DiningBuzz! - Good Shakes and Malts

While Baskin Robbins hasn't been the place to go for ice cream for years, they still make a pretty good shake or malt (unlike places like McDonald's, which has pre-made shake machines). A good shake has to be mixed. What stuns me, however, is that they are pre-made at so many places that people no longer know how to make them. They have to resort to recipes. Two out of the last four times I've requested chocolate malts, I've had to stop them from making them with chocolate ice cream. With one person, when I said I wanted a chocolate malt made with vanilla ice cream, she got so confused and upset with me that she had to get her manager who came out and made it. A chocolate shake or malt is made with VANILLA ice cream, unless you request something else. Not often, but sometimes I really do long for "the good old days." :rolleyes:

Chocolate shake is made with chocolate ice cream and syrup.

Black and white shake is made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

Don't ask for a shake in Boston. Regional variations may apply.

If you're in the Southeast, Cook Out is my go to place for shakes. They have a lot of variety and they're handmade. My favorite is the Elvis (peanut butter and banana) but they have lots of good ones. Just thinking about this makes me want to hit the drive thru tonight!

Come to The City and go to Ronnybrook inside the Chelsea Market. They make a tasty shake. Then walk it off while wandering up to Shake Shack and get yourself their shake and burger. Waddle down to E 5th Street to Black Iron for their delicious burger, I suggest the pepperjack and onion burger, and a malted.

In NYC, I really like Shake Shack.

In Chicago, Oberweis is the best for all things ice cream, hands down.

A chocolate shake or malt is made with VANILLA ice cream, unless you request something else. Not often, but sometimes I really do long for "the good old days." :rolleyes:

Completely agree...

In NYC, I really like Shake Shack.

In Chicago, Oberweis is the best for all things ice cream, hands down.

I wouldn't set foot in there, given the politics of the owner.

Completely agree...

I guess we're dating ourselves. Historically, it was made with vanilla ice cream. A lot of recipes now call for chocolate.

I wouldn't set foot in there, given the politics of the owner.


It's a guilty pleasure. He may be a near-fascist, but he does make good ice cream.

It's a guilty pleasure. He may be a near-fascist, but he does make good ice cream.

Never drank a drop of the milk, never a taste of the ice cream (as far as I know).

Johnny Rockets can usually be counted on for a proper malted milk shake.

A chocolate shake or malt is made with VANILLA ice cream, unless you request something else. Not often, but sometimes I really do long for "the good old days." :rolleyes:amen.

A guilty pleasure of mine is heading to Aglamesis Brothers when I'm in Cincinnati for a chocolate soda (made with VANILLA ice cream thank you) or a good shake.
www.aglamesis.com

Back in the day, my Pop would treat me once in awhile to a chocolate soda at Peacock's in Skokie. (been closed for a long time now: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1554865.html )

If you're in the Southeast, Cook Out is my go to place for shakes. They have a lot of variety and they're handmade. My favorite is the Elvis (peanut butter and banana) but they have lots of good ones. Just thinking about this makes me want to hit the drive thru tonight!

Never thought of Cookout. Gotta to try it, thanks.

Shakes abound. Why is it so hard to find malts?

Shakes abound. Why is it so hard to find malts?

Because most places that serve shakes have shake machines. And the shake comes out like soft serve ice cream, a "recipe" for mediocrity. Generally, you can only get a malt at a place which specializes in ice cream treats. They mix their shakes (ice cream, syrup and milk) with a mixer/blender and they just add the malt powder to the mix.

I'm far from a connoisseur of milkshakes, but I had a superb salted caramel shake at 5 Napkins in Boston (though technically a small NYC chain).

Gotta second the vote for Shake Shack... Here in SoCal charlie Palmers DG Burger does a pretty darn good job as well.

I'm far from a connoisseur of milkshakes, but I had a superb salted caramel shake at 5 Napkins in Boston (though technically a small NYC chain).sounds delicious, I've FW'd to one of my nephews who lives in Boston.

Oh, and Peninsula Creamery in Palo Alto, CA.

Er, call me confused, but how can you have a chocolate shake made with vanilla ice cream? :confused:

Completely agree on the chocolate shake being made with vanilla IC and chocolate syrup. And nobody knows what malt is. Blank stares most of the time.

