McDonald's Shamrock Shake Vs Arby's Andes Mint Chocolate Shake: Which One Is The Best?

March is finally here and with it comes the limited-edition mint-flavored drinks so many look forward to. Also known as the Emerald Isles, Ireland has always been represented by the color green in the States, and these vivid green, minty drinks are meant to pay tribute to St. Patrick's Day. (Although, fun fact, the infamous Shamrock Shake was originally lemon-lime flavored, not mint.)

Regardless of why mint-flavored shakes were chosen to become synonymous with this holiday, I know their appearance on fast food menus is one of my favorite things about March. While McDonald's Shamrock Shake is the most well known of these options, Arby's offers an Andes Mint Chocolate Shake. I had the good luck of trying both options to see which one is best.

I used my 15 years of experience in the food industry, personal preference, and decades of drinking mint shakes to judge the taste, consistency, and pricing. A full methodology explanation is available at the end of this article. Let's get into it.

Upon first glance, McDonald's Shamrock Shake was runnier than I expected with a somewhat sloppy presentation. It's made with vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, whipped light cream, and McDonald's Shamrock Shake syrup. The whipped cream seemed to be of a low quality because it began melting even before I could pull out of the parking lot — the weather here is still cold and my vehicle's heat wasn't on high, so that shouldn't have happened.

My first few tastes were fantastic and perfectly minty fresh. But, the next few tastes were subpar and made me think the shake wasn't mixed well. That being said, it wasn't terrible, but it was almost overpoweringly minty. The texture was somehow both runny and heavy, which was a little off-putting. However, I finished the Shamrock Shake and, despite a few drawbacks, I would likely order it again if I was already at McDonalds. I don't think I'd go out of my way to order more than once a year, though. A medium Shamrock Shake has 540 calories, 12 grams of protein, and 15 grams of total fat.

I was excited to try Arby's Andes Mint Chocolate Shake because I'm a big fan of Andes Mints and hoped that some of the flavor would be imparted into it (which it was). Immediately, I noticed this shake's presentation was much better — the whipped topping stayed in place and didn't begin immediately melting. Plus, the sprinkle of crushed Andes Mints on top was a nice touch.

The first sip provided a fresh minty taste with an airy vanilla hue I wasn't expecting, but that was perfectly balanced for a light sweet treat. Here, the mint wasn't overpowering and the shake itself was creamier with a refreshingly light mouthfeel. Although there was an aftertaste, it was a cool, minty one that I quite enjoyed. This is a mint chocolate shake that I'd drink whenever I wanted a little treat, no matter the time of the year.

A regular size Arby's Andes Mint Chocolate Shake has 610 calories, 12 grams of protein, and 15 grams of fat. It is made with Andes candy pieces, whipped topping, artificial mint flavoring, and artificial chocolate flavoring.

The most noticeable difference between these two mint shakes is their coloring, with the Arby's Andes Mint Chocolate Shake being lighter and the McDonald's Shamrock Shake being much more brilliantly green to the point of nearly being fluorescent. Since the Andes shake has a lighter mint taste, it's possible they use less mint syrup, which correlates to the different green shades. However, this is just a theory and not something I know for certain. 

Visuals aside, the most striking difference was the shakes' textures. The texture of Arby's shake is reminiscent of the Chick-Fil-A milkshakes, which I'm a big fan of. It's light and fluffy with a smooth mouthfeel that perfectly imparts the flavor profile without being overbearing. On the other hand, the McDonald's shake is much heavier, to the point where it almost feels suffocating when you're trying to drink it. Plus, during my own taste test, the flavor wasn't evenly distributed and everything sat very heavy on my stomach.

Pricing can vary from one location to the next, so I'll offer a disclaimer that both of these shakes were purchased in Southern New Jersey. In my own experience, the prices of everything here are a little higher than those farther south — but I can't attest to the Western United States. That being said, the McDonald's Shamrock Shake was more expensive, coming in at $5.11 with tax. The Arby's shake was only $3.93 with tax.

While that dollar and some change doesn't sound like a big difference, it can add up quickly. For example, if you took a family of four out for minty milkshakes to celebrate their return this March, you'd spend $4.72 more at McDonalds than at Arby's — which is more than the cost of another Arby's shake. If you're budget savvy, the Arby's will be the much better deal for you.

While I would definitely drink the McDonalds Shamrock Shake again, it was just too heavy and unbalanced for me to purposefully seek it out. After giving each milkshake a fair chance, the Arby's Andes Mint Chocolate Shake is a better value overall. I preferred the taste and texture over the Shamrock Shake, and it's available at a better price. Arby's may have lost the chicken sandwich war, but it definitely won the mint milkshake one.

If you want to try this winning shake for yourself, I think it would be the perfect pairing for Arby's soft, crispy curly fries and its delectable Reuben (which is one of the best Arby's sandwiches, of course). The classic beef n' cheddar wouldn't be a bad pairing, either. No matter what you pair it with, I can say with confidence that you need to try this mint chocolate shake for yourself before it's no longer offered — and it's good enough that you don't want to wait a whole year for your first sip.

I ordered a "regular" size of each shake, which ended up being a medium at McDonalds and (based on size comparisons) the same at Arby's. To ensure the most accurate comparison, I ordered both at the same time and did initial taste tests on each before finishing either. Since the Arby's and McDonalds locations were on the same block and within 1 minute's drive of each other, this did not affect the shakes' consistency or taste. I relied on my 15 years experience in the food industry, personal preference, and decades of drinking mint milkshakes to make my judgements. 

To assess a winner, I began with a visual comparison of the consistency, color, topping, and overall aesthetics. I then tasted them, placing a strong emphasis on the minty profiles since that was the basis of this test. During the taste test, I also considered the texture and aftertaste (or lack thereof). The pricing of each shake versus my assessment of its value was also taken into consideration.