The 10 Best Fast Food Milkshakes, According To Customers

There is no better pairing for a juicy burger or salty French fry than a sweet, creamy milkshake, and chains across the country offer various versions of this fast-food delicacy. Whether you prefer a thick shake packed with chunks of cookies and served with a spoon, or a smooth, sipable drink topped with whipped cream and a bright red cherry, there's no denying that this staple dessert has become a customer obsession. In fact, some fast food milkshakes are so delicious that they are worth a stop for the dessert alone.

Customers online passionately debate which chains offer the thickest shakes, the best seasonal flavors, and the highest-quality ice cream. While nearly every fast-food restaurant offers some version of a milkshake, some stand out for their quality ingredients, unique flavors, or simply for their value. From old-school diner-style handspun shakes to over-the-top flavor combinations and seasonal offerings that keep customers waiting all year long, these fast-food milkshakes are the absolute best in the game, according to customers. Note that prices listed in this article may vary slightly based on location.

The shakes at Chick-fil-A are made with what the chain calls "Icedream" dessert since it's not technically ice cream. Rather, it's a frozen dairy treat that boasts an old-fashioned vanilla flavor and is hand-spun into delicious shakes that customers claim are simply addictive. The chain carries four classic flavors year-round: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and cookies & cream, all topped with whipped cream and a red maraschino cherry. Cookies & cream is a highly popular flavor among fans online who appreciate the generous helping of crunchy cookie bits throughout the frozen dessert. 

But Chick-fil-A also offers seasonal options that customers look forward to year-round, particularly the peppermint in the winter and peach in the summer. The summer edition peach flavor has customers wishing it would stick around all year. The subtle hints of sweetness from the chopped peaches make it the perfect warm-weather treat. 

"Imagine being a pirate and searching for treasure all of your life then you find the biggest hoard you could find. That's what the peach milkshake is like," one Redditor explained. "Impossible to frown with a peach milkshake in hand. 12/10 would recommend." Chick-fil-A's delicious milkshakes are sold in one size only for $5.75.

We all know Arby's has the meats, but it apparently also has the sweets (aka milkshakes), according to customers online. In particular, the Jamocha shake is held in high regard among customers, some of whom even claim that the perfect blend of bold coffee notes and sweet chocolatey goodness makes it the best fast-food shake on the market. An Arby's customer on Reddit wrote, "It's chilly, ice-creamy goodness smothered in cream and chocolate syrup, absolutely delightful and beats out the competition shakes by a mile. Even dedicated soda shops have never given me such a flavorful shake." This fan favorite, along with all of the other milkshakes on the menu, is made with real ice cream.

In addition to the popular Jamocha and standard chocolate and vanilla, the chain has a few seasonal flavors that customers consistently highlight. A fan on Reddit wrote, "The seasonal orange cream/Andes mint shakes are shockingly good." Some milkshake aficionados even claim the Andes milk chocolate shake is better than McDonald's infamous Shamrock shake, which is released seasonally. A medium shake costs $5.69 and comes with a deliciously sweet whipped cream topping.

Like many of the other fast-food chains on this list, Jack in the Box offers the standard shake flavors as well as some rotating experimental ones. Some of the creative options it offers include a vanilla shake with boba and a collaboration with Dr. Pepper for the Dr. Pepper strawberries & cream shake. 

But the milkshake that earns the most praise from customers is the Oreo. One food reviewer on TikTok embarked on a journey to find the best fast-food Oreo milkshake and was impressed with the thick, creamy shake from Jack in the Box. "It has good thickness, it's very creamy, it's not too sweet, and you could actually taste and bite onto the bits of Oreo."

In fact, the shake is so thick that it's difficult to move up the straw, which is a highly sought-after quality for many milkshake lovers. Customers particularly appreciate that the shake is chock-full of actual Oreo cookie pieces, instead of being fully blended and incorporated into the dessert. A medium shake at Jack in the Box will run you $5.99.

Sonic is known for its endless customizable drink options, offering everything from flavored sodas, Slushes, and Refreshers to Sonic Blasts, and of course, milkshakes. So naturally, customers have high expectations for its shakes. They are on the higher end of the price range for this list: A medium Classic Shake costs $6.99, and a Master Shake will run you $7.49, but for some customers, it's well worth it. Customers appreciate that Sonic shakes are extremely thick, they come topped with whipped cream (that tastes high-quality in comparison to other fast-food chains), and they are served in a styrofoam cup that helps keep the drink nice and frosty.

Some of the fan-favorite flavors include Oreo cheesecake and Oreo peanut butter from the Master Shake menu, as well as the peanut butter and banana milkshake from the Classic menu. Fans love to add hot fudge to their shakes for a rich, decadent inclusion. One YouTube food reviewer described the peanut butter milkshake made with real Reese's: "This is a slice of heaven ... This right here is the best chocolate peanut butter milkshake I've ever had."

