After posting my first fast food review last week, I’ve had my eyes peeled for another limited edition product to pick up. Then Wayne Brady appeared on my television screen. Zaxby’s latest commercial showcases their banana pudding milkshake: a creamy banana pudding flavored milkshake, hand-blended and topped with real whipped cream and sweet vanilla wafer pieces. A banana pudding based dessert is about the only thing that would be able to pull me away from the chicken strips, seasoned crinkle fries and Zax sauce I’d normally order. Blue Bell and Front Porch have previously tried the same concept in their ice cream, but I’m interested to see if the fast food industry can attempt to keep up with store bought creations.
After paying my $2.99 plus tax and waiting about 5 minutes, I was handed a tall plastic cup that only provided a partial view of the banana pudding based milkshake inside. With the top plastic lid removed, I could get a better look at the real whipped cream and sweet vanilla wafer pieces that had just been placed on top. The whipped cream layer stood about an inch thick, much like it would in the actual dessert, and had been sprinkled with vanilla wafers that had been pulverized into a fine powder consistency. Although a few pieces had managed to barely sneak through the blender, this didn’t include any whole wafers. For my first taste I plunged my spoon through all three layers of ingredients and brought back a concentrated bite.
Unlike many milkshakes you’ll find at other fast food chains, Zaxby’s doesn’t go overboard with the concrete consistency. This banana pudding milkshake was easily sucked through a straw and because it lacks any large mix-ins, flowed up smooth and steady. The actual milkshake produces a more complex flavoring than I had expected. Zaxby’s has built on the taste of a simple banana base by incorporating a strong pudding flavor as well. This fluffy shake’s soft-serve feel means that everything envelops your taste buds at once; without the wait time of frozen solid ice creams. The velvety texture is soon built upon when the whipped cream and wafers come into play. By adding the whipped cream, it gives some portions a light, aerated feel; while the crushed cookies provide the little bit of crunch to give Zaxby’s Banana Pudding Milkshake an authentic impersonation. I’d still rather have a pint of banana pudding ice cream or, better yet, a bowl of the real stuff.
Where I Found It: Zaxby's
Grade: C