Completely agree on the chocolate shake being made with vanilla IC and chocolate syrup. And nobody knows what malt is. Blank stares most of the time.

Lucky for you, everyone knows what Diet Coke is! ;)

A guilty pleasure of mine is heading to Aglamesis Brothers when I'm in Cincinnati for a chocolate soda (made with VANILLA ice cream thank you) or a good shake.
www.aglamesis.comHave to give another vote for Aglamesis as I was just there this past weekend, treated my brother's family. Niece & nephew had choc shakes (made w/vanilla ice cream) and my brother & his wife decided to try my choc soda w/vanilla ice cream. Both of them gave an approving look & went up to counter to each order one.:D

While some in Cincinnati prefer Graeter's, my brother's family & myself prefer Aglamesis.

It's a bit off the beaten path, but Chaney's Dairy Barn, just south of Bowling Green, KY (http://www.chaneysdairybarn.com/) has great shakes. They make their own ice cream and whether you want a cone, a sundae or a shake it is worth a stop if you are in the area.

Er, call me confused, but how can you have a chocolate shake made with vanilla ice cream? :confused:
I will teach you, and I won't even charge :)

A proper chocolate shake or malt is always, always made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. If chocolate ice cream is used, the chocolate syrup adds too much chocolate flavor. Since your typical shake maker has no training or intelligence, you will need to carefully instruct, or better yet buy a Hamilton Beach (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=%22hamilton+beach%22+milkshake+mixer&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13397181120233742610&sa=X&ei=LWg2Tu2gC8rUgAe50OD2DA&ved=0CD0Q8wIwAg) and make 'em at home.

Some fast food chains have improved their milkshake offerings, notably Carl's Jr./Hardee's and Jack In The Box.

You might live near a Steak & Shake (http://www.steaknshake.com) restaurant, a source of excellent and many-flavored shakes and malts. OP, there are many of these in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.

To make malts at home, buy some Carnation Malted Milk mix and add milk and syrup to taste.
.

Er, call me confused, but how can you have a chocolate shake made with vanilla ice cream? :confused:

It's all about the syrup. A chocolate sundae is also made with vanilla ice cream.

You don't have to go through MLI to get to anywhere, so
kind of out of the way for the 'travelers' that frequent FT, but, if you happen to be in the QCA (Rock Island, Moline, Davenport) area, you might try Whitey's Ice Cream. Locally owned and made in Moline.
Not cheap , only the best. http://www.whiteysicecream.com/ourmenu.asp

2 places here in STL-

1. Crown Candy Kitchen in Old North St. Louis. Delicious shakes and malts, made with house made ice cream. Come in a 24 oz tin so you'll have plenty for your friends.

2. Pi restaurant in Kirkwood. They have a milkshake bar with some amazing upscale milkshake options.

2 places here in STL-

1. Crown Candy Kitchen in Old North St. Louis. Delicious shakes and malts, made with house made ice cream. Come in a 24 oz tin so you'll have plenty for your friends.

2. Pi restaurant in Kirkwood. They have a milkshake bar with some amazing upscale milkshake options.

What about Ted Drewes? I've only had concretes there, but I would think they'd have good shakes and malts. No?

What about Ted Drewes? I've only had concretes there, but I would think they'd have good shakes and malts. No?Ted Drewes is custard only IIRC, good but Kopps was better IMO. Custard can make a good shake, personally I prefer ice cream for great shakes.

Ted Drewes is custard only IIRC, good but Kopps was better IMO. Custard can make a good shake, personally I prefer ice cream for great shakes.

I do know that Culver's makes an excellent strawberry shake, so I have no reason to think that Ted Drewe's wouldn't (or at least couldn't) also.

Ehh, I've never been impressed with a Ted Drewes' milkshake. They churn stuff out too quickly to make a good milkshake, and I don't like the way the custard comes out in a shake.

Concretes or sundaes, however, Ted Drewes' is full of win. My house is ~2 blocks away. It's very hard to resist the siren's call...

Steak and Shake has my vote, very yummmmy

I love Carl's Jr vanilla shakes.

