The Milkshake That Gets Me Through the Southern Summers

This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to our very opinionated editors’ favorite things to eat, drink, and buy.

There are only a few reasons I’ll brave the South’s sky-high humidity levels in the summertime, and the watermelon milkshake at Cook Out is one of them. The cult-favorite fast-food chain with locations across the Southeast is centered on burgers (which you can get as part of a combo tray at 3 a.m. with a corn dog and a chicken quesadilla on the side, if you’re into that).

But there are also more than 40 shakes on Cook Out’s menu, including flavors like fresh banana and peach cobbler. I’ve never tried one I didn’t like. However, the flavor I look forward to all year long is watermelon, made with the creamiest vanilla ice cream and bite-size chunks of real fruit. It’s only available in July and August, a.k.a. the two most sweltering months of summer, but that’s part of what makes it so craveable: You gotta strike while the temps are hot. And you’ll keep going back until September hits because this thing is like air-conditioning you can drink.

Go there: Cook Out

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit