The Shake Shack Milkshake We Ranked As Best Because It's Just Too Good

For a chain leading with "shake" in the title, Shake Shack's milkshakes had better be good. Happily, they totally are — especially if you order the strawberry flavor. In Tasting Table's ranking of nine Shake Shack milkshake flavors, the strawberry shake emerged as the tastiest sipper on the menu. We're longtime fans of the shakes for which this chain is named; in a previous ranking of 10 popular fast-food chocolate milkshakes, Shake Shack swept competitors to snatch an impressive second-place (outranked only by Culver's). As we raved then, "A milkshake isn't just a milkshake at Shake Shack. It's a fine art." When it comes to that strawberry milkshake, however, the chain's take on a classic flavor delivers something special.

According to the official Shake Shack website, its strawberry shake is made with the chain's signature hand-spun, house-made vanilla custard and "real strawberry" — fresh flavor that totally comes through in execution. Instead of any synthetic taste, there's just a strong strawberry flavor that artfully avoids leaning too sweet or heavy. Other lower-ranking flavors in our roundup (like the coffee shake) clashed with the tasting profile of our burger and fries. But, as we mentioned in our review, the versatile strawberry shake performs fabulously on its own or paired alongside a burger. Quoth our taste-tester, "The strawberry notes are bright but soft, blending smoothly with the creamy vanilla custard." We also appreciated the shake's cohesive, silky texture, which was smoothly sippable despite the prominent real-fruitiness (no chewing required).

Shake Shack's hand-spun milkshakes deliver a famously velvety texture. But, specific to strawberry, the shake is rippled with a true, "clean" berry taste that puts other cloying, artificial "strawberry milkshakes" on the fast-food market to shame. "If you have an incredible base, you have an amazing shake," Shake Shack's executive chef John Karangis tells Tasting Table in an exclusive interview. "We have to be really strategic about what other ingredients we add." Even the great Anthony Bourdain was vocal about Shake Shack's standout quality among competitors – and that quality certainly pays off with the chain's strawberry shake, boasting five-star thickness as it pulls through the straw.

If we were going to dock points anywhere, it'd be for the cost. That top-notch quality comes at a price ($6.49 at a location in Manhattan). Still, this is one case in which you absolutely get what you pay for, and foodies can find a better strawberry shake at the Shack than on the menus of other (albeit cheaper) quick-service chains like Burger King. A review of Shake Shack's strawberry milkshake by YouTube foodie @BenDeen (with 112K views) remarks, "Just pure strawberry shake flavor right there." Another customer review video of the strawberry shake applauds, "I love it," noting that the price was admittedly high, "but it is so, so good." To complete the meal, we recommend pairing that strawberry shake with our go-to secret menu spicy fries – or, of course, with a classic Shack Burger.