They’re smooth and creamy, refreshing on a hot afternoon but undeniably still decadent — everybody loves a milkshake
And in the Bay Area, where roadside hamburger joints and old-fashioned soda fountains abound, there are plenty of options for grabbing one. Whether it be a milk-rich frappe or a shake so thick straws wilt at the challenge, there are enough varieties and flavors to please any palate desiring slurpable, dairy-based desserts. (Or nondairy, in some cases.) In no particular order, here are nine places in the Bay to experience a truly wonderful milkshake:
Fentons Creamery, Oakland and Vacaville
Fentons, the charming, old-timey soda stand and restaurant, has survived 130 years on the power of nostalgia and sugar. The family-run operation churns its own cream and lays claim to inventing original flavors like Rocky Road, toasted almond and Swiss milk chocolate. On any given day you’ll find crowds of families and tourists at the original Oakland location ordering sundaes and banana splits and buying Fentons merch — or celebrating birthdays while a staffer rings a bell and the whole restaurant joins in singing. It’s quite the scene (and one that Pixar paid tribute to at the end of “Up”).
The shake: A simple shake of strawberry ice cream with a topping of whipped cream is a summer delight ($11 for a “small,” which looks mighty large to us). The homemade ice cream is so thick, a straw sticks into it like Excalibur in the stone. You might have to let your hands warm it a bit before getting a slurp of this sweet, tremendously creamy dessert.
Pair it with: Fentons has a menu of diner classics like a Durham Ranch cheeseburger with fries or fresh greens ($18), loaded potato skins, mozzarella sticks, fried green beans and – an unexpected crowd favorite – an Alaskan snow-crab sandwich with lemon juice, mayo and celery ($19).
Details: Opens at 11 a.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday-Sunday at 4226 Piedmont Ave., Oakland; and 11 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday-Saturday at 1669 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville; fentonscreamery.com.
My Milkshake, San Jose
Downtown San Jose on a hot summer night sizzles — making an icy milkshake the perfect refresher. This small milkshake shop, which opened in 2014, has seen some wear and tear over the last decade, but the decor — neon green seating and a wall lined with candy bars — is still sure to delight kids. And then there’s the long menu of superhero-themed shakes,
Whatever it lacks in ambience, My Milkshake makes up for in delicious variety. Add fruit, candy or bits of brownies, cheesecake, Ferrero bits and even It’s-It to your shake ($6.25-$11.25), and the staff will pulverize it to silky smoothness.
The shake: The fan favorite is the SpiderMMan — yes, two Ms — which includes Kit Kats and Ferrero Rocher candies. And lactose intolerant shake lovers, rejoice: My Milkshake offers soy ice cream and almond milk — or, for the more adventurous, replace the milk with coffee for a caffeinated kick.
Pair it with: A side of fries ($5-$9) — curly, straight, waffle or tots — makes a perfect shake-dipping companion. The chicken nuggets ($7.44) are surprising good, too, bite-sized with the perfect amount of crunch, and topped with seasonings that include barbecue and sour cream-onion.
Details: Opens at noon daily at 151 S. Second Street in San Jose; https://www.mymilkshakesj.com/.
O’Brien’s Ice Cream, Walnut Creek and Martinez
Green and pink walls adorn this bright, cheerful ice cream shop, which has Mexican and South American flavor influences, offering ice cream flavors like guava, tequila, horchata, avocado and lucuma – an Andean fruit – as well as all the usuals, from chocolate to cherry. There with a friend? They kindly split our regular shake into two cups for sharing ease — and topped each with whipped cream — making the generous serving size a bit more manageable.
The shake: The Key lime pie milkshake ($8) captures all the pie’s characteristics, from graham cracker crust bits to tangy, almost cheesecake-like flavors and tangy lime in thick, slurpable form.
Pair it with: Those Mexican and South American influences extend to spicy street snacks, including tostilocos, and other treats.
Details: Opens at noon daily at 704 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek and 6710 Alhambra Ave., Martinez; obriens-icecream.com.
Falafel’s Drive In
This South Bay institution has taken on cult fave status, growing more popular each year as new generations become enamored with the eatery’s mix of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and classic American fast-food fare. Anton and Zahie Nijmeh opened the place in 1966, not long after moving to the Bay Area from Israel. And the family runs it to this day, serving up falafel sandwiches, drizzled with tahini and their flavorful red hot sauce, to enjoy at one of the picnic tables with a view of Lila Gemellos’ colorful murals.
The shake: The eatery is almost as well known for its banana shake ($5.50) as its falafels, to the point where — truth be told — we didn’t even realize there were other flavors until now. That said, as good as the chocolate, strawberry and other shakes might be, we’re sticking with that creamy signature banana number. Why mess with perfection?
Pair it with: Who knew that banana shakes went so well with falafels? Well, basically everyone who regularly visits this place, where the classic combo ($13) pairs that shake with a large falafel sandwich.
Details: Opens at 10 a.m. daily at 2301 Stevens Creek Blvd. in San Jose; 408-294-7886.
