This Is The Absolute Best Drink You'll Find In Utah

When foodies across the U.S. imagine a Utah drink, ultra-sweet offerings like the Ironport or the TikTok viral dirty soda (which has dominated Utah's drive-thru scene in recent years) likely come to mind. However, both of these well-known creations were outranked by another of the state's classic beverages: The raspberry milkshake. In Tasting Table's definitive ranking of the best (and worst) classic Utah foods and drinks, the Beehive State's iconic raspberry shake came out on top — specifically, the raspberry shake from La Beau's.

Raspberries are a widely cultivated fruit in Utah, with growing conditions that make it possible to cultivate across most of the state — raspberry fluff Jell-O salad ranked fourth in our lineup. But what really makes the milkshakes stand out, apart from that bright raspberry flavor, is their rich, luscious texture. As our Utah-native taste-tester notes, "They're a specialty in Utah. They're sweet, tart, creamy, and, like all Utah-style milkshakes, thick — if you gave a Utahn a milkshake and their choice of utensil, they'd grab a spoon. They might even be thicker than ice cream." These magenta shakes are dotted with toothy chunks of fresh raspberries, cementing the treat's place as a textural smorgasbord. In Utah, the go-to place to rip a razz shake is La Beau's — a small, unpretentious joint with a walk-up window peddling pink-hued ice cream to the sweet-toothed masses. This mainstay has been delighting locals and tourists camping at Bear Lake for more than 40 years.

According to the Utah Department of Natural Resources, just under 500,000 folks visited Bear Lake last year. The destination's annual tourism levels have hit one million during recent seasons – and it seems like nearly all of those folks are swinging by La Beau's for a raspberry shake. Lines that wrap around the block aren't an uncommon sight, but returning fans don't seem to mind the wait. Yelp! reviews rave, "The BEST raspberry shakes in Garden City, in my opinion ... After trying shakes at a few establishments, La Beau's easily took the top spot." Elsewhere online, other fans have taken to Tripadvisor to praise the shakes — one says, "In an area known for growing raspberries, LaBeau's makes the best use of those raspberries in their shakes! There was a line, of course, but it went quickly. A small shake is quite large and was way more than I should have eaten. And I enjoyed every bite."

La Beau's has been serving the Bear Lake community since 1981, and like many establishments specializing in ice cream, it's closed during the winter season. During sunny summer months, foodies can snag a burger, hot sandwich, or onion rings from La Beau's sprawling savory menu, as well. Speaking of sprawling, the joint also offers more than 35 other milkshake flavors beyond raspberry, all available in 16-ounce and 20-ounce sizes for a true taste of Utah's best.