Cornfields are a common sight around these parts. There’s corn pretty much everywhere once we get out of the business-lined streets and onto country roads. A lot of restaurants serve dishes with corn, but there’s only one place in Champaign-Urbana to get a sweet corn milkshake. This week, I ordered the corn milkshake ($6.99) at El Oasis, and it was such a delicious treat to sip. The milkshake was creamy and sweet with the corn’s natural sweetness playing well in ice cream and giving an unexpected twist on a sweet vanilla shake. Bits of corn throughout the ice cream plunked up the straw and had a chewy texture almost like boba. It’s a tasty dessert that is uniquely and exclusively available at the Urbana Mexican ice cream shop.
I sampled a few flavors before landing on this one: avocado (really creamy and super delish), spicy cucumber (refreshing yet way spicy), Gansito (yummy sugar-overload), and corn (my favorite). Made to order, any of El Oasis’ many housemade ice creams can be the base for a milkshake. The staff said the popular shake flavors are vanilla, strawberry, Oreo, or Mexican snack cake Gansito, and when I asked what the best flavor was for a milkshake, he said whatever ice cream flavor a customer likes best is the best flavor for a milkshake, so there you go.
Dine in at the underwater-themed ice cream shop, or take it to go. For more about the sweet treats at the Urbana spot, read Matt’s review of El Oasis.
El Oasis
510 N Cunningham Ave
Urbana
noon to 9 p.m., daily
