On a super hot Summer day, what do we crave? Ice cream! So, we went looking for a nice ice cream spot. We saw a nice shake place, and thought, “shake would be even nicer than ice cream!” Instead of stepping into the first shake place we saw, we decided to explore the area to find THE best shake place. Then we found a place called “Great Shakes” which is exactly what we wanted. They had a small seating area in front of it with Sumbrella.

As we walked in, they had some lines from the counter to the door. They had all kinds of flavors, and it was so exciting! They had menu closed to the door, so we could look at it and see what we wanted while we waited in line. They had lots of goodies on the counter, if you wanted more than just the shake. We were there for their gourmet shakes and malts, so we didn’t need anything more. 

After we put in our order, we waited for the “great” shakes to be created. The pick up is all the way at the end of the wall. It was fun watching the staffs making the shakes. The interior was colorful, with many colors and old-fashion tile floor. They have some seating alongside the counter, but not many.

They also had counter seating at the front, by the large window with street view. They had very cool photos of celebrities from way back when, which was really nice. Funky colored walls and ceiling, highlighted by unique photos from the golden days…

 

The furniture also helped set the tone and atmosphere of the place. It was something I could see in the original Grease movie. I love the look of fun pharmacy with soda fountain type of place, with modern twist. One great thing (to me) about this place on top of their gourmet shake offerings and friendly staffs was that they also offer free water to customers! They had the water dispenser by the pick up area, with paper cups. Thank you!

So, what makes their shakes “great”? First thing is their ice cream. Their ice cream is made specifically for their shakes by a local dairy with all-natural ingredients. That means, no antibiotics, and no added growth hormones. That dedication goes beyond just the simple ice cream. They make all the shakes and malts using only whole, fresh and natural ingredients. Lastly, they make many of their ingredients themselves to ensure the best taste and freshness. Like what, you might ask? Well, like salted caramel, fudge and butterscotch sauces, whipped cream, marshmallows and many other ingredients.

We were completely sold! It would be hard not to be at this point… We went with Pistachio shake ($6.95/medium) and Banana Caramel Graham shakes ($6.95/medium). All the shakes comes artistically garnished, with a home made baked mini-doughnut on each straw. Awesome!

Here is the description of Pistachio on their menu: “Get crackin’?  No need – we do the work for you.  Delicious all-natural, ground pistachios with a touch of clover honey. No green flavoring.  Just the real thing!” How fun is this description???

So, it had lots and lots of pistachio, super creamy and velvety. It was really an amazing pistachio shakes, probably the best pistachio shakes we’ve ever had! A lot of times, they give you more of a “hint of” pistachio, but this one was loaded with pistachio! Perfect shake for pistachio lover.

The description of Banana Caramel Graham Shake: “Three ways to fantastic!  Our home made salted caramel, HM pie crust and fresh banana.  Like banana cream pie, but better!” Seriously, they know how to sell their shakes!

And I agree, it was like a banana cream pie (which I love), but better! My goodness it was so decadent, creamy, strong and wonderful flavor of banana. The caramel was a really nice touch. The pie crust really sealed the deal on the banana cream pie flavor. Soooooo good!!!!!

And look at this mini-doughnut, how cute is this? It was not the best doughnut I’ve ever had, but we were there for the shakes. And, I really liked the fact that they were “baked” doughnut instead of fried doughnut. We are getting more than enough calorie from the shakes already, it is good to eliminate the oil aspect of the fried doughnut. It was fluffy and sweet, rich and adorable.

The fact that founder/owner of this place was handling the order and payment was really great. It is great to see the owner fully involved with the business, interacting with the customers. He was very nice, friendly and polite. At the time of order, he looked us into our eyes and told us that they guarantee satisfaction, and that if we are not happy with our order, they will make us something else. The offer was very sincere, I thought that was really great.

At the end, we were completely satisfied. The only issue I had was that I did not have unlimited supply of their amazing shakes. They were true their name, and they do serve “Great Shakes” or more like out-of-this-world shakes. LOVE! If you are in the area, go visit this spot for a mouth-watering shakes. Your taste buds will thank you.

Great Shakes – 160 S Palm Canyon Dr A, Palm Springs, CA 92262