The Shake Pit

Though there's all sorts of delicious expensive gelatos, fancy frozen yogurts, and exotic smoothies to be had on the Gulf Coast, I find myself immediately drawn to The Shake Pit every time I roll into Bradenton. It's an old mom-and-pop relic that has been dishing out the old-fashioned milkshakes since 1959. Their milkshake selection ranges from the traditional usual suspects to more out-there selections like peanut butter and watermelon. My personal favorite is their Coke milkshake, which is not just a milkshake with Coke added but actually uses the pure uncut Coca-Cola syrup straight from their soda-fountain tanks to provide the flavor.

The Shake Pit was plugged in a 2004 Marvin comic strip. I'm not sure whether this means the strip takes place in Bradenton, or if Marvin's family was vacationing, or if it's just one of those comics-world surrealisms not to be analyzed too deeply.