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TASTE TEAM
Dayton restaurants — Best fast-food milkshakes in the Dayton area
These milkshakes brought all the boys to the yard — and all the girls, too. Everyone wanted to taste test this classic summer favorite.
Since so many places offer a basic shake, we decided for the purposes of this test to only judge the chains against each other. So, yes, we are aware that Young's and other favorite local shops are missing. We'll get to them, we promise. But if you're looking for a quick drive-thru or cheap sweet treat, these chain ice cream and fast food stops are the way to go.
We tasted the standbys, vanilla and chocolate, from each shop. We drank 'em through a straw in a blind tasting to test for thickness, quality of ingredients, flavor and overall taste.
Since we transported our cold treats from all over Dayton on some hot June days, we gave everyone the benefit of the doubt if slight melting occurred. Although most held up perfectly in our coolers.
Here are our results from best overall taste rating to the worst.
— Katie Wedell, Staff Writer
Suggest your favorite non-chain milkshake finds below. »
Cost How much milkshaky goodness do you get for your dollar? |
Overall taste 10 is the best, 1 is, well, yuck. |
Thickness 1 is too runny, 5 is perfect, 10 is so thick you need a very strong spoon. |
Quality We like our milk fresh and our ice cream to taste like it's real, even if it's not. 1 is low quality and 10 is the best. |
Flavor Not enough chocolate flavor? Very vanilla? Is there such a thing as too much chocolate? |
|
Ben and Jerry's (1934 Brown St., Dayton. 4 area locations) | $3.59 for a regular (medium) |
Average rating: 8.4 The good: "Delicious! Fabulous chocolate flavor." — Hillary "This is what a milkshake should be." — Jennifer |
Average rating: 4.8 The good: "It melted in transit slightly, but was still sippably thick." — Gerry "Not too thick, not too thin." — Hillary |
Average rating: 8.5 The good: "Nothing artificial about it." — Jennifer "Very fresh. From the udder to my mouth." — Matthew |
Average rating: 8.2 The good: "Tastes like hot chocolate, only cold. Not syrupy like your run-of-the-mill shake." — Gerry "I love the chocolate flavor. I can't get enough of it." — Jennifer |
Maggie Moo's (101 E. Alex Bell Road, Centerville, in Cross Pointe Centre.) | $4.75 for a regular (medium) |
Average rating: 7.9 The good: "Wow, so creamy!" — Matthew "Great but not the greatest." — Gerry |
Average rating: 5.2 The good: "Just right!" — Jennifer "Perfect thickness." — Eric |
Average rating: 7.8 The good: "Definitely a real flavor, not fake." — Hillary "It's very rich and creamy." — Jennifer |
Average rating: 7.8 The good: "Very rich, but I like it." — Kathryn (Chocolate) "Rich and creamy, but not too sweet." — Matthew (Vanilla) The bad: "Seems artificially flavored. A little bit too much vanilla flavor." — Eric |
Graeter's |
$3.49 for a regular |
Average rating: 7.6 The good: "White and milky and light." — Matthew "This is delicious! Yum!" — Hillary |
Average rating: 5.1 The good: "This is just the right level of thick and thin." — Hillary "Chunky and lumpy, the look of homemade." — Stephanie |
Average rating: 7.8 The good: "Definitely real ice cream in there." — Jennifer "Tastes like real vanilla bean." — Matthew "More like a real shake than some of these impostors." — Stephanie |
Average rating: 6.6 The good: "Very good milky rich taste." — Alex (Chocolate) The bad: "The vanilla flavor does not really exist." — Eric |
Friendly's |
$4.49 for a regular |
