My Top Five Favorite Corporate America Milkshakes

Although I dislike “national days of nonsense” for the most part, I find no shame in using some of them to inspire content for this blog. While reading Parade Magazine, I found out that today is National Chocolate Milkshake Day (it didn’t say when National Vanilla Milkshake Day or National Strawberry Milkshake Day is). Because I love ice cream, you can probably guess I really enjoy milkshakes.

I will never forget going to my family’s restaurant and ordering a milkshake. The thick, homemade shake would come out in a steel malt cup with a spoon. To this day, diners across the nation still offer milkshakes in this old fashioned way. I am sure we all have a favorite hole-in-the-wall location where we always order the perfect shake.

However, tonight I want to connect with everyone as I evaluate the best milkshakes. Thus, you won’t find the delicious shakes made by such places as Ray’s Drive Inn of Dayton, Washington, in this blog post. Instead, I am going mainstream. Tonight I am giving you my top five milkshakes made by corporate America.

5. Cook Out – Sorry to alienate my friends out on the west coast, but Cook Out is an institution out east and the shakes are good so I am letting it crack the top five. Two main reasons why Cook Out makes the list: the shakes themselves are dirt cheap and ice cream just goes great with a bunch of fried food. The flavor list is also the second best on this countdown.

4. Applebee’s – I am not a huge fan of Applebee’s, but I do like their shakes. A frosty cookies and cream shake is a perfect match with the appetizer sampler. Also, the atmosphere of the restaurant usually jibes really well with a good milkshake. With each location usually decorated in memorabilia from its local community, enjoying one just seems really American. It also helps that I have a couple of great memories enjoying a shake at an Applebee’s location with my wife early on in our relationship so it is also a nostalgia thing for me.

3. McDonald’s – Mickey D’s just seems to have it down to a science. Although the shakes are simple, they are also consistent. For the most part easy to drink (doesn’t take a lot of straw power), the McDonald’s milkshake can be described simply as refreshing. However, it is just a tad depressing to order one. Why? McDonald’s makes sure to have calorie counts posted clearly on all menus and I want to say that a shake racks up a whopping 700 calories, much more than even a McFlurry.

2. Carl’s Jr/Hardees – In high school, I would love going through the Carl’s Jr. drive-thru and ordering a milkshake. They would present to you a huge clear container filled to top with milkshake topped with a large dome lid that was filled and completely overflowed with whipped cream. By far it was the best milkshake deal around. Don’t think it was just quantity either. The quality was there and with a large straw it was easy to do some big time milkshake drinking.

1. Sonic – Big surprise, right? I am not just giving the top spot to Sonic simply because this wildly successful chain runs commercials like crazy and is known for its ice cream. In reality, a Sonic milkshake is just as good as advertised. Not only is each sip delicious but the flavor list is about a mile long. Stay with a basic chocolate shake or go for an Oreo cheesecake shake. They both taste incredible. I personally love how Sonic offers two different levels of shakes…you can order a Classic Shake or a Master Shake. Whatever you get, you can’t go wrong. Sonic is the undisputed king of milkshakes in corporate America.

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As usual, I am up for any critiques on my list. To make the list fair, please know that I stayed away from chains that specialize in ice cream such as Baskin Robbins and Cold Stone. Other than that, let me know where I went wrong. Don’t Blink.