Kansas City's Top 10 milkshakes
By Owen Morris in Top Ten
Thursday, Jun. 18 2009 @ 12:15PM
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| Some of the contenders filed away for further testing. |
There are plenty of places to find cool, creamy milkshakes around town, but finding really good ones is a different matter. Here are Charles and Owen's top 10.
10. Chubby's, 3756 Broadway, 816-931-2482. Any place modeled after a '50s diner should have good shakes and Chubby's doesn't disappoint. Both the chocolate and vanilla are concrete-thick, with large spoonfuls of ice cream that haven't mixed all the way with the milk creating a soft/hard consistency that surprises in each bite. The price is a little steep though, at $4.05 with tax.
9. Winstead's, 20 plus locations. The Winstead's shake is creamy to the max. The chocolate flavor is right down the middle, not so weak you can't taste it but not strong enough to overpower the burger and fries. There's a reason it's a Kansas City icon and at only $2.69 with tax, it's the right price too.
8. Town Topic, 2021 Broadway St and 1900 Baltimore. The chocolate milkshake is the star here. Made old-school with chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream in front of your eyes, it runs $3.62 with tax. When it's four in the morning and you need a shake fix, this is the place.
7. Foo's Frozen Custard, 6235 Brookside Plaza and 3832
West 95th Street. Foo's has the same heavy/complex custard flavor in each bite. It's on the thin-side (almost too thin for a
spoon) but packs a punch, especially the vanilla custard with
chocolate syrup. Prices start at $3.53 for a small.
6. Georgetown Pharmacy's Old Time Soda Fountain & Espresso Shop,
5605 Merriam Drive, Merriam, 913-362-0313. Look closely for this
building, which doesn't look much like a pharmacy (or anything else,
for that matter). The well-lit,
cheery soda fountain is at the very back of a long, narrow store and
there's typically a friendly teenager happy to whip up an excellent
malt ($4.50) or milkshake ($3.95) in the following flavors: chocolate,
caramel, strawberry, pineapple, butterscotch or marshmallow.
5. Harold's Drive Inn, 1337 Admiral Boulevard, 816- 221-2359.
Now
maybe in the 1950s, the original owner, Harold McBain, used
hand-scooped ice cream for his milkshakes and malts, but fans of this
independently owned burger joint prefer the soft-serve ice cream that's
been used for many years. Current owner Nancy Smith (right) likes to
prove how thick her shakes are by holding them upside down. A regular
shake is $2.25 and a larger version goes for $2.95. The flavors are cherry, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana and black walnut.
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4. Jerry's Woodswether Cafe,
1414 W. 9th St., 816-472-6333. Jerry's still serves a classic milkshake
served in a tall tumbler (made of plastic, unfortunately) and topped
with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a maraschino
cherry. Both malts and shakes are $3.54.
3. Murrays, 4120
Pennsylvania, 816-931-5646. Murray's starts off with some of the best
ice cream flavors in the city. The chocolate is a real standout here, and is so
rich that even the small size is plenty for two people to split.
2. Fox's Drug Store,
10004 E. 63rd St., 816-353-1600. Walt Bodine, former teen soda jerk at
his dad's drugstore in the 1930s, insists that the shakes and malts at
Fox's Drug Store are unmatched in creaminess and superiority. Who could
argue with such a renowned expert?
1. Blanc Burgers + Bottles, 419 Westport Rd. and 10583
Mission Rd. The main complaint against vanilla milkshakes is that
they're too plain. That's not the case at Blanc where the real vanilla
bean flavor is stronger and more flavorful than just about anywhere else.
At $5, it's the most expensive milkshake on the list but even Vincent Vega would agree, it's worth every penny.
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