Average rating: 6.6 The good: "An almost perfect shake." — Alex "A little thicker and it would be great." — Matthew The bad: "It's a little sugary, but watery at the same time." — Hillary |
Average rating: 4.4 The good: "Perfect thickness" — Charity The bad: "Kind of runny." — Stephanie "A little thicker please!" — Alex |
Average rating: 5.7 The good: "Hey, I think this is real ice cream." — Matthew |
Average rating: 5.4 The good: "Not too strong and not too weak." — Eric (Vanilla) The bad: "Too chocolatey. Very dark in color." — Stephanie "Tastes vanilla-ey, but a bland vanilla." — Hillary |
Coldstone |
$4.59 for a "Love it" (medium) |
Average rating: 6.1 The good: "Awesome. Very sweet." — Stephanie "D-e-licious. Good flavor and consistency." — Gerry The bad: "Tastes like butter." — Tony |
Average rating: 3.9 The bad: "Too frothy and runny" — Alex |
Average rating: 6.0 The good: "Tastes like ice cream." — Charity "Tastes like real ice cream. If I was fooled, they did a good job." — Gerry The bad: "Too milky. Not shake-like." — Alex "A very distinct taste, and it makes the shakes bitter." — Tony |
Average rating: 6.7 The good: "Not overwhelmingly vanilla." — Charity "Perfect chocolate taste." — Stephanie The bad: "Tasted less like chocolate and more like liquid butter." — Tony "Very buttery." — Mark (Vanilla) "Chocolatey, but syrupy too." — Gerry |
Dairy Queen |
$2.79 for a large |
Average rating: 6.1 The good: "Excellent! Perfect shake taste." — Stephanie The bad: "Very average." — Hillary |
Average rating: 4.6 "Almost too runny, but tolerable." — Hillary |
Average rating: 5.1 The good: "Very delish! Looks homemade." — Stephanie The bad: "I taste Splenda." — Matthew |
Average rating: 5.6 The good: "I like the chocolate flavor." — Jennifer "Very chocolatey." — Stephanie The bad: "Verges on sickly sweet." — Matthew (Vanilla) "Not real vanilla flavor." — Hillary |
Burger King |
$2.49 for a large |
Average rating: 5.9 The good: "Tastes fresh. I think I like it." — Charity "Good!" — Gerry The bad: "Just doesn't cut it as a real milkshake." — Stephanie "This was funky tasting." — Tony |
Average rating: 4.3 The good: "Easy to drink." — Gerry "Excellent!" — Charity The bad: "Not very thick." — Tony |
Average rating: 5.1 The good: "Has more of a fresh milk taste than others." — Stephanie "Excellent!" — Charity The bad: "Tasted like there were sugar granules." — Tony |
Average rating: 4.7 The good: "The flavor is light and not overwhelming." — Charity (Vanilla) The bad: "Not chocolatey enough. Looks like a vanilla shake." — Stephanie |
UDF (11 Dayton locations) |
$1.99 for a 24 ounce shake. |
Average rating: 5.4 The good: "Very thick and tasty." — Tony The bad: "Tastes like frozen milk." — Charity "It's just a cold, thick mess." — Jennifer |
Average rating: 7.9 The good: "This is a milkshake! Less milk more shake. It should take a little work to get through a straw." — Alex The bad: "I need a spoon. Too thick." — Jennifer "Very clumpy and looks like cottage cheese." — Mark "Strangely thick, but watery at the same time. Seemed to separate into solid ice cream and water." — Gerry |
Average rating: 6.0 The good: "More fresh milk taste and more like ice cream." — Stephanie "Tastes homemade." — Tony "Tastes like real ice cream." — Mark. The bad: "My guess is it came from a mix with instructions, 'just add water.'" — Gerry. |
Average rating: 5.6 The good: "Perfect chocolately flavor." — Tony The bad: "I have more flavor than this shake." — Charity (Vanilla) "Too bland." — Gerry (Chocolate) |
Arby's |
$1.99 for a medium |
