Anybody that has ever seen Pulp Fiction has wanted to go to Jack Rabbit Slim’s. The iconic scene that took place in that old-style joint changed me as a human being. Being an avid Quentin Tarantino fan, I still have daydreams about sitting in a Americana car-themed booth, doing the twist in a restaurant-wide contest, and, of course, ordering a five dollar milkshake, just like Mia Wallace. (I don’t know about the rest of the movie. I’m just here for the food.)

Even if you haven’t seen Pulp Fiction, it’s clear why someone would find the idea appealing. For many years, there’s been a vacancy in the area for a place where you can sit down in a slice of sheer, unadulterated American dream. Students on campus likely remember poodle skirts and checkerboarded school gyms from middle school dances, and they’ve seen Marty McFly stumble his way around 1955 in Back To The Future. Yet there’s never been a place in North Texas where you can get burgers and shakes with that addictive 50’s vibe.

Until now.

I didn’t know what to think of the Royale Magnificent in Plano when I drove up to the strip mall. Admittedly, I was just acting on an impulse. I got the suggestion by asking strangers over Whisper for milkshake recommendations in a bizarre, cravings-induced haze. I looked at the Yelp page for maybe a minute before I decided to go try it out.

Unfortunately, the opulence extends to more than just the experience. The Royale Magnificent’s menu insists you will pay over $10 for a single burger, and at least $7 for a milkshake. When I was there, the special promised a s’mores shake for 8 smackeroonies. Tax not included. I’m pretty sure my wallet cried inside my jacket.

Thankfully for this review, I was sitting in a fancy booth, staring down at that huge price tag, when I realized the Pulp Fiction parallels. I whipped out my phone and converted five dollars from 1994 dollars (the year Pulp Fiction came out) to 2016 dollars. The result: eight dollars and eleven cents. Just a little over what this shake cost.

“Did you just find the five dollar milkshake?” As Mia Wallace said, sure did. In fact, I began the splurge of a lifetime.

The shake came to my table like something out of a dream. A solid glass of thick, creamy s’mores goodness, chilled to just the right temperature. Perfect consistency. Covered in graham cracker crumbs and toasted marshmallow fluff. Chocolate sauce and a graham cracker square on top. I didn’t know milkshakes could be so fancy. It was the most beautiful $8 I had ever laid my eyes upon.

Taking a sip was even more rewarding. It tasted like toasted marshmallow, but somehow more satisfying. I’d swear on my life that there was also some graham cracker in the mix. Of course, as if the liquid s’mores flavor wasn’t enough, every now and then I’d gluttonously stir in some more marshmallow cream.

Honestly, I hate how good that tasted. Being completely suckered in by the promise of reenacting Pulp Fiction, I found a way to blow $8 on a drink. I know I could buy a full meal for that kind of money, but against all odds, I think it was money well spent.

Of course, I couldn’t stop myself at the shake alone. The rest of the meal was just as regrettably delicious. I split an appetizer of deviled eggs, which was a little heavy on the spice for my tastes, but totally worth trying. Aside from that, I mooched a portion of chili fries, which were seasoned just right and absolutely smothered in meat. I took the remainder home and finished them off for dinner, and they still tasted great after a few hours in the fridge.

Perhaps almost as maddening as the Pulp Fiction milkshake was the Farmhouse burger, with a hefty $11.50 price tag. Added together with the deviled eggs and the shake, I felt my wallet tremble as I ordered. I needn’t have worried, though. A small tower of brie, bacon, and mustard sauce, topped with a perfectly runny egg, greeted me on one of the same silver platters that I’d seen earlier. It was inhumanly delicious. I personally could’ve gone for a few more vegetables in the ingredients list (pickles don’t count!), but it was still one of the best burgers I’ve ever stuffed into my face.

For all that money I spent, I got it back in effort, ingredients, and freshness. In a sense, I even got that Pulp Fiction experience, by paying five 1994 dollars for a shake that knocked me off my feet.

Of course, I can’t afford to go there every week, and it would be more cost effective to just split two dishes with someone else, next time. But Mia Wallace wasn’t worrying about money over at Jack Rabbit Slim’s, and there’s no way I’d give up that shake for anything. If I have a little extra money saved up, and I find I deserve a treat, I’m happy to spend it on an equally great experience at the Royale Magnificent.