Here’s where you can get the best milkshakes in Sacramento, Bee readers say
The Sacramento Bee asked you to vote on the the best milkshake in the area. You’ve made three things abundantly clear:
- Your love for milkshakes
- Your love for local restaurants
- And that milkshakes pair well with burgers
More than 1,000 people responded to The Bee’s milkshake poll last month and over 500 votes were cast. Here are the results (please remember the poll is not scientific, it’s for fun!)
Leatherby’s Family Creamery
Locations: Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, more
Bee readers’ No. 1 pick, Leatherby’s Family Creamery, has been a staple in the Sacramento area for decades. Its menu is broken down into sandwiches, salads, ice cream and of course — milkshakes.
Leatherby’s $10.49 “Laura’s milkshake,” according to its online menu, is a thick old fashioned shake with whipped cream. Its smaller version, “Molly’s small shake” is $1 cheaper.
It gained 98 votes or 20%.
Whitey’s Jolly Kone
Location: 1300 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento
Snagging second place, Whitey’s Jolly Kone in West Sacramento is a “hamburger stand,” reminiscent of 1963, the year it was established by Emile “Whitey” Boisclair.
Bee readers’ milkshake destination doesn’t just blend ice cream and milk. Burgers, hot dogs and chicken strips are constantly being flipped while sandwiches, burritos, tostadas and tacos are being assembled.
The restaurant’s milkshake flavors are abundant: Eggnog, peppermint, pumpkin, root beer, Oreo, butterscotch, mocha and pineapple for as little as $4.75 a cup.
It gained 86 votes or 17%.
Willie’s Burgers
Locations: Sacramento, Carmichael, more
Willie’s Burgers, the third favorite,” doesn’t just turn ice cream into chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee milkshakes for $6 a cup.
The burger joint’s Instagram is filled with crisp close ups of of its menu items including ingredient-stacked burgers, loaded fries and powdered desserts.
It gained 29 votes or 6%.
Cookie’s Drive-In
Location: 5640 H St., Sacramento
Cookies Drive-in East Sacramento was beat by Willie’s Burgers by just one vote.
With a more expansive food menu than its competitor, Cookies Drive-In’s milkshake flavors are relatively similar to Willie’s Burgers except for a couple of flavors: banana, cherry, coconut and cherry. Cookies Drive-in serves three sizes — small, medium and large — all for around $5 a cup.
It gained 28 votes or 6%.
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen ranks No. 5, the first fast-food chain to make the list of “best” milkshakes in the Sacramento area.
With five locations around town, Dairy Queen’s milkshake flavors include: hot fudge, peanut butter, strawberry, banana, vanilla and caramel.
It gained 26 votes or 5%.
Shake Shack
Locations: Sacramento, Roseville
Shake Shack’s hand-spun milkshakes are made with house-made frozen custard. Its flavors lean more traditional including chocolate, cookies and cream and strawberry for $5.89 a cup. Whipped cream is an additional 50 cents.
Cut the sweetness of the milkshake with a burger, chicken sandwich, hot dog or fries.
It gained 23 votes or 5%.
In-N-Out Burger
Locations: Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville, more
In-N-Out Burger snagged the last spot on the “best” milkshake in the Sacramento area poll.
The milkshakes, according to the California-based chain’s website, is made with “real ice cream.” Flavors include: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.
It gained 21 votes or 4%.
What did we miss?
Readers also wrote into us to tell us what we missed: Including Gunther’s Ice Cream and Vic’s Ice Cream.
Send your favorites to utilityteam@sacbee.com.
OTHER FAVORITES
- Real Pie Company
- Sunflower Drive-In
- Village Drive-In
- Rick’s Dessert Diner
- Burger Patch
- The Original Mels Diner
- Chick-Fil-A
This story was originally published October 5, 2022 at 6:00 PM.