Average rating: 4.6 The good: "Not a bad option if you want a good milkshake with flavor." — Stephanie The bad: "Has an odd flavor to it." — Jennifer "The fruity flavor is disgusting." — Tony |
Average rating: 6.9 The good: "Definitely thicker than others, but still smooth in consistency." — Stephanie The bad: "Too thick. I don't want to work for my shake." — Gerry |
Average rating: 5.0 The good: "Very fresh milk flavor." — Mark The bad: "It's like they forgot the milk and put in ice. I'm not diggin' it." — Jennifer "If this is real ice cream, then I'm Willy Wonka." — Gerry |
Average rating: 4.4 The good: "Great flavor." — Mark (Vanilla) The bad: "Fruity flavor? Tasted like strawberries." — Tony (Chocolate) "It's very strawberry." — Gerry (Chocolate) |
Steak N Shake |
$2.89 for a regular |
Average rating: 3.7 The bad: "Chocolate butter... no thanks." — Charity "Too rich, too much. My tummy hurts." — Stephanie "It looks like a chocolate shake, but it tastes like death." — Jennifer |
Average rating: 6.9 "Can I get a spoon with that?" — Charity |
Average rating: 3.6 The good: "It tastes like it's very fresh and crisp." — Hillary The bad: "There's an ice cube in my milkshake!" — Jennifer "Not well mixed." — Stephanie |
Average rating: 2.9 The bad: "There is a little too much flavor, overwhelming." — Eric "Very intense, rich flavor. Can't really digest it. Too much to handle." — Stephanie "Too sweet." — Matthew |
Ritter's Frozen Custard (2226 Wilmington Pike, Kettering. 3 area locations) |
$3.25 for a regular |
Average rating: 3.7 The bad: "Too sweet." — Charity "Incredibly plain." — Matthew "Garbagey aftertaste. Really." — Hillary |
Average rating: 4.1 The good: "Good consistency." — Charity "More runny than others, but definitely sippable." — Stephanie The bad: "It's a little lumpy." — Hillary |
Average rating: 3.9 The bad: "It's bad. Just bad." — Hillary "It doesn't taste like anything, but it doesn't taste artificial." — Matthew |
Average rating: 2.6 The bad: "Like drinking thick, chalky water." — Matthew (Vanilla) "This mystery flavor is grossing me out." — Jennifer (Chocolate) "Very bland." — Eric (Vanilla) |
McDonald's |
$2.90 for a large |
Average rating: 3.4 The bad: "Tastes like melted ice cream, not a milkshake." — Charity "The syrup they add to make it chocolate is way too strong." — Tony "I wouldn't seek this out." — Gerry |
Average rating: 7.6 The good: "Pretty thick, but not uncomfortably so." — Gerry The bad: "Can't really suck with a straw." — Stephanie |
Average rating: 3.9 The bad: "Very artificial tasting." — Stephanie "Blerg!" — Tony "If I were this shake's nutrition label, I would read, 'Contains 0% milk.'" — Gerry |
Average rating: 4.0 The good: "Perfect flavor." — Mark (Vanilla) The bad: "Too syrupy. There IS such a thing as too much chocolate." — Gerry "It makes me want to wash my mouth out." — Jennifer (Chocolate) "Way too chocolatey and yet bland at the same time." — Tony |
Potbelly Sandwich Works |
$2.69 |
Average rating: 3.4 The bad: "Tastes like melted plastic." — Alex "Freezer-burnt taste." — Mark "Yawn." — Charity |
Average rating: 6.4 The good: "Just right." — Charity "Thick, but not lumpy." — Stephanie "Very thick. You'll need a big straw." — Gerry |
Average rating: 3.6 The bad: "Fake sugary taste. Not milky tasting." — Stephanie "Tastes more like yogurt." — Mark "Tastes fake and artificial." — Alex |
Average rating: 3.0 The bad: "You know it's vanilla only by default." — Charity "The flavor tastes artificial and gross." — Jennifer (Chocolate) "Too bland." — Mark (Vanilla) |
Wendy's We tried Wendy's new Frosty shakes. We've also listed our rankings for the classic Frosty to compare. |
