REVIEW: Jack in the Box Bacon Shake

Jack in the Box Bacon Shake

Jack in the Box’s new Bacon Shake is damn intriguing, but it also sounds gross and I’m scared of it. I’m pretty sure I’m afraid of it because I haven’t gotten over that time I spent with my lips around a Jones Bacon Soda.

Oh dear, I just gagged. Will these emotional scars ever heal?

The Jack in the Box Bacon Shake isn’t like the Denny’s Maple Bacon Sundae we reviewed last year, which was topped with real chopped bacon. Instead, the Bacon Shake uses bacon-flavored Torani syrup, which is blended with vanilla ice cream.

To maximize the unusualness of the bacon shake, I hoped the suckable dessert was bacon colored, but as you can see in the picture on the right, the Jack in the Box Bacon Shake looks as harmless as a vanilla milkshake. It’s not even raw bacon pink.

The bacon-flavored shake also smells harmless. There’s a very slight hint of smokiness, but not enough to cause a bunch of red flags to pop up in your head. When I ordered my shake, I was asked if I wanted whipped cream and a cherry on top. I said yes and then asked if I could also get chopped bacon on top of that. The Jack in the Box employee laughed and then said “I’m sorry, no.” A part of me wanted to slam both hands on the counter and yell, “I’m not going to settle for that answer!”

I find it a little strange the shake didn’t come with bacon sprinkled on top of it. Every Jack in the Box restaurant has the means to fry up bacon and chop it up, so why not take that extra step and add a little texture to the shake? It would’ve made this bacon shake many times more fascinating.

Jack in the Box Bacon Shake Closeup

Many of you might be expecting me to say the Jack in the Box Bacon Shake is repulsive, but, surprisingly, it’s not. Although I have to admit it was slightly off-putting at first. But the more I ate, the more I enjoyed the bacon flavor of the shake, which wasn’t anything close to being overpowering. Instead it had a very mild smokiness, albeit an artificial smokiness. The weirdest thing about this shake (yes, weirder than the fact it’s bacon flavored) is the way it ends up tasting like coffee at the back end.

Overall, I wouldn’t call the Jack in the Box Bacon Shake “scrumptious,” but I also wouldn’t call it “revolting.” I think “pleasant” would be the best word I could use to describe it. If you’re REALLY into bacon, you should definitely give it a try. Would I buy another? I probably would. Although, if it came topped with chopped bacon, I’d change my answer to most definitely.

(Nutrition Facts – 16 ounces/regular size – 773 calories, 358 calories from fat, 40 grams of fat, 28 grams of saturated fat, 2 gram of trans fat, 127 milligrams of cholesterol, 319 milligrams of sodium, 691 milligrams of potassium, 89 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 75 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.)

Item: Jack in the Box Bacon Shake
Price: $3.99
Size: Regular
Purchased at: Jack in the Box
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Not revolting. Pleasant flavor. Creamy. Tastes like coffee at the back end of the flavor. Bacon lovers will probably enjoy it.
Cons: Not sprinkled with chopped bacon. Might be gross to some people. There’s no signage for it in restaurants. Not bacon colored. The deep emotional scars from drinking a Jones Bacon Soda two years ago.

15 thoughts to “REVIEW: Jack in the Box Bacon Shake”

    1. I don’t think i’ve ever had the thick shake issue with JITB shakes, although that could be because it’s hot here and the shakes start to melt once I step out the door.

  1. Great review my friend. I am glad I was not the only one who seemed to bewilder the Jack in the Box employees or be mad for the lack of bacon bits. I agree though, it was much better than I expected it to be. Nothing awesome, but nothing offensive either.

    I am just glad to see Jack in the Box taking risks like this.

  2. I think it sounds just a little nasty but I’d maybe try it. It is pretty stupid though that it doesn’t come with bacon bits.

  3. I was also told that they could not mix the bacon bits in. The over excited girl in a hat behind the counter told me that they couldn’t mix the bacon in because, since they use real ice cream, the milkshake mixer would transfer bacon to other milkshakes. I don’t buy it; wash the damn spinner blades off. But, whatever… wait a minute, just dump the bacon bits on top like the whipped cream. I ordered a side of bacon or $0.78 and dumped it in myself.

    The milkshake itself reminded me of when I eat fake maple syrup with my bacon; you know, like when you get a pancake platter and the syrup gets all over the pork meat. There is no discernable maple flavor, just that similar sweetness of your generic “Pancake/Waffle” syrup that is usually made from corn.

    It was pleasant, and strangely refreshing. I recommend not getting the whipped cream though. As it melted and mixed in with the milkshake, the liquid smoke flavor of the bacon syrup faded and I was left with a breakfasty sweet vanilla milkshake.

    I also recommend leaving the bacon bits out. While providing a cool and satisfying chew along with the smoky flavor of the shake, they created frequent and frustratingly infuriating straw clogging. I think the JITB R&D team probably knew that well before I did.

    Also, since I am writing this with my bear butt hanging off the rail of my third floor apartment patio thingy and expelling a rancid mix of what can only be feces and lava straight from hell, I think I just discovered that I have a lactose intolerance.

  4. Thanks for the nutrition info – I was wondering if this was going to be worth a splurge. Based on this and other reviews, I’ll pass. Maybe I’ll concoct a version of my own at home with decadent (calorie-worthy) ingredients instead. Cheers!

  5. Good Times has a bacon spoonbender, it takes alot for me not to eat ice cream of any kind, but I have to tell you that was the worst thing I have ever eaten. After 2 or 3 bites I threw it away……Nasty!!!!

  6. Nice to find another review that doesn’t venomously compare it to expelled human fluids in a cup. My own review at Baconscotch.com is a bit more glowing than yours but I mirror your observations. I also thought it odd that actual bacon wasn’t an ingredient.

  7. Had my own large bacon milkshake this morning for the first time, and it was FANTASTIC. I’m a bacon fan, and I have (believe it or not) tasted too much or too intense of a bacon flavor — but this shake did everything just right. It was absolutely splendid. I just got a JITB flyer in the mail for a free regular-size shake among other coupons.. and you can bet what I’ll be getting AGAIN! Had a nutrition bar and a protein-mix drink when I got up at 4am for work, had a short break to down a 12oz CF DrPep, and left work around 10am. Shortly thereafter the shake was totally gone.. and it’s 5:30pm now with no hunger in sight.

Comments are closed.