Drive-Thru Gourmet
Fuddruckers chills out with limited-time-only Whopper Milkshake
This week, I reached out for a Whopper Milkshake at the home of the "World's Greatest Hamburgers," Fuddruckers, with 223 restaurants scattered coast-to-coast and spreading overseas. I'm going to be honest, when I heard that Fuddruckers was introducing a Whopper Milkshake, I thought they had lost their Fuddrucking minds.
In drive-thru land, a Whopper is a big ol' burger, and are they serious ... a burger-flavored milkshake?
Fear not: The Whopper in Fuddruckers' Whopper Milkshake is a Whopper malted candy ball. You know, Whoppers — the movie theater favorite. They've got a crunchy malt inside and a dark chocolate outside. They're loud and delicious and fun to throw in the air and catch in your mouth. I'm good for eight out of 10.
Here's the Whopper Milkshake breakdown: thick, hand-spun shakes spiked with crushed Whopper balls, topped with whipped cream, more crushed Whoppers, and a cherry on top. Available in chocolate or vanilla.
Because Whopper Milkshakes are a limited-time-only deal, going bye-bye at the end of the month, Fuddruckers isn't required to list the nutritional numbers. It's the LTO loophole. But a regular chocolate shake at Fudds has 850 calories and 18 fat grams, while a vanilla shake has 650 calories and 19 fat grams.
Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $4.99 for a large. There's also a small for $3.79, but this is not time to shrink from the task at hand. How often do you find a chocolate shake laced with Whopper malted milk balls?. Whoppers are made by the Hershey company, and Hershey knows chocolate. So the choice here is easy: a chocolate Whopper Milkshake.
Fuddruckers shakes are the real deal, hand-spun with real ice cream, not some pre-packaged, gloppy mix coming out of a shake machine spigot. The Whopper Milkshake is creamy, with gritty crushed Whoppers to give you something to chew on. It's more of a meal than a drink. The chocolate shake packs more of a caloric wallop, but it's worth the indulgence.
Fuddruckers also has a new Nacho Crunch Burger with Dorito chips and pickled jalapeños, American cheese, and more jalapeno cheese sauce.
What I like most about Fuddruckers ... those fresh-baked buns. One whiff and this can only be Fuddruckers.
A little local history lesson: Fuddruckers started with one burger stand called Freddie Fuddruckers in San Antonio in 1979. Now there are Fuddruckers around with the world, with headquarters here in Houston.
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Ken Hoffman reviews a new fast food restaurant item every Wednesday. Have a suggestion or a drive-thru favorite? Let Ken know on Twitter.