Tara’s Organic Ice Cream, Berkeley
Tara Esperanza developed a love of savory flavors from childhood, peeling vegetables in her mom’s Italian kitchen, and her travels in Asia and Mexico. In 2008, she opened a tiny counter shop in Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood to experiment with ice cream, and has since created more than 200 instantly memorable combos like strawberry balsamic, white-pepper chocolate chip and adzuki (Japanese red bean) with black sesame. The lines can be long, but customers are quick to assure: “It’s worth it!”
The shake: The shakes are frappes, lighter and with more milk than normal shakes ($11.55, and there are also non-dairy options). It’s a great format for the shop’s fruit flavors, which mostly rely on natural sugars for sweetness. A banana frappe is the rich, creamy essence of banana with tiny bits of floating fruit. Depending on what’s in season, try one mixed with juicy nectarines or ylang ylang, a tropical flower with a mysterious floral fragrance.
Pair it with: There are cookies and brownies, but this is primarily an ice cream-centric spot. So perhaps get a scoop of an intriguing flavor like berbere or basil on one of the hand-rolled waffle cones ($7.70 for a small) or an ice-cream cookie sandwich ($9.10) that’s delightfully salty and sweet.
Details: Opens at noon Wednesday-Monday at 3173 College Ave., Berkeley; tarasorganic.com.
Mark’s Hot Dogs
This beloved, retro drive-in dates back to 1936. Even today, patrons pull up and turn on their headlights to signal for a carhop. Within minutes, they can feast on hot links, chili, fries, hot dogs (of course) and some of the yummiest milkshakes to be found in East San Jose.
The shake: You won’t go wrong with any of the offerings — strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, orange and more. Yet the one that makes us want to compose sonnets in its honor is the amazingly creamy root beer shake ($6.75 regular, $7.50 large). They use Barq’s — one of the relatively rare caffeinated root beers on the market — which means the shake may leave you with a little more pep in your step.
Pair it with: A hot dog, of course. Mark’s recently raised its prices — a regular dog now costs $8.10, which is a lot — but they go down so wonderfully with a retro root beer shake.
Details: Opens at 11 a.m. daily at 48 S. Capitol Ave. in San Jose; 408-926-0923.
Smokehouse
Craving smoky goodness? Head over to Smokehouse. A Berkeley institution since 1951, this classic American burger joint is steeped in nostalgia with a side of red and white retro. With its classic color scheme, vintage vibes, walk-up counter and easy breezy patio seating, there’s nothing not to love about this tasty time capsule.
The shake: While the greasy grub is how they get you in the door, it’s the shakes ($6-$7) that steal the show. There’s chocolate and vanilla classics, but also surprising sweets like butterscotch, coffee or caramel, and fruity flavors like pineapple, mango and banana. After picking your flavor, make sure to add some mix-ins. The Smokehouse will throw in your choice of M&M’s, Oreos, or Reese’s, free of charge. And for those with dietary restrictions, The Smokehouse offers Oatly as a non-dairy option.
Pair it with: A Smokehouse burger ($6.69-$8.99) or hot dog ($5.59-$7.79), duh! Or, for a lighter option, settle for a side of fries ($3.89-$5.79). Whatever you get, just make sure to add The Smokehouse’s signature chili cheese to it.
Details: Opens at 10:30 a.m. daily at 3115 Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley; eatsmokehouse.com.
Broderick Roadhouse, Walnut Creek
This Walnut Creek gastropub gets its name from a fascinating historical figure: California State and U.S. Senator David C. Broderick, a politician who opposed slavery’s expansion into the western U.S. and died in a duel in 1859 at San Francisco’s Lake Merced. The restaurant’s first location was inspired by the former town of Broderick – named after the politician in the late 1800s – that is now part of West Sacramento. The restaurant is known for its hearty burgers and brunch fare, but it serves up some killer milkshakes too.
The shake: Made with frozen custard, the classic shakes ($8) here range from the standards — chocolate, strawberry and vanilla — to the less expected, such as a Nutty Buddy, rich and peanutty with finely ground of cookie chunks. The orange and vanilla Creamsicle shake is a winner, too.
Pair it with: Yes, the fries are great, and if you time it right, you can get a happy hour special to pull off the classic shake-fries combo at a discount.
Details: Opens at 11:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. weekends at 1548 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek; broderickwalnutcreek.com.
Rick’s Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto
Nestled in Palo Alto’s Charleston Shopping Center, this Peninsula scoop and microcreamery opened in 1956, and while much of the region has changed since then, there’s one thing that hasn’t. They’ve always made their own ice cream, says manager Kiki Khosla. With 48 flavors on offer daily, the selection can be overwhelming, but the shop’s two-sample limit at least forces visitors to narrow their possibilities – and quickly, which may be a good thing. We’d have been there all day.
The shake: This being Silicon Valley, go for the Computer Chip, a mix of chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips and orange, a combination that makes for a great milkshake ($9.15-$11.50).Those chilly chocolate chips add pleasant crunch, and they’ve been blended into small enough pieces to work through an extra-wide paper straw without much difficulty.
Pair it with: More ice cream, obviously. Pick up a pint to take home.
Details: Opens at noon Tuesday-Sunday at 3946 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto; ricksicecream.com.
