Best Ice Cream In Fast Food Restaurant

You have already placed your order for a burger, quesadilla, or chicken sandwich, and you’ve selected fries, tater tots, and a baked potato. However, there is still one essential item missing: dessert. When visiting the drive-thru of your preferred restaurant, you are likely accustomed to ordering your savory favorites. But what about the sweet options? Nowadays, most major fast food chains offer ice cream treats, yet not all of these desserts are created equal. In fact, some choices are significantly better than others, while some may not be worth the time or money invested.

We have conducted a thorough examination (and tasting) of various fast food ice cream offerings, and we have compiled a ranking to assist you in making your selection. These rankings reflect our personal preferences—feel free to sample these options and determine for yourself whether our tastes align with yours. We begin with our least favored item and progress to our top recommendations. Are you feeling hungry? Continue reading to discover what you should consider ordering the next time you have a craving for ice cream.

1. Carl’s Jr. Vanilla Shake

We do not wish to overly criticize Carl’s Jr.; to be fair, there are not many standard vanilla shakes that we would consider transformative. However, if there is one fast food ice cream option that we likely would not choose again, it would be Carl’s Jr.’s Vanilla Shake. While it is undeniably creamy, which is a basic expectation for a vanilla shake, it ultimately lacks excitement. The flavor does not possess the depth one would anticipate from genuine, fresh vanilla, leaving you with a monotonous sweetness that quickly becomes tiresome.

2. Whataburger Dr Pepper Shake

We had high hopes for the Dr Pepper Shake from Whataburger, given its popularity among fans of the fast-food chain. The shake begins with a straightforward vanilla soft serve base, which is then blended with Dr Pepper syrup to create its distinctive flavor that many adore. However, while we appreciate a cup filled with the sweet, fizzy beverage, the absence of carbonation in this shake is somewhat disconcerting. Instead of experiencing the creamy essence of Dr. Pepper, the vanilla ice cream alters the taste to something quite different.

Occasionally, when we enjoy a Dr Pepper, we detect a toothpaste-like aftertaste, and this sensation was present when we sampled the shake. It felt reminiscent of being at the dentist’s office—specifically, one who might be in trouble for using vanilla ice cream as a dental tool. While it is not the least enjoyable dessert we have encountered, we are unlikely to seek out a second serving.

3. Shake Shack Chocolate Churro Shake

Upon learning about Shake Shack’s Chocolate Churro Shake, we were filled with anticipation, expecting it to contain actual pieces of fresh churro blended into the shake. Unfortunately, this expectation did not align with reality. As a fast-food establishment, it lacks the resources of a fine dining restaurant with a skilled pastry chef. Moreover, the nature of a shake makes it impractical to incorporate large chunks of churro. Nevertheless, we felt a sense of disappointment after tasting this chocolate churro shake.

The churro-flavored frozen custard is enjoyable on its own, though it leans more towards a generic sweetness rather than capturing the essence of real churros. The addition of spiced dark chocolate sauce introduces a necessary complexity to the otherwise straightforward flavor of the custard. Waffle cone crumbles contribute a pleasing texture to the overall experience.