Every Cook Out Milkshake Flavor Ranked Worst To Best

Sometimes those dog days of summer really start to wear on you. The sun glares down relentlessly and you do everything you can to stay in the shade to find some sense of relief from the overbearing heat. When that happens, you need to shake things up a bit, and there's no better way to do that than to cannonball your mouth directly into a deliciously cold and refreshing milkshake. There's no amount of heat the summer can force on you that's not instantly alleviated by a huge gulp of that thick ice cream drink. Even if summer's officially over, a good milkshake can still hit the spot and bring back treasured memories of the season.

One spot that's known for serving up a whole slew of amazing milkshakes since 1989 is fast food restaurant Cook Out. Milkshakes aren't the only thing this place offers, too. Its menu boasts a good selection of burgers, barbecue, and hot dogs, but its huge array of shakes is certainly what people look to when they need a reprieve from the heat or just a tasty treat. 

But just because you'll have a baffling number of shakes to choose from on your trip to Cook Out doesn't mean you should fork over your money for just any old one. You wanna make sure that when you shake, you shake it right. So, if you're headed to Cook Out to snag a shake, here's our ranking of its core milkshake flavors from worst to best.

Peanut butter is a great flavor that can come into play in surprising ways, lending its unique combination of savory and sweet flavors to any number of amazing meals. So, you might be excited to hear that Cook Out offers a Peanut Butter shake for anyone who can't get enough of the stuff. However, the peanut butter flavor here is so overwhelming that it almost feels like you are drinking a jar of liquid Jiffy. Unless you are absolutely obsessed with super intense peanut butter flavor, you're better off skipping this one.

Chocolate is one of those beloved flavors that so many people absolutely adore. Ask them, and they'll tell you that chocolate is more than just a dessert: it's a way of life. For all those choco-holics out there, Cook Out offers a Double Chocolate shake. Sadly, those anticipating an absolutely roundhouse kick of chocolate flavor will be let down. While we can at least report that the chocolate flavor here isn't unappealing, it's a sad echo of what it could have been. Chocolate enthusiasts will probably want to grab an additional fix of the sweet stuff after they finish.

We think that peanut butter and fudge go together like strawberries and chocolate. When both flavors join forces, the sum of their parts is far greater than the individual ingredients — at least when it's done well. You may think as much before ordering the Peanut Butter Fudge shake at Cook Out, but you'll quickly find that these two flavors should operate alone, at least as far as the fast food chain is concerned. The issue here is that peanut butter doesn't really allow the fudge any room to shine, which is such a shame we missed that chocolate richness. Fudge deserves a bigger role in this shake.

Fruit is the candy of the earth, so when it comes to milkshakes, you might as well mix and match a whole bunch of them in one to create a beautiful potpourri of flavors. Don't right, surely the mix will dance along your tongue and tantalize those eager taste buds. One of the shakes at Cook Out that attempts such a feat is the Banana Berry. Unfortunately, the banana steals the show away from the berry flavor. It ends up tasting like just a banana shake, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's just not what you want when you expect the flavor of berries, as well.

Anyone who's had a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie knows just how well chocolate and mint combine. The fresh burst of mint cuts through the sweetness of chocolate like a knife, leaving your palate more than satisfied. This is exactly what makes the Choc Chip Mint shake at Cook Out kind of a bummer. There's way too much of the chocolate flavor and very little of that cooling mint freshness that twirls among it like a deliciously cold ballet dancer. Instead, this one falls flat.

When you're feeling extra tropical, reaching for some fresh pineapple will surely whisk you away to a gorgeous island getaway where the stress is minimal and the environment is jaw-dropping. So, when the urge to get your tropic on hits, you might as well snag yourself a Banana Pineapple shake from Cook Out, right? Well, not necessarily. Yes, the banana flavor is present, but that exotic taste sensation of the pineapple is strangely weak. This milkshake simply doesn't give off those "island life" vibes you might have been hoping for.

Wait, we've already talked about a Chocolate Cherry shake from Cook Out. How can this option be any different? That's a perfectly valid question. However, Cook Out's Choc Chip Cherry shake does a much better job of balancing the chocolate and cherry flavors in its recipe. However, although the cherry flavor is definitely prevalent, you may still wish that it was a little more intense. For true lovers of cherry, this milkshake may still be a disappointment.

Malt can be a polarizing flavor. Made from barley (via GoBarley), it can taste sweet and nutty, bringing out notes of toast, coffee, and raisins. Cook Out's Chocolate Malt shake manages to rope in a malt flavor that's never too powerful, so even those who might shy away from the unique taste probably won't feel as if they wasted their money. The chocolate dominates the experience, but there's still enough malt flavor to please most malt cravers.

