Shake Shack is legendary for its simplistic yet effective menu, with humble beginnings as a hot dog cart in New York City which grew into a restaurant empire. Its rise to fame was by no means an overnight phenomenon, but instead proof that decades of persistence with higher quality ingredients and the owner’s passion could revolutionize the fast food industry. Although Shake Shack is one of the most expensive fast food restaurants, customers can’t resist the juicy burgers, crinkle-cut fries, and house-made frozen custards.
The company doesn’t outwardly advertise this information, but it’s a fairly well-known fact that Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors supplies the beef you’ll find at more than 100 Shake Shack locations. The meat powerhouse even boasts that LaFrieda himself created the now-iconic blend of ground beef in Shake Shack’s burgers, along with other award-winning burger formulas. So, the next time you take a bite of Shack Shake’s classic cheeseburger, know that the same supplier delivering your Shack Burger is also selling similar meats to high-end restaurants across the country.
Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors created a special beef blend just for Shake Shack
Say the name “Pat LaFrieda” around any restaurant expert or meat enthusiast and a few heads will turn in your direction. That’s because Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors is an icon in the meat processing industry, selling over $270 million of products per year to restaurants both big and small. LaFrieda’s meats, from the $200 steaks provided to exclusive restaurants to the $8 smash burgers at Shake Shack, are strictly Prime and Choice beef with the highest USDA grades. The company’s website states that “some find it crazy we use high-quality meats for our burgers instead of cheap trimmings, we think it’s crazy not to care just as much for our burger quality as everything else we sell.”
LaFrieda may know the secret to the best homemade smash burgers, but that Shake Shack blend is under tight wraps. We know the blend is made with Angus beef, with no added trimmings or fat, but beyond that, the recipe isn’t publicly advertised. Considering LaFrieda’s proficiency in the area, we’ll have to trust that the Shake Shack blend was created with just as much care and effort as the company’s other beef selections.
