Milkshakes might be my favorite food of all time. Who’s with me?
(Ok, sure, some people argue that they’re a “drink” and not “food” because you sometimes drink them with a straw – but honestly, sundaes have straws too, don’t they? And I often find myself using a spoon for milkshakes. But I digress…)
There’s just something magical about the sweetness, the blended ingredients…something that just makes milkshakes extra special.
Beyond the fact that they’re basically warmer ice cream with some extra sugar tossed in for good measure!
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
So Americans love milkshakes – but which milkshakes do we love most?
Leaving all opinions aside, I decided to find some objective data. And fortunately, YouGov delivered.
They run a quarterly survey to thousands of Americans looking at what percent know any given brand (and what percent like any given brand, too).
Of course, to avoid it just becoming a straight name recognition contest, I’ve taken the “like” number and divided it by the “know” number.
Think about it this way:
If 100% of people know about a brand and 50% like it, vs 50% knowing about a brand and 49% liking it…that’s 50% popularity vs 98% popularity.
Obviously the second brand is MUCH better liked, even though it loses in absolute terms.
Make sense?
Shutterstock
I call this “true popularity.”
And I applied it to every company covered by YouGov, after filtering down to restaurants whose brands are in some way associated with milkshakes. (So, if Applebee’s had a milkshake, I would have excluded it – but of course Steak ‘n Shake, Five Guys, Cold Stone, McDonald’s, and the like were all considered.)
The result was a big surprise –
Because by this measure, America’s favorite milkshake is NOT Chick-fil-A…McDonald’s…or even Baskin-Robbins!
Here are the top ten, and this first one may be controversial to some…
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 97%
Americans who like it: 65%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 67%
My take: Is a Frosty technically a milkshake? I don’t know, and I don’t really care. Frosties are delicious, and you can absolutely eat them with a spoon (or drink them with a straw if you let them melt a little). And let’s face it – when you have a hankering for a milkshake, a Frosty will always do just fine!
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 68%
Americans who like it: 46%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 68%
My take: Friendly’s shakes are known as Fribbles, and they’re wonderfully thick and chock-full of flavor. My favorite is their cookie dough ice cream as a milkshake, but their butter crunch is also surprisingly good, any time.
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 89%
Americans who like it: 61%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 69%
My take: You can get every Cold Stone flavor as a milkshake, which is a really big deal. (Although some of them are definitely going to have to be eaten with a spoon – some of those chunks just won’t break down!) My favorite ice cream-to-milkshake conversion is Founder’s Favorite because the sweet cream ice cream is just so smooth…
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 61%
Americans who like it: 42%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 69%
My take: I mean, it had to be somewhere on the list, right? Carvel is practically synonymous with ice cream (especially ice cream cakes), and their Carvelanches (basically milkshakes with lots and lots of chunks in them) are legendary. (Get the Reese’s carvelanche and thank me later.)
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 90%
Americans who like it: 63%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 70%
My take: A&W’s shakes are good. (Although I actually think their root beer float and root bear cream freeze are better.) And let’s face it, they’re about as all-American of a brand as you can find! Snag some chili cheese fries and corn dog nuggets, and you should be set.
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 41%
Americans who like it: 29%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 71%
My take: Eat ‘n Park only has 56 restaurants around the country…mostly in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. But trust me – there’s a reason this regional chain is so beloved among people who know it.
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 40%
Americans who like it: 29%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 73%
My take: You may not have heard of Blake’s Lotaburger…as there are only 75 around the USA…and that’s a shame, because it’s awesome! And their shakes are great too – their one flavor outside the normal strawberry/vanilla/chocolate trinity is cherry, and it’s personally my favorite of the bunch. Meanwhile, get the Frito pie and the seasoned fries, and you’ll have a feast on your hands.
Follow The Coconut Mama
• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 98%
Americans who like it: 74%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 76%
My take: The best thing about Baskin-Robbins milkshakes, in my opinion, is the simple fact that you can get every ice cream as a shake. That gives you an array of choice that’s basically unmatched anywhere else. Maybe one place has five flavors, maybe another has six; Baskin-Robbins has over 30.
Shutterstock
Americans who know it: 96%
Americans who like it: 73%
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity): 76%
My take: I mean, it’s Dairy Queen! Milkshakes are practically in the name! I’m a huge fan of their peanut butter shake, although a lot of my friends prefer the hot fudge or caramel shakes. However you order it, though, you know it’ll be thick, creamy, and delicious.
Shutterstock
Americans who know it:
Americans who like it:
Percent of Americans who know it who like it (true popularity):
My take: You may mostly know Nathan’s from the hot dogs you get at the baseball game, but anyone who’s been to a Nathan’s store knows that their milkshakes are absolutely incredible. My vote is always the creamy orange shake, although honestly you can’t go wrong (oreo cookie? Strawberry? Ghiarardelli chocolate? Yes please!).
Do yourself a favor and try one if you haven’t already.
Shutterstock
So there you have it – America’s favorite milkshakes, according to data from YouGov.
Each shake certainly has its fair share of fans and partisans (even – or perhaps especially – the underfollowed ones).
Of course, that begs three big questions:
Shutterstock
#1: Who serves your favorite milkshake?
#2: What is your favorite milkshake?
#3: Where do you think Americans have picked wrong?
Let us know in the comments!
Shutterstock
Leave a Comment