The Shake Shack Secret Menu Items You Need To Order
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Shake Shack may be known for its antibiotic and hormone-free meats, its tasty cheese-filled 'shroom burgers, and its frozen custard-based shakes, but this restaurant with humble beginnings as a hot dog stand in New York City also boasts a pretty impressive secret menu. These are items you won't find listed on the Shake Shack website, but that have developed a cult following because they're not things you can find just anywhere (a bacon and peanut butter burger, anyone?). But keep in mind, you might have to assemble a few of these items yourself.
And while this list includes the unofficial, "official" list of secret menu items, Shake Shack's specialties don't end here. The brand has released limited-edition burgers and shakes, like the Dracarys Burger — a Game of Thrones-inspired burger they announced on their website. They also offer regional specialties, most of which you can find on their website. For instance, their Highlands Ranch, Colorado location offers a Green Chili CheddarShack, and their Madison Square Park location in New York City offers a cold brew float.
By keeping an eye on their blog, you can catch announcements for limited-edition nation-wide releases, like their Hot Chick'n options, as well as new menu items they decide to test at specific locations, like their Veggie Shack veggie burger.
One thing's for sure — if you're a Shake Shack lover, your options for trying new menu items are practically limitless, even without their limited time options. These are the Shake Shack secret menu items you need to order ASAP.
Try the peanut butter & bacon SmokeShack at Shake Shack
Probably the most well-known and lauded Shake Shack secret menu item is the peanut butter and bacon SmokeShack. Apparently, it was once on the actual Shake Shack menu, but only for one wonderful weekend. You can now score this specialty burger, which was touted by #HackTheMenu as "a star," by ordering the standard SmokeShack burger (which features cheese, chopped cherry peppers, and applewood smoked bacon) and asking for a side of the company's peanut butter sauce. It's really that simple. Once you have the peanut butter sauce in-hand, you do the dirty work yourself by drizzling the sauce to your liking inside your burger.
Sure, it sounds like a weird flavor combination, but fans of the burger regularly take to social media to document their love-affair with the meaty mashup. Take, for instance, Joel Jimenez who chastised his Facebook friends for not telling him about the burger sooner, and Shawn Rogers whose Instagram followers practically lost their minds with envy after he posted a pic of the burger to his page.
Even Shake Shack itself knows this "secret" item is a fan favorite. So much so that they decided to include a try-at-home recipe for the burger in their Shake Shack cookbook.
The quad burger is only for serious carnivores at Shake Shack
Giant burgers aren't unheard of at Shake Shack. Their standard menu makes it clear that you can order any burger with double the meat, and their Shack Stack burger includes a cheeseburger and a 'Shroom Burger stacked between two buns. But if you've got a real craving for protein, there's absolutely nothing stopping you from ordering even more meat. In fact, "the quad" is another popular secret menu item that, unsurprisingly, features four cheeseburger patties — with each patty topped with a slice of American cheese. You can opt for "quadding" the standard hamburger, cheeseburger, or ShackBurger, or you can take a note from Secret Menus and quad the Smoke Shack burger, which they laud as "so worth it."
The one caveat? All that meat and all that cheese add up to all those calories. Secret Menus warns that you're looking at a calorie buster of more than 2,000 calories when you sit down to eat a Smoke Shack quad burger. As a one-time treat? You're probably going to be okay. But if you fall in love with all that beef and start making it a regular part of your diet, don't claim you weren't warned.
Shake Shack's hot dog is better as a cheese dog hot dog
Most people think of hamburgers when they think of Shake Shack, but this fast food joint actually started as a hot dog stand. As such, they take their Flat-Top Dogs seriously — splitting them down the middle and grilling them before serving them up on a toasted bun. That said, if you're the kind of food critic who wants more than ketchup or mustard on a hot dog, but you just can't get behind all the toppings served on the Shack-cago Dog (relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport pepper, celery salt, and mustard), take a tip from Secret Menus and ask for a cheese dog.
This secret menu item is exactly what it sounds like — a hot dog smothered in a creamy blend of American and cheddar cheeses. It's not something you'll find listed on the standard menu, but it's popular enough to be considered a normal request with Shake Shack employees.
