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Whether they crave just plain chocolate or something a bit more complex - like banana, caramel and marshmallow - Utahns from Logan to St. George have a universal love of milkshakes.
Fortunately, there are dozens of restaurants, diners and drive-ins across the state that make these creamy concoctions a worthwhile splurge.
The Tribune asked readers to tell us where they go to get their favorite milkshake and more than 50 readers - including a class of sixth-grade students - sent in letters and e-mails letting us know the top spots.
ICE CREAM COMBAT
In Salt Lake County, there is a definite war between Iceberg Drive Inn, 3906 S. 900 East, and Shivers, at 3063 E. 3300 South.
Iceberg, which opened in 1960, makes its own signature vanilla and chocolate ice cream and offers customers 75 different fruits, nuts, flavorings and other toppings that can be mixed in.
Starting this weekend - Memorial Day - and continuing through the summer, Iceberg will sell more than 600 shakes a day, said Kelly Christensen, Iceberg president.
While the restaurant, which has several franchise locations, sells hamburgers, fries and onion rings, too, the shakes are 50 percent of the business, said Christensen.
They can thank customers like Mick Bruner of Sandy who craves Iceberg's peanut butter and chocolate shake.
"They put so much ice cream in your cup it stands about 3 inches from the top. It literally looks like an iceberg," explained Bruner, one of 15 readers who nominated Iceberg for the top shake. "I must confess I have lost a small fortune over the years to these things. If you want to pick up an ice cream addiction, this is the place to go."
Conversely, the Edgington family opened Shivers in 1992 - switching to an independent operation after 20 years as an Arctic Circle. The restaurant offers more than 80 different toppings and flavorings for its shakes, said Nancy Edgington. On a hot day, the family-run operation will sell about 400 shakes.
Linda and Gilbert Capson are fans of Shivers Hawaiian shake as well as the caramel marshmallow.
"They are thick and creamy and absolutely delicious," Linda Capson wrote.
Shivers also was the favorite in Susan Fuller's 6th grade class at Upland Terrace Elementary, 3700 S. 2860 East. Eight students wrote in saying Shivers mixed up the best shakes. (Five students voted for Iceberg.)
"The greatest milkshake is made by Shivers," wrote Libbie, who likes the grasshopper shake made with mint-flavored ice cream and Oreo cookies. "There is something about it that no other restaurant can beat. When a shake is thick and creamy, you can savor its lovely luscious taste."
BEST OF THE REST
Her classmate, Austin, prefers the chocolate banana shakes at Millie's Burgers, 2092 S. 1000 East.
"It has slices of real banana," he wrote. "When you take a bite, you feel like you're in milk shake heaven. You see swirls of chocolate and banana. Once you have one, you crave them for months at a time."
Other readers told us about great shakes in all corners of the state from Rogers Dairy Freeze in Mount Pleasant to Glades Drive Inn in Spanish Fork.
When raspberries are in season, several readers told us to head north to Garden City where the Quick N Tasty and LeBeau's both serve fabulous fresh fruit shakes. The raspberry shakes are "to die for" at Chris' Cafe in Huntsville, too.
Mike Behunin wrote to say that the best shakes in the south-central town of Ferron are homemade using the local fall peach harvest. Behunin makes his in his basement where he restored an original 1950's soda fountain. His recipe is below.
Outdoor enthusiasts like Cheri and John Ause always stop at the Moab Diner for a thick shake - chocolate for him and caramel for her - after a weekend in Red Rock country. They eat them on their way out of town for lunch.
"They are thick enough to eat with a spoon for the first little while, but become sippable by the time we get to the turnoff to Dead Horse Point," Cheri Ause wrote. "My husband, who usually drives, says they get really good by Crescent Junction. Mine don't ever last that long."
KATHY STEPHENSON can be contacted at kathys@sltrib.com" Target="_BLANK">kathys@sltrib.com or 801-257-8612. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com" Target="_BLANK">livingeditor@sltrib.com.