The Best Milkshakes in Philly

Somerset Splits

Avid fans of old-fashioned milkshakes should make Somerset Splits a destination. Whether visiting its stand at Spruce Harbor or its original storefront in Port Richmond, you can choose from a classic, malted, Reese’s, or cereal (with rotating flavors) milkshake.

Fiore’s Shake’s & Steak’s

With almost two dozen flavors on its menu, Fiore Shake and Steak lets you keep it simple with more traditional flavors like chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla, or get a little more extravagant and order something like butter pecan, moose tracks, or cinnamon roll.

Franklin Fountain

The old-school ice cream parlor in Old City boasts a cult following dating back to 1915. Here, milkshakes are made to order with a full pint of ice cream (in up to two flavors of your choice), and you can jazz them up with toppings like malt powder, whipped cream, and hot fudge.

Craftsman Row Saloon

The kitschy restaurant near Jeweler’s Row is notorious for its larger-than-life burgers and sandwiches. The milkshakes live up to this reputation, packed with treasured Philly sweets, like the Brotherly Love milkshake (made with Hershey’s chocolate, peanut butter chews, Tastykake pieces, and a pretzel stick).

Lola’s Sticky Fingers

While hand-rolled ice cream is the main attraction at this Black woman-owned shop in North Philly, its milkshakes can’t be missed. Create your own from their sensational ice cream flavors like birthday cake, Cookie Monsta, banana pudding, and strawberry shortcake.

Bassetts Ice Cream

A Philly institution scooping up ice cream since the 1860s, Bassett’s Ice Cream in the Reading Terminal Market offers a small collection of classic, malted, and specialty milkshakes, with dreamy flavors like English toffee, peanut butter swirl, and cookies and cream with graham crackers and marshmallow (a nod to S’mores).

Twist Creamery

A stone’s throw from Temple University’s main campus, Twist Creamery whips up fully customizable milkshakes. Choose from two sizes, small (20 ounces) and large (24 ounces), select a base flavor (like mint, caramel, or peanut butter), and get creative with toppings and mix-ins ranging from Butterfinger pieces and marshmallow fluff to sugar cookies and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Goldie

CookNSolo’s fast-casual falafel spot wins the prize for one of the most sought-after milkshakes in Center City. Stop by one of its three locations to savor its tehina milkshake, available in four delicious flavors: original, Turkish coffee, mint chocolate, and coconut.

Nifty Fifty’s

For a blast from the past, visit Nifty Fifty’s where you can bask in all the nostalgic vibes of the 1950s with classic diner fare like burgers, chicken tenders, Coney Island hot dogs, and Philly cheesesteaks. Its hefty menu of 28-ounce milkshakes showcases over 100 flavors, with some of the most popular being the Butterscotch Krimpet (made with the ever-popular Tastykake treat), Strawberry Banana Split, and Oreo Cheesecake.

Kook Burger & Bar

The opulent Shoobie Shakes at Kook Burger and Bar are as grandiose as they are scrumptious, made with generous portions of ice cream and mix-ins like cakes, cookies, candy, and other sweets.

HipCityVeg

One of Philly’s well-known vegan and vegetarian spots offers chocolate, vanilla, black and white, and rotating seasonal milkshakes. Its summer option is a cold brew mocha shake, available through August.

Banana Mousse

With two locations, one in West Philly and the other in Francisville, Banana Mousse’s crowd-pleasing banana milkshake is best described as the sweetest banana pudding in beverage form.

Totally Sweet Cafe

This Black-owned shop west of Philly is a wonderland of sweets, priding itself on its vast selection of candy and decadent milkshakes. Try fan favorites like the Strawberry Cheesecake Madness, a strawberry milkshake blended with cheesecake pieces, or the Peanut Butter Banana Crunch, made with peanut butter, vanilla ice cream, ripe bananas, and topped with peanut butter cereal.