I walked into my local Jack in the Box after school and asked if they were selling the bacon shake.
“Bacon shakes?” said another customer, a man holding a toothpick in his mouth. “BACON SHAKE? What is that? Is it a shake that tastes like bacon?”
The girl nodded.”It’s new,” she said. “I’ll give you a sample in a minute.”
“Bacon. In a shake.” The man shook his head. “Is it good? Does the bacon shake really taste like bacon?”
“It does taste like bacon,” the girl said.
“Is it salty and sweet?” I asked.
She said no. “I don’t know how to describe it…it’s not salty, because of the vanilla.”
I got a large for the kids to split.
The man couldn’t beli
How to describe?
It does taste like bacon, only it’s delivered in a creamy milkshake, so it’s weird to not have the crunch. But definitely bacon. I only had two spoonfuls because it was pretty rich and my stomach kind of protested immediately, but the kids. The kids love it. They reported bacon bits in their portions (I didn’t see them and they said they sucked them down already).
I also tasted vanilla and the whipped cream. There’s an odd aftertaste and mouth-feel, I think from the whipped cream because it’s “whipped cream product” and not real whip– the hydrogenated shortening or whatever probably didn’t melt.
So the bacon shake is an okay kind of good to me– I didn’t want more. The kids, however, are sucking the bottom of their glasses dry. I think it’d be worth trying, even if you had to just go in and ask for a sample first to see if you liked it. The large (pictured) cost $3.79. You can get a small or large, no medium. Even better: split it. The girl offered me extra cups and spoons to split the bacon shake on the spot.
MARGARET DILLOWAY 
Oh my…I am not brave enough to try this! Although I love everything else at JIB 🙂
We bought bacon soda as a gag gift and it smells (and tastes) AWFUL.
You could just get a sample to try…or get your bf to try a sample. I can see how bacon soda would be terrible!
As a bacon maven, I am thrilled by this news. I am also cautious. While I can abide (and even celebrate) bacon in chocolate bars, donuts, cookies, and snuggled around steak, I worry about the “aftertaste” and “mouth-feel” you mention. That might be a deal breaker for me. That said, it kind of makes me wait to sprinkle bacon bits over my vanilla ice cream tonight. Maybe even ladle a bit of caramel sauce on top.
Thank you for the post, oh bacon-lady!
I thought I’d heard it all. This WV girl will take her bacon fried up crisp in a skillet and served with biscuits and gravy. Whew. BUT I can assure you my triplet grandkids, age ten, would go for it in a big way. I have to say anything that says milkshake they would devour and never know what it had in it.
Kids are braver than I. I don’t think we have Jack in the box here though I’ve seen it in other states.
Enjoy! All of you who try.
Blessings, Barb
Josi Kilpack includes a recipe for Bacon Ice Cream in her mystery “Blackberry Crumble.” It looks intriguing, with the sweet and salty and real cream flavor. But I don’t have an ice cream freezer, so I don’t have to decide whether I am brave enough to try it!
This recipe for candied bacon ice cream looks pretty good, too.
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/03/candied-bacon-i-1/
I’m not sure I could handle the shake. I love bacon. But something about combining it with the sweet doesn’t sit right with me. I had a bacon brownie sundae at Slater’s 50/50 a while back and I just couldn’t get into it.
Hi! I just finished “How to Be An American Housewife.” I really enjoyed it, and I am mainly a fan of dead writers. =) (Just being honest. “Kirsten Lavransdatter” is a recent favorite, to give you an idea.) It seems like so much new fiction that I pull off the library shelf is either syrupy sweet or depressing and crude. Thanks for writing a story that is neither. It was refreshing to enjoy new fiction so much. I’m looking forward to your next book coming out.
Ah, thank you so much, Ellen!