
But be warned, this milkshake isn’t for everyone. If you don’t like the flavor of cheesecake, this won’t sell you on it no matter how many grams of sugar and mix-ins are tossed in this thing.
The Bottom Line:
A rich, creamy, and tangy delight for people who love cheesecake. If you don’t like cheesecake though, this probably won’t change your mind.
Find your nearest Sonic here.
7. In-N-Out — Neapolitan Shake
Thickness: 5/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
In-N-Out’s best milkshake flavor comes right off its Secret Menu. The Neapolitan Shake — as its name would imply — is a combination of In-N-Out’s chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors, all mixed into one milkshake.
It provides a medley of flavors that begins with an intense burst of strawberry before settling into rich chocolate territory. It’s thick, creamy, rich, and cold enough to give you an instant brain freeze. If you’re worried about ordering something from an unlisted secret menu, don’t, the In-N-Out employees know exactly what you’re talking about if you simply ask for a “Neapolitan Shake.”
And if you’re feeling brave, go ahead and ask for a Rootbeer Float!
The Bottom Line:
One of In-N-Out’s most delicious secrets.
Find your nearest In-N-Out here.
6. Steak n Shake — Oreo Mint Milkshake
Thickness: 4/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
In the entry for the Jack in the Box Oreo Shake, I wrote that there were a couple of brands out there that do it better, this is one of the shakes I was talking about. Steak and Shake’s Oreo Mint Milkshake is leagues better than what you can get at JiB and offers a complex spin on what is, in 2024, an overdone flavor.
One sip introduces your tastebuds to a cool mint flavor that pairs perfectly with the semi-bitter cocoa flavor of Oreo cookies before closing with a sweet vanilla finish. But the flavor is one thing, where this milkshake really shines is the thickness. It’s luxurious, and a struggle to pull up through the straw, which is admittedly annoying, but ultimately the sign of a good milkshake.
The Bottom Line:
Imagine an Andes Mint had a baby with an Oreo and it resulted in this amazing milkshake.
Find your nearest Steak n Shake here.
5. Dairy Queen — Nutter Butter
Thickness: 5/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
There is a reason we re-rank our food lists every year. Fast food menus are always in flux, sometimes flavors get retired or new options emerge. If we want to offer the most relevant list, we must re-taste what’s out there and re-rank everything. So let’s take a moment to mourn the end of Dairy Queen’s Banana Melt, which used to be one of our all-time favorites.
Alright, moments over, is there anything else as good as the Banana Melt?
No, not quite, but the Nutter Butter comes incredibly close to being just as good. The milkshake has real Nutter Butter’s blended into its vanilla base, offering a sweet peanut butter forward flavor with the occasional cookie crumble.
The Bottom Line:
DQ’s best milkshake flavor, but we still miss the Banana Melt.
Find your nearest Dairy Queen here.
4. Johnny Rocket’s — Chocolate Chip Cookie Shake
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Thickness: 4/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
I’m a sucker for a chocolate chip cookie, I think it’s the greatest cookie flavor ever, so a milkshake that attempts to capture that magic? I’m going to love it.
Johnny Rocket’s Chocolate Chip cookie is smooth and buttery with notes of toasty brown sugar and a semi-sweet chocolate finish on the aftertaste. If you love chocolate chip cookies, you’re going to love this.
The Bottom Line:
A thick and delicious milkshake that combines buttery brown sugar flavors and semi-sweet chocolate. It does the chocolate chip cookie proud!
Find your nearest Johnny Rockets here.
3. Shake Shack — Chocolate Salted Caramel Shake
Thickness: 4/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
We named Shake Shack’s Malted Chocolate Shake the best chocolate milkshake in all of fast food, but we wanted to take some time on this ranking to shout out the almost-as-delicious limited-time-only Chocolate Salted Caramel Shake.
This shake features a sweet chocolate frozen custard mixed with caramel and chocolate brownie batter, topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce. It offers a mix of rich chocolatey flavors and toasty brown sugar notes with a nutty finish and a touch of salt. It’s delicious and even better if you get it malted.
What is keeping us from ranking it any higher though is the consistency. It’s not quite as thick and luxurious as our top two picks.
The Bottom Line:
One of Shake Shack’s best limited-time-only shake flavors in some time. A mix of decadent chocolate notes and salty caramel.
Find your nearest Shake Shack here.
2. Five Guys — Milkshake with Oreos and Oreo Creme
Thickness: 5/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Five Guys makes the best Oreo shake in all of fast food. They achieve this by not just throwing Oreo cookie crumbles into the mix, but the creme as well, perfectly matching the flavor of an actual Oreo.
But there is a twist here. Drinking this milkshake is a bit like eating an Oreo inside out, it starts creamy and sweet and finishes with that strong slightly bitter cocoa flavor that is so characteristic of the cookie.
Best of all it’s thick as hell, so thick that we wouldn’t blame you for ditching the straw and diving in with a spoon.
Remember though, Five Guys has a fully customizable menu so don’t stop at Oreos, mix in some bananas, peanut butter, or even bacon if you want a salty and smokey finish.
The Bottom Line:
If you love Oreo milkshakes, it doesn’t get better than Five Guys.
Find your nearest Five Guys here.
1. Chick-fil-A — Peach Milkshake
Thickness: 4/5
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Last year, we named Chick-fil-A’s seasonal Peach Milkshake the second-best milkshake in all of fast food. Today, we’re happy to say it’s taken the number one spot.
This milkshake is unlike anything else in fast food. It’s delicate, floral, and sweet, with a refreshing gently tangy finish. It’s made with real peach puree blended with Chick-fil-A’s creamy Icedream soft serve and topped with ribbons of whipped cream. It’s simultaneously thick and airy, passing easily through the straw but not turning to a watery mess before you can finish it due to outside elements.
The only thing this milkshake has working against is that it’s seasonal, appearing on menus only during the summertime. That means if you want to try it get out there and order it before the season ends.
The Bottom Line:
The best tasting and most unique milkshake in all of fast food.
Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.