Roxy’s Milkshake Gains NY Fans
A new milkshake and smoothie shop in the Mission area has quickly earned praise from East Coast food critics.
Roxy’s Cafe (2847 Mission St., 10:30am-9pm) is a pleasant little shop just steps away from the 24th Street BART station. The menu boasts over one hundred milkshakes and smoothies, which can be customized any way you want (3 cup sizes: $3.50, $4.50, $5.50). Nondairy versions can be made with soy or almond milk, replace the ice cream with froyo for a low fat treat, or ask for a nonfat version. If that weren’t enough, there’s also sundaes, froyo, waffles, pre-packaged salads, cookies, coffee and espresso drinks. It’s easy to see why some customers have trouble deciding what to order. My advice is to start with a favorite ingredient, like for example: strawberries or chocolate, to help narrow down the choices.
Roxy’s was recently featured in a list of “8 Favorite Bay Area Milkshakes” posted by popular N.Y. food blog Serious Eats, proof of its growing reputation. But do we really need New Yorkers telling us what’s good in our own city? Well, I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion. But I happen to agree with their pick. The milkshakes are rich and wonderfully creamy, among the best I’ve ever had. So far, my favorites are #19 (vanilla & chocolate ice creams + almond extract + cinnamon) and #20 (vanilla ice cream + avocado). I’ve yet to check if the nutella shake compares to the one from Pearl’s Burgers, or if the mint chocolate shake beats the version from Gott’s Roadside or not.
The shop is the brainchild of Al Mokhtair. Al told me that he originally wanted to also serve hot food items (because of the SF weather), like: chili, soup, and hot vegan sandwiches. But he later found, that the permit associated with his lease didn’t allow for hot food preparation, except appliances for coffee and waffles. And getting a new permit is too costly. Shucks! For now, he enjoys being a small business owner and making people happy with his food.
This week the forecast looks nice and sunny. Great weather for a Roxy’s milkshake or smoothie, recommended by locals (me) and New Yorkers.
Photo Credit: Luis Chong
