MilkShake Factory Cary — Restaurant in Cary

|Overview

Great selection of milkshakes to choose from Chocolate Raspberry Truffle is amazing Fantastic location in downtown Cary, NC Friendly customer service Despite most shakes being priced at over $8, their sizes are small Not a big fan of its open-window ambiance

| Review

The Pittsburgh-based Milkshake Factory franchise is expanding all over America, and after it opened its first NC location in Durham last summer, a new one in downtown Cary just opened 3 weeks ago, so my girl & I decided to try.

Most of the milkshakes in the menu cost around $8+ with a the more premium ones costing $9+ to $10+. We looked at the menu outside and based on the photos on the menu, there's a great variety of different milkshakes to choose from.

Milkshake Factory has 4 Signature Shakes: Chocolate Dipped Strawberry, Chocolatier, Cookie Jar & Campfire Smore's. Based on the photos, these premium drinks are loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted fudge & other sweet toppings, depending on which milkshake you get. The rest in the menu are 10 Gourmet Shakes, 4 Classic Shakes & 4 "Not Shakes" (sundaes). There are also premium chocolates, and all their sweets are housemade.

We decided to order 1 of the Gourmet Shakes: The Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, which is a delicious blend of dark cocoa, semi-sweet chocolate chips, raspberry puree & melted fudge. A small piece of chocolate is placed on top of the whip cream. As expected, the milkshake we shared tasted rich & sweet; the raspberry puree went well with the cocoa flavors, and there's a good amount of fudge that filled the sides of the cup.

As a long-time milkshake enjoyer, I'm used to the kind you get from restaurants that serve some of the milkshake in the glass and the remaining ones in a tin cup. The amount of milkshake you get from that is enjoyable. Sadly, Milkshake Factory's shakes are quite small despite most of them being priced at $8+, and there are no bigger size options for those who prefer a taller cup. There's a tin can in the photo of the Chocolate Dipped Strawberry in the menu, but that looks misleading as that -and any of their milkshakes- are not served that way. How can it call itself "Milkshake Factory" when it can't even "manufacture" a monster milkshake?

Nonetheless, despite the lack of a real monster shake or a classic tin can-sized serving, Milkshake Factory is a master of blending just the right amount of ice cream, milk & mixed-ins that go well together to make a creamy and delicious milkshake that will make you forget the cheap kind of milkshakes you can get from Cook Out, Dairy Queen, or any other restaurant.

Customer service here was excellent. There were two servers when we went, and they were both friendly and answered my questions about the milkshakes and the franchise clearly. 1 of the servers, Zack, was a gentleman. He prepared the milkshake order fast and served with care. When our order was ready, Zack called for me to pick up the milkshake from the counter.

My girl & I sat on one of the few tables in Milkshake Factory's open ambiance with clean spaces, bright lights and white walls. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the open-window layout, which seems to be common for dessert shops. It's not necessarily a good or bad thing; it's just not an ideal place to chill. Maybe I'm just used to the more inviting ambiance of some milk tea cafes.

At this point, I've only tried 1 kind of milkshake in Milkshake Factory, so I'll likely share a follow-up review focusing on another milkshake or 2. Right now, I'm just delighted that we have a new sweet reason to revisit the developing downtown Cary.

| Overall...

I recently visited The Milkshake Factory and was lucky enough to be assisted by Patrick Balhoff, and I have to say, his outstanding service truly elevated the experience.

From the moment I walked in, Patrick greeted me with a warm, friendly smile and an eagerness to help me navigate the extensive menu. His knowledge of the menu was impressive, offering thoughtful suggestions and even helping me create a custom milkshake based on my preferences. His patience and genuine enthusiasm made me feel like I was in great hands, and his attention to detail ensured that my order was perfect.

The milkshake itself was absolutely delicious – rich, creamy, and just the right amount of sweetness. But what really stood out was the personal touch Patrick brought to the entire visit. He went above and beyond to ensure I was satisfied, and his positive energy made the experience so much more enjoyable.

Patrick’s passion for delivering top-notch customer service is evident in every interaction, and I will definitely be returning to The Milkshake Factory because of the fantastic service he provided. If you’re lucky enough to have Patrick assist you during your visit, you’re in for a treat – both in terms of milkshakes...

My husband and I popped in tonight for a early week date night. The space is very cute and clean. We both ordered milkshakes, one was the peanut butter chocolate and the other was the midnight cookie. There was only two ladies working and they were trying their best to keep with the amount of people wanting for their order. While we waited we use the cute little photo booth to take a picture, which by the way never came and it's been about 3 hours. The milkshakes were in our opinion just OK. Nothing special about the taste of the ice cream. The shakes are on the high side at $7.95 each. While the experience was great, location was a little tough, customer service was good, we just don't feel the taste is worth the money. I can think of a few better places with half the cost....