Steak and Shake has my vote, very yummmmy

Their's are good. They use hand dipped ice cream. No shake machine.

In NYC, I really like Shake Shack.

In Chicago, Oberweis is the best for all things ice cream, hands down.

I have hesitated to post this for fear of not being believed, but--

When I lived in New York, a long time ago (and please do not ask how long ago), just out of graduate school, and from the South, I ordered a milk shake and was given a glass of milk shaken with a syrup--chocolate, I suppose, though I've forgotten. I asked what happened to the ice cream and I was given to understand that the expectation that milk shakes should contain ice cream was a southern expectation. In New York, the server said, milk shakes were not made with ice cream, that they were just shaken.

It is possible that the server was mistaken and was thinking just of--my mind has gone blank now, shaking a carbonated beverage with a syrup. But I think I recall complaining to acquaintances and was told the same thing, that in New York, milk shakes did not contain ice cream.

Anyhow, FWIW. New York now "allows" iced tea as well, and when I was there, people found the idea rather laughable. Sandwiches have changed too.

But the milk shake thing seems to be a pretty major difference.

Is anyone out there who remembers the same thing?

As I said, I hesitate to post this. Anyhow--[preparing to wince if no one else is aware of it]

I have hesitated to post this for fear of not being believed, but--

When I lived in New York, a long time ago (and please do not ask how long ago), just out of graduate school, and from the South, I ordered a milk shake and was given a glass of milk shaken with a syrup--chocolate, I suppose, though I've forgotten. I asked what happened to the ice cream and I was given to understand that the expectation that milk shakes should contain ice cream was a southern expectation. In New York, the server said, milk shakes were not made with ice cream, that they were just shaken.

It is possible that the server was mistaken and was thinking just of--my mind has gone blank now, shaking a carbonated beverage with a syrup. But I think I recall complaining to acquaintances and was told the same thing, that in New York, milk shakes did not contain ice cream.

Anyhow, FWIW. New York now "allows" iced tea as well, and when I was there, people found the idea rather laughable. Sandwiches have changed too.

But the milk shake thing seems to be a pretty major difference.

Is anyone out there who remembers the same thing?

As I said, I hesitate to post this. Anyhow--[preparing to wince if no one else is aware of it]

I found this:

Hand-blended milkshakes can be made from any flavor of ice cream, and additional flavorings, such as chocolate syrup and malt, can be added prior to mixing. This allows a greater variety than is available in machine-made shakes. Several decades ago, milkshakes were made without ice cream,[1] a practice which is still continued in some Commonwealth nations and the New England region of the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkshake

SkeptiCallie, my Dad used to tell me of similar experiences, but in Boston, not New York. He said up there you had to ask for a "frappe" or you didn't get ice cream.

Cold Stone Creamery shakes are a favourite, however a rarer pleasure given they can contain up to 2000 calories :eek:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1281479/Americas-unhealthiest-drink-2-000-calorie-milkshake-equivalent-25-bacon-rashers.html

In terms of chains, I have to go with Steak N' Shake. Excellent milkshake.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Portillo's chocolate cake shakes. (Personally, I hate them, but they do have their fans.)

When I was growing up in Minneapolis, non-fast food milk shakes and malts were both lumpy, with lumps of ice cream and partly mixed liquid. That's the way I like them. They were not of uniform consistency.

I dislike the current milkshakes (and malts, if I can find them), which are so thick that the spoon stands up in them and so thoroughly blended that they may as well be made of pure soft-serve ice cream.

Took my sons to Cheeseburger Cheeseburger in White Plains on Friday. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their milkshakes. The burger wasn't too bad either.

Ehh, I've never been impressed with a Ted Drewes' milkshake. They churn stuff out too quickly to make a good milkshake, and I don't like the way the custard comes out in a shake.

Concretes or sundaes, however, Ted Drewes' is full of win. My house is ~2 blocks away. It's very hard to resist the siren's call...

In agreement on Ted Drewes' milkshake. Decent, but not great. Now the rest of the menu is amazing. I usually just get a dipped cone because I enjoy the taste of the custard so much.