You must try the Shack-cago burger at Shake Shack
The Shack-cago Dog is a regular menu item — a Chicago-style hot dog loaded up with fresh veggies including cucumber, onions, tomatoes, relish, sport peppers, and seasonings. But if you want the same toppings found on this hot dog on your favorite burger (hence the moniker Shack-cago burger), there's a pretty straightforward solution — just ask.
In some cases, Shake Shack employees will serve it right up for you (you may have to pay a little extra), but if your request is met with a look of confusion, Secret Menus suggests ordering a Shack-cago Dog and a hamburger separately. With both items in hand, simply transfer the toppings from the hot dog to the burger before eating. In fact, it's a great solution if you're ordering for two people — you both get to pick and choose which veggies stay on the hot dog and which get transferred to the burger, amping up flavor and allowing for personalization while ordering off of the standard menu.
Shandy fans will love this Shake Shack hack
Okay, one of the most obvious things that sets Shake Shack apart from other fast food joints is that the company sells beer and wine at every location. This allows the brand to market specials for "beer-drinking" holidays like Octoberfest and St. Patrick's Day, and it also gives customers more opportunities for personalizing their orders.
And, given that Shake Shack always has lemonade available as a drink option (they frequently offer seasonal lemonades, too), the twist suggested by Wide Open Eats is to ask for a Shandy. This half beer, half lemonade drink is a refreshing and buzzy option that pairs perfectly with a hot dog or hamburger on a toasty summer day. The easiest way to order is with the ShackMeister Ale available at every location (if the employee doesn't understand "Shandy," ask for half beer, half lemonade), but if you prefer a different beer, you'll have to mix your own. You can order one of the local brews the company sells in bottles, and mix it in a separate cup with the lemonade of your choice.
Try Shake Shack's cheese fries with shack sauce
Shake Shack prides itself on customer service, so pretty much any time you ask for customization or a side of an item the company keeps on hand, they'll happily comply. And while cheese fries are a go-to menu item you can score at every location, it may not have crossed your mind to ask for cheese fries with a side of ShackSauce. But, according to Spoon University, this is a secret menu specialty that shouldn't stay under wraps. When the creamy blend of American and cheddar cheeses is topped with the brand's custom sauce (it's a proprietary blend of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and spices), you end up with a mouth-watering flavor explosion with every crispy bite of a french fry. You may have to pay a little extra for the added sauce, but if you ask nicely, you may just score it for free.
The protein-style burger is a low-carb Shake Shack option
When you're jonesing for a burger or hot dog, but you're trying to cut down on the intake of refined carbohydrates in your diet, it may be time to ask for a protein-style ShackBurger. Or hot dog. Or Chick'n Shack sandwich. Really, any of the menu items at Shake Shack that usually come encased in a fluffy potato bun can be ordered "protein-style." Which really just means they come wrapped in butter lettuce instead of a bun.
If for some reason the Shake Shack employee doesn't understand you when you use the term protein-style, Spoon University suggests asking for your favorite burger or dog "bunless." Just remember, a bunless burger may help you adhere to your keto or low-carb diet, but it's still not calorie-free. If you're watching your waistline, try to steer clear from ordering a quad burger featuring four beef and cheese patties, ya know? Even bunless, that bad boy could put a real dent in your daily diet.
Did you know you can get a beer float at Shake Shack?
Surely you've tried a root beer float at some point in your life, but have you ever tried a beer float? That's the secret menu item that #HackTheMenu suggests trying the next time you hit up a Shake Shack. If you happen to be visiting (or living in) Las Vegas, you can actually order a beer float from their regional menu, but there's nothing stopping you from placing the order at any location across the country (or around the world).
Simply order the beer of your choice — the Las Vegas-area beer floats are served with a dark beer — and ask for a scoop of frozen custard in a cup. You'll have to pour your own beer over the ice cream, but that's a small price to pay for this buzzy dessert idea. Just choose your beer and custard flavors wisely. Chocolate, vanilla, or coffee-infused beers are a good option for vanilla or chocolate ice creams, but if you want to get a little crazy, you could try a citrus-infused beer with a strawberry scoop. Either way, remember to drink (and eat) responsibly.
