The Fast Food Chain With Milkshakes So Thick That They're Basically Ice Cream

There's really no wrong time of year to hop in the car and swing by your favorite fast food place for a hearty milkshake. In the summer, you've got seasonal flavors like peach or watermelon, by fall you're moving into pumpkin and apple flavors, and when winter rolls around, everyone is ready for peppermint and gingerbread. If you're part of the population of milkshake-lovers who think that the thicker the shake, the better, you probably already know about Cook Out's extra-thick, extra-creamy fancy milkshakes.

You'll find many a Reddit thread talking about the highs and lows of Cook Out's milkshakes, but the general consensus is that these bad boys are so dense that people make a sport out of trying to slurp them up through the measly straw. "Their milkshakes are like concrete," said one Redditor, joking that you have to "let it sit for 27 minutes before you can even get any through the straw." Another Redditor shared a similar story about waiting for Cook Out's milkshakes to thaw, thanks to heaviness, saying, "I gotta let them sit for like 15-20 minutes before it becomes drinkable." Several users discussed the feasibility of using a spoon, as opposed to a straw, to enjoy Cook Out's milkshakes, even if they argue that this defeats the purpose of it being a milkshake and verges more on the dessert being ice cream (much like the ultra-thick Utah milkshakes that you need a spoon to eat).

There are typically some 40 different milkshake flavors available at Cook Out restaurants, but eagle-eyed fanatics know that the possibilities for flavor combinations are truly endless. There are several mix-ins that customers go bananas for, such as vanilla wafers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, actual cheesecake chunks, and much, much more. The restaurant's 30–34-ounce shakes are supposedly made with real ice cream and whole milk, whipped up in-house to the guests' request. Don't worry about throwing away the rest of the uber-thick shake if it fills you up sooner than you expected — here's the best way to store a milkshake to enjoy later.

While one former employee on Reddit speculated that "most of [Cook Out's] profit is made from shakes," the restaurant does rack up millions every year on the tasty treat, logging $331 million total in sales in 2023, according to Restaurant Business. The North Carolina-based fast food joint sprang into the scene back in 1989, serving full, hearty meals for a steal. Its menu consists not only of these famed milkshakes, but also hamburgers, chicken strips, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, onion rings, and more. Cook Out restaurants are located in several states, though not all, but the chain is opening locations in new states all the time.