Find an old fashioned diner in New York City and have a vanilla or chocolate egg cream. Nothing like the real thing (and the bottled variety doesn't come close - sorry)

A few years ago I had a milk shake at a Steak and Shake that had ice chips in it (not ice crystals as if it been re-frozen, but lots of small chips.) It ended up tasting like "ice milk" I remember getting as a kid - very watered down. One of the worst shakes I have ever had. Based on all the positive comments here about Steak and Shake, that shake must have been an anomaly for the chain, so I guess I'll give them another try.

In Calgary, hands down for shakes.. is Peter's Drive In..

Lots of flavors.. I wished they accept cc, so that I can dine there more.. using a cc, I can expense to my company..

cash is out of my pocket.. and no miles..

Since your typical shake maker has no training or intelligence, you will need to carefully instruct, or better yet buy a Hamilton Beach and make 'em at home.
.

Hey! While I totally agree making shakes & malts is not difficult, one really shouldn't underestimate the people working in those jobs.*

In high school and college, I worked at a place that makes great milkshakes in the middle-of-nowhere Ohio. It was a soft-serve place, and for chocolate shakes & malt, we used the chocolate/vanilla twist ice cream (along with chocolate syrup, of course). In general, you can get really good shakes and ice cream all throughout the various small local ice cream places in Ohio.

* I was wearing my [fancy East Coast] college t-shirt one day at work. One customer made a comment, "Oh, you go to [fancy East Coast] college? I thought you were just a dumb waitress." This was more than 15 years ago, and I am still amazed and horrified by that comment. This "dumb waitress" now has a PhD.

Hey! While I totally agree making shakes & malts is not difficult, one really shouldn't underestimate the people working in those jobs.*

In high school and college, I worked at a place that makes great milkshakes in the middle-of-nowhere Ohio. It was a soft-serve place, and for chocolate shakes & malt, we used the chocolate/vanilla twist ice cream (along with chocolate syrup, of course). In general, you can get really good shakes and ice cream all throughout the various small local ice cream places in Ohio.

* I was wearing my [fancy East Coast] college t-shirt one day at work. One customer made a comment, "Oh, you go to [fancy East Coast] college? I thought you were just a dumb waitress." This was more than 15 years ago, and I am still amazed and horrified by that comment. This "dumb waitress" now has a PhD.

I think OP meant.. to start.. and receive the necessary training to make a great shake..

But I agree.. when paying premium for shake or malt.. you want the product bang on..

I turned into a shake snob a few years ago. Agreed on the comments for Whitey's and Steak n Shake. I would also add the UDF (United Dairy Farmers) convenience stores in the Cincy area. Really good stuff.

At Steak n Shake, the shakes are half price from 2-4...happy hour!

Smashburger doesn't make a bad shake either. I disagree on the support for Culvers--both times I've had their shakes I've been disappointed. Carl's Jr. is just OK in my book.

I disagree on the support for Culvers--both times I've had their shakes I've been disappointed. Carl's Jr. is just OK in my book.

Try the strawberry. Not to get maudlin, but several years ago when my mother was deathly ill, there was a Culver's right near the hospital. One of the few things we could get her to eat/drink was a Culver's strawberry shake. That might have something to do with my affinity for them. :)

As kids we used to step off the plane in TPA and head straight to the Shake Pit in Bradenton, FL before getting to our grandparents' house. We would also stop one last time before heading to the airport.

i heard Uneeda in Seattle makes a great salted Caramel milkshake. I'll be trying it someday.

In Louisville, Graeter's makes a terrific shake. I also think, as far as chains go, Chic Fil'a has good shakes.

Carl's Jr is ok, just like McD's..

run of the mill soft serve..

Black and White milkshake from Brigham's

No doubt there is one person here who, in a thread about THE best grilled cheese sandwich, would tell us how he enjoys Wonder Bread, Kraft American singles and Imperial Margarine. :rolleyes:

If you're ever in San Francisco try Pearl's Deluxe Burgers. They have amazing burgers and shakes. I had a peanut butter shake. Had small little shavings of peanuts and stuff in there. It sounds weird but was so good.

Then I came back the next day to have an Oreo mint shake. My friend had a chocolate banana shake. Had chunks of banana in it.

I had been there for burgers but this was my first time trying the shakes. A must try if you're in the city. Amazing.