The Wendy's Frosty is one of the very few items that originally appeared on the menu when Wendy's opened in 1969, and it has stuck around for a reason. This iconic fast-food dessert falls somewhere in between a milkshake and soft serve. The thick consistency is perfect for diving into with a spoon, or more commonly, for dipping French fries. For many, the chocolate Frosty is not only the best milkshake in the game, but the best fast-food dessert, period. It's made with some of the best fast-food soft serve on the market. Plus, it's the cheapest shake on this list, at just $2.85 for a medium.

While the classic chocolate Frosty remains the clear crowd favorite, Wendy's has upgraded its milkshake game by offering Frosty Fusions and Frosty Swirls. Frosty Swirls are a vanilla or chocolate Frosty base combined with your choice of sauce, and Fusions go a step further, allowing you to add things like Oreo cookies, brownie chunks, or crunchy toffee pieces to the mix.

Cookout is a popular Southeastern and mid-Atlantic chain with one of the most expansive milkshake menus of any fast food joint. The menu includes more than 40 flavors, including a few seasonal flavors that rotate annually. The shakes are so thick that they are served with a spoon instead of a straw, and with so many flavor options, customers often debate which reigns supreme. The menu has plenty of rich, decadent flavors like Hershey's chocolate, peanut butter fudge, and Heath toffee, as well as bright, refreshing options like peach cobbler and orange push-up, which tastes just like an Orange Creamsicle.

In our ranking of Cookout milkshake flavors, the banana pudding took the number one spot, offering a bright and fresh banana flavor combined with Nilla wafer crumbles. The Southern staple is a fan-favorite that customers online classify as top-tier milkshake material. But customers also can't get enough of the decadent Oreo caramel cheesecake and the fresh seasonal watermelon in the summertime. Plus, a medium shake is just $3.99, making it the second-cheapest option on this list.

Steak 'n Shake is a classic American diner chain that built its reputation on steakburgers, beef tallow fries, and hand-spun milkshakes. Customers rank its milkshakes among the best in the business for the rich ice cream, wide selection of flavors, and hearty dollop of whipped cream on top. Some customers claim the milkshakes are the star of the menu and are worth stopping by for the dessert alone.

The consistency is thick, but still allows you to drink it through a straw, and the chain is generous with its inclusions, offering large chunks of cookies and candies. One of the star flavors that receives a lot of attention from fans is the Biscoff milkshake. One customer on Reddit urged people to try it, explaining, "It's a vanilla base with the perfect amount of cookie butter mixed in, and Biscoff cookies mixed in too which gives it a bit of crunchy texture so it's really perfect." A medium shake costs between $4.99 and $5.49, depending on the flavor additions, and if you dine in, you can enjoy the tasty treat in a tall old-school glass milkshake cup in true 1950s diner fashion.

Shake Shack is one of the most popular burger chains in the country, and for a restaurant with "shake" in the name, expectations are high when it comes to milkshake quality. Despite the fact that the burger chain has some of the highest prices in fast food, the chain impresses many customers with its delicious frozen treats. Its shakes incorporate custard made with real cane sugar and cage-free eggs to create a creamy, buttery flavor that stands out from fast-food milkshakes that don't use real ice cream.

Despite the higher price point (between $5 and $8, depending on flavor) and the additional $0.50 it charges for whipped topping, customers claim the shakes are well worth it, as the portion sizes are generous and more filling than those of other chains. Shake Shack releases fun and unique seasonal/limited-time flavors like the Valentine's Day True Love shake, which includes vanilla custard blended with strawberry purée, surrounded by a crackable chocolate shell and topped with chocolate whipped cream.

Five Guys stands out from the competition because it lets you mix and match any combination of flavors at a single standard price. For $7.19, you can add any number of flavors to a hand-spun vanilla base to concoct your perfect personalized milkshake. The soft serve is made with real ingredients, for a high-quality combination that customers can truly taste. One impressed customer took to Reddit to explain, "The milkshakes taste like good quality and aren't super thin and milky while not being so thick or tough that u gotta use a spoon. Borderline perfect." The chain even makes the fruit marinades in-house, so the fruit-flavored shakes boast fresh and bright flavors.

Customers love to share their favorite milkshake flavor blends online, debating which are the elite combos. One of the most unique and highly rated combinations is peanut butter, banana, and bacon, made with real, crunchy bacon bits that add a textural surprise and a slightly salty flavor balance to the sweet shake. Other popular choices are strawberry and Oreo, caramel and Oreo, or, as Five Guys itself recommends, bacon and salted caramel.

McDonald's has a bit of a reputation for the ice cream machines being constantly broken, but if you are able to catch them on a good day, its shakes are some of the best in the business, according to customers online. Interestingly, because the shakes are made with the chain's infamous soft serve, they cannot technically be called "milkshakes." Regardless, the shakes are extremely smooth and drinkable through a straw, which differentiates them from the McFlurries, which are served with a spoon.

Per one food reviewer on Instagram, McDonald's shake is a 10/10: "The best fast food shake. It's so thick and tastes like your classic diner shake." The chain sticks to the basics, offering chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry for $4.89, but the seasonal Shamrock shake (available leading up to St. Patrick's Day) attracts customers from far and wide. Customers describe the green fast-food dessert as having a minty-fresh flavor and smooth, creamy texture.