You can get a root beer float at Shake Shack, too
After considering the novelty of Shake Shack's secret menu beer float, ordering a root beer float seems a little on the tame side, but there's no denying the beauty of this classic summer refreshment. Every Shake Shack location offers Abita Draft Root Beer on the menu, and every Shake Shack offers frozen custard, too, so there's nothing stopping you from ordering them together, as pointed out by Spoon University.
But if you're just not a "root beer" type of person (let's be honest, not everyone is), consider all the other float possibilities at hand: Coke floats, Diet Coke floats, or Dr. Pepper floats are just a few of your delicious options, and each of those types of soda is on tap at Shake Shack. Or, if you're feeling a little nostalgic for the frozen treats of your childhood, try whipping up a creamsicle-inspired float by pouring Fanta Orange over a scoop of frozen vanilla custard.
There's a way to hack a BLT at Shake Shack
The classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich is an underrated and often-forgotten flavor masterpiece, but you can put this goodness back into your life by ordering off-menu the next time you hit up your local Shake Shack. Remember, Shake Shack employees are encouraged to help you customize your orders, and given that the restaurants always have these very basic ingredients on hand, you really just have to ask for a BLT. They'll serve it up with lots of lettuce and tomato (as evidenced by The Good Fork blog's Instagram post), and from there, it's your choice whether to add a classic mayonnaise or opt instead for a slather of ShackSauce.
If you're looking for a way to customize your BLT order a little more, consider adding chopped cherry peppers or spicy sport peppers for an extra kick. It all comes together with the soft and toasty potato buns Shake Shack is known for — really, don't pretend you're not suddenly getting a craving.
The garden dog is a vegetarian-friendly Shake Shack option
Admittedly, there aren't that many vegetarian-friendly options on the Shake Shack menu — it's a problem vegetarians find at many fast food chains.
There's the famed 'Shroom burger (a fried portobello mushroom patty filled with a gush of melty cheese sauce), and in some locations, there's a Veggie Shack veggie burger, but largely the menu features meat, meat, and even more meat. So unless you're in the know (i.e., you're a diehard Shake Shack secret menu fan), you probably didn't realize there's a vegetarian hot dog option, as pointed out on Instagram by Chana Lynn of Raleigh What's Up. Instead of a hot dog base, this veggie dog comes with a pickle base, then is loaded up with the same fresh fare as you find on a Shack-cago Dog. Namely, relish, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, celery salt, and mustard. If, for some reason, the term "garden dog" isn't something recognized by your local Shake Shack, just order a Shack-cago dog without meat and with extra pickles. Also, ask for a side of ShackSauce and use it for dipping — we promise you won't regret it.
Every Shake Shack fan should try cheese fries with extra toppings
If you thought the deliciousness of customizing your secret menu order started and stopped with Shake Shack entrees, you'll be happy to know that you thought wrong. The crinkle-cut cheese fries that Shake Shack is known for? Well, you can customize them pretty much any way you want. So, yes, you can start by topping those fries with some tangy ShackSauce as pointed out earlier, but Wide Open Eats takes the idea to another level, suggesting you add bacon to those fries, too.
Oh, but why stop there? Yelp reviewer David H. opted to add spicy sport peppers to his cheese fries, which honestly, sounds heavenly. And if you like onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, ask if you can get a side of each. Simply slice (or tear) them up and throw them all on top of your fries. You essentially end up with cheese fry nachos, and seriously, what could be better?
Shake Shack fans can always hack the ShackBurger with extra toppings
The standard ShackBurger comes with lettuce, tomatoes, and the famed ShackSauce (a blend of ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, and spices) — overall, pretty standard fare for a fast food hamburger. But if you're the type who wants a burger with all the available toppings, all you have to do is ask. It's a really simple way to hack a basic burger into something far more exciting.
Secret Menus suggests asking for pickles and onions to give your burger a little more fresh flavor, but those aren't your only options. You can ask for bacon, sport peppers, chopped cherry peppers, or even extra ShackSauce if you can't get enough of the sweet-spicy-tangy blend — just make sure you ask for extra napkins, too. In some cases, you may have to pay a little extra for added sauce or bacon, but peppers, onions, and pickles are freebies, so go to town with those.
The one disappointment? Most Shake Shacks don't have more available toppings like avocado, grilled onions, or sliced jalapenos. So if you're a gourmet burger aficionado, look for specialty burger announcements on the Shake Shack social media pages.