Alexandria, VA – A milkshake can still surprise you. One is bright with mango. Another begins with Wisconsin-style frozen custard. Beeliner adds Irish cream and turns dessert into a cocktail. These five Alexandria milkshakes each give you a different reason to pick up a straw.
Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream
109 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Pop’s is an Old Town classic, tucked close to the waterfront to make a milkshake part of a King Street walk. The Mango Milkshake is creamy and bright, with enough tartness to keep it from feeling heavy. It is particularly good on a hot afternoon.
I’m Still Thinking About… the White House connection. Ray “Pop” Giovanni catered events there during his long career and served ice cream to Eleanor Roosevelt.
Beeliner Diner
3648 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302
Beeliner Diner gives dessert plenty of room on the menu. The Chocolate Mudslide combines chocolate ice cream with vodka, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream. It is rich, boozy and meant to be enjoyed slowly.
I’m Still Thinking About… the TowerCakes. They are enormous, impossible to miss, and very difficult to resist.
Holy Cow
2312 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301
Milkshakes belong beside burgers and fries at Holy Cow. The Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake pictured here is thick and pale green, with small pieces of chocolate blended throughout. It is exactly what a burger-shop milkshake should be.
I’m Still Thinking About… the burgers. The menu lets you build yours exactly the way you want.
Eva’s Additional Note: Get the Chocolate Marshmallow Milkshake with the hand-cut fries extra crispy. The fries have to be extra crispy. The combination is AMAZING.
The Dairy Godmother
2310 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301
The Dairy Godmother uses Wisconsin-style frozen custard. Very little air is whipped into the custard, giving the Strawberry Milkshake its dense, silky texture. It is rich without losing its unmistakable strawberry flavor.
I’m Still Thinking About… the Flavor Forecast. Checking it before a Del Ray visit is part of the ritual.
Custard Shack
1401 Belle Haven Road, Alexandria, VA 22307
Custard Shack is worth the short drive down the GW Parkway to Belle Haven. The family-owned shop has been serving frozen custard through two walk-up windows since 2015, with The Haven Pizzeria next door. The Caramel Banana Shake blends banana into the custard, adds caramel along the cup, and finishes everything with whipped cream and a cherry.
I’m Still Thinking About… the walk-up window. Belle Haven dessert runs should work exactly this way.
Eva’s Final Thought: The best milkshakes have bold flavor, velvety texture, and a generous sense of fun. Alexandria does all three beautifully.
