In this day and age, anyone with an Instagram has probably seen at least an image or two of the crazy freak shakes that are currently taking over the world. Restaurants specializing in over-the-top milkshakes such as Black Tap NYC and Sydney’s The Vogue Cafe have recently been popping up globally. Adventurous consumers often wait hours in line for these amazing foot-tall creations, and this trend certainly isn’t about to die down anytime soon.

Milkshakes are definitely delicious, but what if you were craving something a bit more bubbly? Don’t worry, the American midwest has got you covered! Located in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, is the Delmar Loop, an entertainment district named one of the ten greatest streets in the country. And right on the Loop is Fitz’s, an old soda factory renovated into a restaurant serving American fare and pub food. I first heard about Fitz’s from upperclassmen friends when I started school at Washington University in St. Louis last August. For several consecutive years, my college WashU has been top-ranked in the nation for best college food, but let’s face it: no matter how good the food at school is, everyone appreciates some off-campus dining here and there. That’s why Fitz’s, being within walking distance from WashU, has become the unofficial designated weekend hangout spot for my friends and me whenever we want a change in diet. As a family-friendly restaurant, Fitz’s serves gigantic portions of burgers and fries, and every time we eat there, my squad always splits the root beer pulled pork nachos appetizer. However, my personal favorite at Fitz’s has to be their monster floats.

Like the freak shakes of NYC and Sydney, Fitz’s floats are gigantic. The mug of soda itself does not seem like much, but when it’s topped with four heaping scoops of ice cream along with various garnishes such as whipped cream, chocolate sauce, cookie crumbles, candy, etc., it can become pretty scary. There are always fifteen different floats on the menu, but the flavors change every so often. Sometimes there are seasonal floats like the Pumpkin Dandy (pumpkin soda topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a cookie wafer straw) which is available during Halloween. But you can always count on year-round favorites to satisfy your sweet tooth, such as the Three Amigos (draft root beer topped with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, and Hershey’s chocolate sauce); Eurostar (draft root beer topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, Nutella, and caramel sauce); and S’mores (draft cream soda topped with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, marshmallow fluff, chocolate syrup, and a graham cracker).

My friends often underestimate my ability to finish an entire float in one sitting. “It’s bigger than your face, Lynette!” they remark skeptically, but I always end up surprising them with how much dessert I’m able to consume. My goal is to try all 15 floats by the time I graduate from WashU. I had initially given myself all four years to accomplish this feat, but at the rate by which I’m consuming these calories, I’ll probably be done by next year. Tbh, I’m not sure whether or not that’s a good thing. But hey, the floats are delicious $5.99 towers of sweet heaven, and which college student can resist that? I would still love to try Black Tap NYC someday in the future, but for now, I’ll satisfy myself with Fitz’s monster floats. At least the wait at Fitz’s is shorter!