Frosty shake is $2.39 for a medium, traditional Frosty is $1.59. |
Shake: Average rating: 2.6 The bad: "Tastes like cake batter. Kinda eggy." — Charity "The classic vanilla flavor is diluted." — Eric "Very bad." — Matthew Frosty: Average rating: 6.0 We think they should just stick with the Frosty. |
Shake: Average rating: 3.4 The bad: "Nine parts water, one part chalk." — Matthew "Super runny. As thin as soda." — Hillary "More like a sauce than a shake." — Stephanie Frosty: Average rating: 8.3 Everyone asked for spoon. |
Shake: Average rating: 2.3 The bad: "Something's off about this one." — Hillary "Looks like runny poop. Nasty." — Stephanie "It's weird. Nothing like a milkshake." — Jennifer Frosty: Average rating: 6.0 "Good. The one, the only, gotta be a Frosty!" — Stephanie |
Shake: Average rating: 2.1 The bad: "Too strong." — Alex (Chocolate) "It's definitely not vanilla." — Hillary "Not feeling the chocolatey goodness." — Charity Frosty: Average rating: 4.6 "More chocolate please!" — Charity |
Where the shakes came from:
- Ben and Jerry's, Brown Street in Dayton
- Maggie Moo's, Cross Pointe Centre on Alex Bell Road in Centerville
- Graeter's, Far Hills Avenue in Oakwood
- Friendly's, Stroop Road in Kettering
- Coldstone Creamery, off Brown Street in Dayton
- Dairy Queen, Shroyer Road in Dayton
- Burger King, Brown Street in Dayton
- UDF, Brown and Stewart streets in Dayton
- Arby's, Brown Street in Dayton
- Steak N Shake, West Dorothy Lane in Moraine
- Ritter's, Wilmington Pike in Kettering
- McDonald's, Main Street in Dayton
- Potbelly, Brown Street in Dayton
- Wendy's, Wayne Avenue in Dayton
The taste team:
- Stephanie, 28
- Gerry, 23
- Tony, 24
- Hillary, 23
- Mark, 22
- Matthew, 21
- Jennifer, 20
- Eric, 20
- Kathryn, 20
- Charity, 22
- Alex, 21
Comments
By holly
August 16, 2009 5:49 PM | Link to this
YOUNGS DAIRY IN YELLOW SPRINGS IS THE BEST DAIRY ANYTHING AROUND HERE HOMEMADE SHAKES AND A BEAUTIFUL KID FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE!
By Mary
November 25, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
K’s in Troy is an old fashioned burger place. Their shakes are a 10+
By Judy Yeazell
July 4, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
I say you need to try Youngs Dairy in Yellow Springs Ohio THe family operated farm has been in business as a dairy farm since the early 1900’s, they started a dairy store to buy mlk & ice cream, now there is a snack restaraunt along with the ice cream & milkshakes that are supurbe there.
By Mike Young
June 18, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this
Young’s Dairy Yellowsprings ,Ohio
The best around Ohio
By Mike Young
June 18, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this
Young’s Dairy Yellowsprings ,Ohio
The best around Ohio
By Wendy
June 16, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
Not really a ‘non-chain’, but I think Chic-Fil-A really deserves to be added to your list. I think their Chocoloate shakes are AWESOME! We also like Red Robin, as they give you ALL of the shake, not just what will fit in a cup/glass… :-)
By Ben
June 13, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this
You should Try Winans milkshakes. They are amazing. Winans is a small local chain headquartered in piqua, they are famous for their coffee and their chocolate, but they have great milkshakes too. I recommend the mocha java jolt milkshake for the coffee lover! They have 5 area locations, 1 in Piqua, 2 in troy, 1 on Miller Ln in Vandalia, and 1 in the new shops in front of the Dayton mall.