5. The Burger Guys The Burger Guys' milkshakes - like everything else the locally owned and operated burger and hot dog spot serves - put other Houston milkshakes to shame, mainly because they make their marvelous ice cream in-house -- eight gallons at a time, to ensure that the ice cream is always as fresh as can be. The Guys are extremely talented at making ice cream that rocks your socks off. The cafe sua da milkshake is a spin on the Vietnamese iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. The unique, filling milkshake's strong flavors are made from high-quality ingredients that will leave you yearning for a second visit even before you're done with the first. Also not to be missed: the salted caramel milkshake.

4. Reef Reef's "No-Minors" milkshake is thick, sweet, and boozy. Served alongside the shake's sipping straw is a delicate, house-made chocolate cigar. This White Russian-flavored shake is by far the thickest of all on the list, the ice cream dense and gooey and creamy and plentiful. We're not quite sure what the ratio of milk to brandy and Kahlúa is, but one sip reveals that this one's for grownup good times. Designed to be a dessert, the sophisticated concoction is all too fitting with Reef's posh setting.

3. Katz's Deli & Bar This New York-style delicatessen and bar with two cool locales makes one amazing milkshake. The cheesecake variety contains a gargantuan slice of house-made slice of cheesecake. And the milkshake's garnish? A little slice slice cheesecake, which is infinitely better than those tired maraschino cherries. This shake has an unparalleled creaminess that's pretty much addiction-forming. And the graham cracker crust adds a welcome texture that gives it a home-made quality. At $8.50 a pop, this beauty of a shake is best thought of as an investment in your personal happiness. Trust us, your tastebuds will thank and praise you.

2. Jerry Built Burgers One of the greatest things about Jerry Built Burgers is its commitment to sustainability, which translates into fresh, locally sourced, organic-when-possible ingredients -- and wonderful milkshakes. The fresh fruit in the shakes is from nearby farms, while both the half and half and whipped cream are organic. Make it a point to try the Ginger Bull shake, not only because it's so good, but because it has a cool story behind it. Jerry Built buys gingerbread cookie dough from Three Brothers Bakery, which is then used to make fresh gingerbread cookies on a daily basis. The flavorful cookies (some of the best we've ever tried) are packaged into packs of three and sold for $2.99, with $1 from each pack's sale going to benefit a local charity. Cookies that don't sell are used the next day in the Ginger Bull shake made with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. From now through August 24, Jerry Built will be featuring a Blue Bell-based shake each Friday until it sells out. Flavors to look forward to include Peachy Peach (June 15); Dulce de Leche (July 6); and Dreamsicle (August 31).

1. Little Bigs This low-key, casual spot serves sliders, fries, and inexpensive beer and wine. It also happens to be the place where you can find two of Houston's most delectable milkshakes. The shakes at Little Bigs are small but make a big impression. The Dude, which is White Russian-flavored like the one at Reef, differs greatly from the version at its sister restaurant. It's icier (think frappuccino consistency) with the alcohol flavors toned down and a hint of coffee flavor. But the king of kings is Little Bigs' butterscotch milkshake. What makes it so special? The fact that it doesn't try too hard to be the best - it doesn't have any crazy hard-to-find ingredients and isn't complicated to make. The simple, incredibly fine-tasting milkshake features simple ingredients, house-made butterscotch being the best of them. Not only does the divine butterscotch make the shake, it's what holds it together. It remains intact, even when sitting on the patio for an hour under 90 degree heat. Simply put, Little Bigs' butterscotch milkshake is fluffy, creamy joy, second to none.