Author Spotlight
Avni Bansal
When I imagine a milkshake, I picture a few scoops of blended ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top. But at The Yard Milkshake Bar, a milkshake can be topped with a cookie dough cake pop, a slice of cheesecake or a fruity pebbles rice crispy treat.
This milkshake bar, located in Missouri’s Power and Light District, opened two weeks ago and serves exotic milkshakes, ice cream and cookie dough jars. The moment I received the news that The Yard Milkshake Bar had opened via Instagram, I decided to make the 30-minute drive to try it out.
The interior of the shop was brightly lit with high ceilings, glass doors and 15 large windows. I loved the five-foot-long pictures of milkshakes lining the walls. Plus, the black, gold and silver wallpaper and red hanging lights added a fun retro effect.
I was amazed when I saw the menu offered 24 different milkshakes, but, as an avid cheesecake fan, choosing what to order became a little easier when I noticed the Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake milkshake.
This $19 pink milkshake was served in a mason jar and topped with a slice of New York-style cheesecake, whipped cream, strawberry syrup and graham cracker crumbs. When I saw how high the whipped cream and cheesecake were stacked, I expected an instant sugar crash. Thankfully, I was wrong.
When blended, the strawberry cheesecake flavored ice cream tasted exactly like a strawberry smoothie — not too sweet and with a genuine strawberry flavor. The cheesecake wasn’t overly sweet either — each bite soft, creamy and cheesy — a refreshing contrast to the strawberry sauce and cold milkshake. Although tasty, it was like having three desserts in one, and I couldn’t drink more than half of the milkshake.
The Heart of KC milkshake came with a chocolate chip cookie dough cake pop, milk chocolate-dipped pretzels, strawberry ice cream, chocolate KC letters, strawberry drizzle and sprinkles.
Unlike the Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake, this milkshake tasted like every sweet in my pantry was crammed into one jar and blended into a cup. It contained excessive amounts of chocolate chips and was covered in sugary, grainy red and blue frosting, which tasted store-bought and stained my hands.
I was hoping for a chocolate-covered-strawberry flavor, but the blend tasted more like cotton candy — likely due to the 166 grams of sugar. I would only recommend this shake if you want to waste $19 and have a voluntary stomach ache.
Instead of ordering a third milkshake, I decided to try the Cereal Killer — a $13 ice cream bowl with white chocolate marshmallow ice cream, fruity pebbles, whipped cream, white chocolate chips, red marshmallow drizzle and a fruity pebbles rice krispies treat.
The fruity pebbles sprinkled on the velvety, sweet ice cream gave each bite a satisfying crunch. With airy whipped cream and a drizzle of red marshmallow sauce, the Cereal Killer was an irresistible sundae. Every bite brought back the sugary joy of childhood breakfasts.
My only complaint? The white chocolate chips didn’t add much, and they clashed with the candy-like flavor of the fruity pebbles.
Although I ended up spending a hefty $60, I enjoyed The Yard Milkshake Bar’s innovative milkshakes and ice cream — which wouldn’t be found in a regular freezer aisle. The creativity in each item was remarkable, but choose what you’re ordering carefully. The fancier it looks, the worse it’ll taste.
Bootyhole/5