Cherries are a dessert favorite, to say the least, with bursts of sweet, red juice that's won many fans. Cook Out offers a Red Cherry shake that's chock full of cherry flavor and even little bits of cherries to enhace the taste and textre. Fans of cherries will definitely enjoy this shake, but they might wish that there were more bits of cherry in the mix to amp up the flavor. If you like the taste of cherry, this is a solid option, even if it falls short of greatness.

Even though toffee can often get stuck in your teeth, it may be worth the extra brushing later, becuase it's just so darn delicious. The Heath Toffee shake at Cook Out mixes rich chocolate flavor with the taste of English toffee. The result is a delicious shake that balances out both flavors well. That said, we think this shake could benefit from a heavier dose of toffee, given that it's a more unique flavor than chocolate. With toffee taking a backseat, this shake isn't as exciting as it could be.

While bananas may be packed full of the same juicy flavor as a cherry or blueberry, we think that they're still delicious. It's nice to get a good dose of potassium and other nutrients while you're at it, too (via Harvard Health). The Banana shake at Cook Out is infused with strong banana flavor and benefits from a creamy texture. Of course, this is a shake, so maybe don't look to this for a solid source of potassium. Still, if it's a yummy banana-flavored treat you want, this shake won't let you down.

If you're throwing a dinner party and you pop a warm peach cobbler on the table after everyone's finished with dinner, you better believe people are gonna be stoked. The warm sweet peaches combined with the flaky biscuit topping makes for one heck of an amazing dessert. The Peach Cobbler shake at Cook Out does a solid job of capturing the flavors of the sweet after-dinner treat. The peach flavor is powerful, complemented by a buttery flavor that mimics the flaky biscuit crust. It's a unique flavor that won't be to everyone's taste, but fans of peach desserts will want to give it a go.

When it comes to life, you never want anything to feel vanilla. But when it comes to milkshakes, sometimes plain old vanilla is the way to go. Looking at the huge variety of unique milkshakes at Cook Out can feel overwhelming, but if you want to skip the decision-making stress and go for something basic yet pretty delicious, order up the Vanilla shake. It's super thick with a wonderfully fresh vanilla flavor, though of course it's also pretty simple. You probably don't want a vanilla existence, but you may very well want this vanilla shake.

If you order a dessert and you're offered a drizzle of caramel on top, you take it every time. Why wouldn't you want that sweet buttery flavor? Cook Out serves up a Caramel shake that does a great job embodying the richness of caramel, but without the super intense hit of sugar. The caramel flavor in this shake is mellowed out a bit, which may be pleasing for someone whose sweet tooth doesn't demand bucketloads of sugar.

In a Snickers bar, chocolate, nougat, caramel, and peanuts all join forces for a sweet experience full of great flavors and textures. If you love the candy bar, then there's no reason not to try the Snickers shake at Cook Out. Cook Out does a great job of encapsulating all of the disparate parts of the candy into a single drink. Ultimately, this tastes quite a bit like you're drinking a Snickers. The salted peanuts also add a nice textural element that helps to cut through the sugary shake.

All hail Hershey's! You can hardly have a conversation about chocolate without mentioning Hershey at least once. Milton Hershey created an absolute empire of chocolate and much of the world thanks him for it. But how does it all stack up in a shake? Ordering the Hershey's Chocolate shake at Cook Out might seem like a waste when there are so many other, more complex options on the milkshake menu. But trust us: this is one chocolate shake you'll remember. It's surprisingly rich and makes you feel like you're chomping into a Hershey's bar. If you live for chocolate and chocolate alone, be sure to order this one on your next Cook Out visit.

Anytime someone brought a fresh box of Oreo cookies home from the supermarket was a great day. These chocolate cookies with the rich cream center are perfect for dunking into milk, whether you prefer to disassemble the parts and eat the filling first, or just dunk the whole cookie into the glass at once. 

If you loved maneuvering your way through a box of Oreos as a child, then you'll likely want to relive that nostalgia in drinkable form. The Oreo shake at Cook Out is sweet and creamy, for starters. And of course it comes with little chocolate pieces of Oreos floating in the mix. The cookie bits aren't in abundance, though, which may leave some Oreo fanatics a bit disappointed.

One of the most fun desserts you could have as a kid was quite likely an orange push-up pop. With the help of a plastic plunger, you moved creamy sherbet ice cream up a cardboard cylinder — and you felt powerful doing it. Now, as an adult, you might feel a little silly walking around pushing sherbet through a colorful cardboard tube, but you definitely won't feel silly kicking back the Orange Push-Up shake at Cook Out. All the silky orange flavor of the handheld sherbet treat is stuffed into one cup. Embrace your inner child and order this. You definitely won't regret it.