The best freakshakes in Belfast

Located on Castle Street in the city centre, City Picnic is the perfect place for a tasty lunch or an afternoon pick-me-up during a day out shopping in Belfast. Known for their juicy chicken and beef burgers, hearty pizzas, succulent chicken wings, loaded fries, and creative cocktails, this American-style casual diner is always a popular choice among hungry locals.

Their weekday lunch deal served from 12 pm to 5 pm is a great way to save some cash as you can have your choice of a 6” pizza served with a house salad or a buttermilk chicken burger with rosemary fries for less than £12. If you fancy something sweet and delicious to wash it down, you can add your choice of milkshake for just £3. Made with soft serve ice cream, they offer a delightful selection of flavours including vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and salted caramel.

Located on the Cliftonville Road, The Burger Club is the perfect place for epic burgers and a casual dining experience not far from the heart of the city. Their tasty gourmet burgers have been ranked among the very best in the city with offerings to suit all tastes, including a classic bacon and cheese burger, a succulent and spicy Korean chicken burger, and a black bean and roasted red pepper burger for the veggies and vegans – and that’s just a small selection of the burgers on offer here.

Even if burgers aren’t your vibe, they offer a great range of chicken strips and wings, ‘dirty’ fries, hot dogs, and sides. So, you’re sure to find something that takes your fancy here. When it comes to those with a sweet tooth, you can indulge in one of their delicious hand-spun shakes and frappuccinos with various flavours to choose from including strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate, all topped with a generous serving of whipped cream.

A beloved casual cafe located on the Malone Road, you’ll find everyone from hungover students to families with kids to elderly couples dining at Maggie Mays. Serving up a fantastic menu of traditional homemade Irish food since 1995, you can expect a classic yet creative menu of delicious dishes at incredibly reasonable prices at this family-run restaurant. From a hearty Bumper Fry with fried eggs, bacon, sausages, potato bread, soda bread, pancakes, hash browns, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, and chips to sweet pancakes, burgers, goujons, bolognese, and lots of vegan and veggie options, there truly is something for everyone here.

What sets Maggie Mays apart from the crowd, however, is their incredible selection of delicious shakes. From simple shakes topped with marshmallows to special shakes made from sweets and chocolate bars of your choice to their own homemade ‘Super Special Shake’ creations, the options here are unrivalled anywhere else in the city. For the chocoholics, they have a tasty ‘Kinder Craze’ complete with Kinder Bueno and white chocolate topped with cream and white chocolate shavings and for the fruity shake fans, they have ‘The Pink Lady’, filled with strawberry millions and frozen strawberries topped with whipped cream and drizzled with strawberry sauce. They even have a huge range of vegan shakes made with oat, soya, or almond milk, and a couple of cheeky ‘Alco Shakes’ spiked with Bailey’s or Bushmills.

Located in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter in St Anne’s Square, Buba Burgers and Bites is a brilliant casual dining restaurant serving up a delicious range of tasty meals, snacks, drinks, and desserts. From punchy flame grills like their Indian Spice Chicken Kebab with cucumber and mint yogurt and their Flame Grilled Irish Salmon with cauliflower cream and tomato tapenade to their flavourful small plates such as their Salt and Chilli Prawn Tacos and their Crispy Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, the menu here creative and unique with something to suit all preferences.

When you fancy something sweet, you can indulge in one of their tasty shakes, which are available boozy for the big kids or alcohol-free for the little ones. They always offer something new with previous shake offerings including a tasty Kinder Bueno Shake, an indulgent Mini Egg Shake for Easter, and a naughty but nice Reese’s Peanut Butter Shake with salted caramel. All shakes are handspun using real, fresh ingredients, including locally-produced Mullin’s ice cream.

A fantastic dessert spot located on the Donegall Road, Shakes n Bakes is the perfect place to visit if you really want to treat yourself. First opened in 2020, this spot offers a tempting menu of indulgent treats with everything from fluffy American-style pancake stacks to mini Dutch pancakes, crepes and waffles to cookie dough, sundaes, and more.

For freakshake fans, they serve a delicious range of options including classic picks like chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and banana, alongside some tasty deluxe shakes filled with everything from Ferrero Rocher to Terry’s Chocolate Orange, Kinder Bueno to Snickers, and many more. Plus, they even offer the option to add a scoop of protein powder to your shake, making this a great choice for any gym fanatics!