Ranking The 7 Best Milkshakes In Charlottesville | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Ranking The 7 Best Milkshakes In Charlottesville

They're so good that you need to try one (or more) from each spot and make your own ranking!

1183
Ranking The 7 Best Milkshakes In Charlottesville

It's almost summer, folks. That means it's time for some summer love, which for me (until Zac Efron calls me back... he's just been busy, right?) means milkshakes. I always used to say that I don't believe in The One, but then the creamy, dreamy goodness of a milkshake turned my life upside down in a way Zac's baby blue eyes never could.

I bet you want a milkshake right about now, right? Well, in order to help everyone's pursuit of true love, I've ranked the best places to get a milkshake in Charlottesville below. While I do have favorites, I'd like to preface this list by saying that any milkshake from anywhere will leave you more lovestruck than a Nicholas Sparks couple on some beach in North Carolina.

7. Five Guys

Five Guys is an easy choice if you've just failed an exam and need to drown your sorrows in liquid happiness. Five Guys has a better selection of flavors than some, but their fruit flavors could be improved and it lacks the charm of a local place. Their shakes have a good consistency, but don't feel quite as decadent as I'd like. Still, I can't think of a better way to spend leftover plus dollars than on a shake and fries.

Best shake: Chocolate Salted Caramel

6. Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's lets customers make a milkshake with any flavor(s) they choose. This can yield magical desserts, but it's also overwhelming to have so many choices. B&J makes a quality milkshake with a good balance between thickness and drinkability, but they're an ice cream shop first. I miss the uniqueness that a national chain cannot provide. Still, their inventive ice cream serves as a tasty base to a wonderful milkshake if you feel a little too healthy after grabbing Panera at Barracks.

Best shake: Your favorite flavor of ice cream (they have SO many options)!

5. Coldstone Creamery

I have never understood why more UVA students don't go to Coldstone when they have an ice cream craving. You can put any flavor base and mix-ins you want into a milkshake. I don't find this as overwhelming as all of B&J's flavors because I can pick exactly what I want to add and nothing more. That said, their simple strawberry milkshake is my favorite. While the shake might be a touch too thick, something about seeing them scoop real strawberries in with the smooth ice cream and nothing else enhances the wholesome deliciousness.

Best shake: Strawberry.

4. Cookout

Cookout is probably the most popular place to grab a milkshake in Charlottesville, and with good reason: they make big portions with lots of options for probably the lowest cost on this list. Their flavor mixing options are without equal, although the shakes feel too thick for me. I feel like I'm eating two pints of ice cream, not sipping on a drink made with milk in addition to ice cream. That said, Cookout ranks high on this list because it's a place where friends gather and make great memories. Also, hush puppies.

Best shake: Mint Chocolate Chip

Close second: Heath Toffee

3. Chick-fil-A

I know Chick-fil-A might seem a little high on this list, especially compared to Cookout, and it would be if it weren't for the peach milkshake. I know some might find this flavor weird, but peaches are my favorite fruit, so I am quite biased. All their other flavors are good, but the peach milkshake has a thick, rich vanilla flavor with peaches big enough to see but just small enough to slurp up through your straw. Order it with your chicken nuggets for a southerner's heaven.

Best shake: Peach. Obviously.

2. Boylan Heights

While many students think of Boylan as a bar first, their food is actually great! They have some inventive shake flavors, like red velvet and Nutella, in addition to the classics, providing the perfect compromise between too many and too few options. Their s'mores milkshake is incredible. Plus, it's topped with toasted marshmallows! Come on. Also, Boylan's college-themed sports bar vibe gives it the best environment of any of the establishments on this list. So next time you head to Boylan to watch the Hoos, do yourself a favor and order a milkshake instead of a beer. You won't regret it.

Best shake: S'mores

1. Zinburger

Zinburger really had no competition on this list. In addition to having delicious food (try their zucchini fries if you're feeling "healthy"), they have the best milkshakes in town. As if serving up the tallest and prettiest milkshakes of the bunch wasn't enough, Zinburger's milkshake options include fancy flavors like the Bars of Zin (chocolate ice cream, Kit Kat and Nutella) and Creme Brûlée, plus classics like Cookies and Creme and Double Chocolate with top quality ingredients (think Ghirardelli chocolate and Madagascar vanilla bean).

They also have fun seasonal flavors! I have tried most shakes on the menu and loved them all way too much. They're the perfect consistency (a spoon is optional, but not needed), they come with house-made whipped cream (a nice dollop, but not too much) and each flavor contains a blend of different ingredients and textures to form a dessert in its own right. If you only get one milkshake during your time in Charlottesville (although if you do only get one, I'll judge you a lot), get it from Zinburger.

Best shake: TIE: Chocolate Mint or Salted Caramel (ask your server to make it with chocolate ice cream)

I'm sure I've missed some great places on this list, so feel free to comment your favorite spots so I can try them!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

4650
Disney magic kingdom castle on new years
StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

40 Gift Ideas for the Indecisive

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

119031
Christmas gifts around a tree
StableDiffusion

It's officially December. There is less than a month of 2024, and I still feel like yesterday was summer. Now comes the merriest time of the year, the Christmas season.

Everyone has been waiting for this time of year since mid-October (which is way too early, in my opinion) or before. It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. A lot of times when I ask friends and family what they want, I get a lot of "I don't know" or "I don't care."

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Bucket List To Live In The Now

Find excitement in your life and start exploring wherever you are right here, right now.

1022
mu bucket list

I was sitting at my cubicle, now that I am an adult, looking at the rain pouring down on the windowsill, bumming on life, wishing for the rain to just stop for a full day.

There are moments where we count down the hours until work is over and how many more days till the weekend, and this many weeks until something exciting. Or something like that? Well, I was bumming because my next day off from work is not until Memorial Day weekend, which is not until the end of May. And since this is my first year out of college being a “real person,” I am totally missing the winter, spring and summer breaks. I am sure all of us have felt this way even if just for a hot minute…

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Ways To Survive Finals As Told By Leslie Knope

Because you know you're going to be stressed out, and Leslie knows exactly how to survive.

740
Everything hurts and I'm dying

So finals are on their way. That's right everybody, finals are about to start.

But hey, don't panic. Start getting your affairs in order and prepare for a week of hell. Here's a few things Leslie Knope wants you to do to make your finals week just a little bit less stressful:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

10 Signs You Go To Kent State

You know you're a true Kent Stater when...

824
Kent State University
Great Value Colleges

If you go to or went to Kent State, then more than likely you have done or will do some of these things.

1. You’ve slipped and fallen on the ice at least once.

The winters at Kent are brutal, and while the heated sidewalks and some great snow boots are always a help, there’s no chance you won’t bust it on the ice at least once in your four plus years at school.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments