Ranking Every Shake Shack Burger

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Shake Shack wasn’t always known for its burgers. At its conception in 2001, the restaurant was nothing more than a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, offering just eight toppings for the all-beef Vienna dogs. After a few years, the Shack evolved to serve burgers, shakes, and fries, eventually becoming the “fine-casual” establishment we know today. As the restaurant grew, so did the menu. Now, Shake Shack offers a dozen burgers, all slightly different versions of the original.

If you’re familiar with Shake Shack, you know the burgers don’t come cheap. Ranging from around $6 all the way to a whopping $13, a visit to the Shack is both a treat and an investment. That’s why it is imperative that your burger choice is a really good one. But there is no need to worry because we take burgers seriously around here. I put together a ranking of the entire Shake Shack burger menu from worst to best, taking into consideration the toppings, burger patties, cost, and value. Not sure if you should splurge on a Shackburger or settle for a plain? Let this ranking guide you (and your wallet) in the right direction.

It’s tempting to forgo the glitz and glamour of the name brand for the cheaper, similar version. The hamburger is just that, a potato bun and a slim burger patty, with the option to add lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce free of charge. To be fair to the ranking, I tried the burger without any toppings added, which was true to the intention of the menu. The burger is clearly meant to be a blank canvas for anyone who might dislike typical toppings — but is it worth getting otherwise?

The truth is, Shake Shack is at its best when given creative freedom. Yes, the burger patty is excellently meaty, and the bun soft and doughy, but without any toppings, the hamburger falls a little flat. Dry and chewy, the plain hamburger fell immediately to the bottom of the list compared to the flavor-filled masterpieces at the top. One secret, though: if you add lettuce, tomato, and Shakesauce, you get a cheeseless Shackburger for about 50 cents less.

To give credit where credit is due, Shake Shack really does have thoughtful, interesting options for its vegetarian customers, and you’ll see later that some veggie options are actually some of the best on the menu. The Veggie Shack doesn’t quite hit the mark, landing it near the bottom of the list. Low ranking as it may be, the burger is worth knowing about. The patty is a unique build of healthy ingredients like mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, farro, and quinoa, topped with fried onions, pickles, and Shack Sauce.

Looking at the burger, you wouldn’t guess that it’s made with so many veggies, as the patty is deceptively meaty (I actually had to check the receipt to realize which burger it was). I thought this might be a good sign that the burger would also taste like meat, but it was firmly the opposite — the patty tasted just like its makeup, the carrots and potatoes obvious ingredients in a surprisingly earthy-tasting burger. The bigger surprise to me was in the toppings, which worked extremely well to balance the vegetarian patty. At nearly $9, this burger might not be worth the splurge, especially with better vegetarian options on the menu.

With the plain hamburger, I discussed the importance of toppings at Shake Shack, the opposite can be true: there is such a thing as too much, and the Shack Stack is the best example of that. The Shack Stack is a mashup of two great, highly ranked options on the menu, the Shackburger and the ‘Shroom Burger, piled on top of each other and smashed between buns. It’s a novel concept and, in theory, a great idea, but the execution falls a little short of being a great burger.

While tasting and rating this burger, I kept wondering to myself who, exactly, would order it. It’s not vegetarian, so it belongs to someone who enjoys both mushrooms and meat. It’s not just a mushroom, though, but a cheese-stuffed portobello, making the stacked burger both a little gluttonous and very filling. Truthfully, the burger and the portobello overpower each other, taking away from the other what makes them each great. This might be the perfect burger for very specific people (cheesy fried mushroom lovers with a huge appetite), but at one of the highest prices on the list, it falls close to the bottom for me.

It’s only natural for the Shack Stacks to rank close to each other, and one has to be the better burger. You’d think with the criticism of the regular Stack being that the burger has too much going on, I’d have rated a burger with even more going on even lower, but the truffle is a surprisingly helpful element in bringing the burger together. Perhaps it’s the spirit of overindulgence or simply the extra layer of contrasting flavor, but the nutty, garlicky sauce gives the Shack Stack a surprising flavor that allows both the burger and the mushroom to shine.

The Black Truffle Shack Stack is a limited-time burger that will surely be swapped for something similar in build. In years past, the limited-time toppings have included BBQ sauce, fried pickles, white truffle, and bourbon bacon jam. Ranked pretty low for its overwhelming build, in future orders, I’d recommend forgoing the regular Stack for the limited edition Shack Stack, which will likely have a more impressive flavor for the same price.

Being that the limited-edition burger changes seasonally, this ranking could theoretically change if your preferences do. That being established, it’s also worth noting that from this point forward, the menu-staple burgers are all good choices with only slight differences that rank them one behind another. The Black Truffle Burger isn’t too dissimilar from the Black Truffle Shack Stack, except that instead of the enormous, cheese-stuffed mushroom, the burger patty is topped with crispy fried onions. This makes the burger less overwhelming physically — but flavor-wise, there’s still a lot going on.

The limited-edition burgers serve a specific purpose. They’re meant to be an excitement of flavor; a burger you have once or twice before moving on to the next season’s version. Some people are going to love it, others are going to hate it, but at the end of the day, it’s a burger that is meant to have a short glory run. I tend to agree with Gordon Ramsay about truffles, but if you like the taste of the fancy fungi, which are earthy and a little garlicky, this burger is worth a try. The crispy onions balance the deep, salty, umami flavor of the sauce, plus give the burger a much-needed crunch. It’s a heavy, salty, overly rich burger, but worth a try while it lasts, especially if you’ve tried all of the menu classics.

You’d think the double-patty version of the original Shackburger wouldn’t rate all that differently just because of one little patty, right? Interestingly, the double burger lands much lower on the list than its single-patty version, which is the perfect balance of the classic disrupted by the extra meat. Though the patties are smashed thin, they are rich with a meaty, steak-like flavor, which is complemented by the Shack Sauce and soft potato bun. That very bun is perhaps the reason why the double doesn’t work as well; the meat-to-bun ratio is overwhelmed by rich beef.

That’s not to say the Double Shack is a bad burger by any means — it simply doesn’t compare to the versions with one patty. Shake Shack offers the option to add a patty (or two) to any of its burgers, intended for the purpose of a more filling meal. My two cents? Because the patty is so richly meaty, keep the burgers to one patty for a better, more balanced hamburger. If you’re looking for a little extra protein, consider adding bacon instead.

When we examined the bacon burgers offered at both Shake Shack and Culver’s side-by-side, Shake Shack edged out the Butterburger thanks to its crispy, applewood-smoked bacon. It’s true; the bacon is high-quality compared to other fast-food restaurants, the flavor is more intense, and the texture is crispier than what is usually found between smashburger buns. The standard offering includes American cheese, making it a great burger for those who like an intensely rich and meaty burger.

The bacon cheeseburger falls just short of making it into the top 5 because of how good the remaining burgers are. While the crispy, smoky bacon is a great addition to the gooey cheeseburger, it isn’t as perfectly balanced as some of Shake Shack’s best burgers, some of which also include bacon. Maybe beef and bacon are the perfect combination for you and you don’t need anything more. As for me, there were a few flavor combinations that tasted just a little bit better.

I know what you’re thinking, the hamburger ranks last, but the cheeseburger (which is the same thing but with cheese) gets a spot in the top 5? If you’re trying them all side-by-side, like I did, you’ll notice the difference too. Where the hamburger lacked moisture, the cheeseburger had plenty, with the cheese adding exactly enough fat over the lean beef to make it a great burger. It’s kind of like the butter burger effect, which Andrew Zimmern’s favorite midwestern chain utilizes for extra-juicy burgers and a key element that lands the basic cheeseburger inside the top spots.

I ordered the cheeseburger exactly as the menu lists it, with no extra toppings otherwise. It being in the top 5 is a testament to how good Shake Shack burgers can be, and it just took a slice of cheese to get there. Of course, I still think the Shake Shack burgers are at their best when paired with their toppings, even the classics coming closer to perfection with just a few extra add-ons. The best example of that: the Shackburger.

It’s only natural for the Shackburger to rank slightly above its plain counterpart. A cheeseburger with extra toppings, the Shackburger consists of Shack Sauce, lettuce, and tomato, a crisp and classic burger that ranks highly among its competitors. It’s a near-perfect burger compared to similar fast food restaurants (or fine-casual, as owner Danny Meyer calls it) and is the best choice on its own menu for a standard lettuce-and-tomato option.

What really makes the Shackburger great is the Shack Sauce, which is a semi-secret mayo and ketchup recipe that gives the burger an extra hint of flavor. It ranks fourth only because Shake Shack offers a few really outstanding options that surpass the classic build and show off the brand’s effortless creativity with unique topping options. If you want a good, classic burger, though (with sauce, tomato, lettuce, and all), this is the one to order, and you won’t be disappointed.

Vegetarians rejoice! There’s a plant-based option that is more than just mashed-up beans, and it is one of Shake Shack’s best burgers overall. The ‘Shroom Burger was invented as Shake Shack’s first official vegetarian offering and was created with everyone in mind, cited in the “Shake Shack: Recipes & Stories: A Cookbook” as being “an experience even meat eaters would crave”. I can personally attest to this, as I am definitely a meat-eater, as evidenced by this meat-heavy list, and even further, I don’t like mushrooms. So, how does this burger crack the top three despite the odds?

The “patty” of a ‘Shroom Burger is a large, roasted portobello mushroom cap stuffed with muenster and cheddar cheeses and deep fried into a golden-brown puck of crispy, gooey magic. The portobello has a similar salty, beefy, umami flavor as beef but is made more palatable for a handheld by changing the texture inside and out. The exterior is crunchy while the interior is melty, making it similar in texture to a crispy chicken sandwich. It’s a burger that will make you reconsider what you thought you loved about burgers and a close third behind Shake Shack’s two best beef options.

Remember when I said there were more bacon options to come? The top two feature the same applewood-smoked bacon as the bacon cheeseburger, but this time, the bacon is paired with contrasting flavors that make the bacon stand out against the beefy patty. The avocado bacon burger is technically a classic pairing, but it works exceptionally well with Shake Shack’s quality ingredients. The crispy, smoky bacon is the perfect match for creamy avocado, and the Shack Sauce is a tangy element that works in tandem with the California-style toppings. It’s nothing particularly inventive compared to some of the restaurant’s specialty burgers but instead showcases the best of the burgers’ individual elements.

When I took the first bite of the Avocado Bacon Burger, I knew it would take a top spot — it was only a matter of deciding if it deserved the No. 1 spot. The last two burgers use the same high-quality bacon and offer unique flavors that help the bacon shine (rather than letting it become another meaty topping). The avocado bacon burger fell just short of being the best because of the high cost, as it’s an entire dollar more than my number one choice, likely thanks to the avocado that ended up being just a few small pieces anyway. Though it tasted great, fresh, and balanced, I’d more likely spend the money on my favorite burger on the list, a powerhouse that Shake Shack has claimed as its own invention.

I’m not necessarily a spicy food person, especially when it comes to hamburgers. Spice can so quickly overpower the beef and become a chore to finish, so I’m much more likely to choose a simple cheeseburger instead. The SmokeShack is the exception and a perfect example of Shake Shack’s creativity meeting its fine-tuned classics. The SmokeShack is a relatively simple build of cheese, bacon, and peppers, but what makes it especially good are the ingredients’ texture and flavor on their own. The cheese is creamy, the bacon is smoky and crisp, and the pickled cherry peppers are both tangy, spicy, and light. The pickled peppers never overpower the burger thanks to the smoky bacon, which gets a chance to shine against the beef thanks to the tang of the peppers.

The SmokeShack takes the top spot in the burger ranking because it’s the one that most impressed my fellow companion tasters and me with only a single bite. It’s a rush of flavor in a more manageable format than the Shack Stack and a perfect example of what Shake Shack is really good at, which is pushing boundaries without compromising quality. Sure, nothing really beats a classic bare-bones smash patty, but with a long list of interesting burgers, this is the one that I can’t stop thinking about.

To avoid burger burnout, in other words, not wanting another bite of burger ever again, I tasted these burgers in batches of six. Many of the burgers are only slightly different, some separated simply with a thin piece of cheese. As a result, the rankings heavily relied on texture, flavor, toppings, and value. I first conducted a one-bite test; any that were immediately impressive or surprising became my top choices. Any that made me want second bites earned the top five spots, and the few that I ended up going back to several times became my top three.

The bottom of the list was also fairly straightforward. Any that were remarkably more dry or bland than the rest sank to the bottom of the list. The middle of the list was where it got a little more challenging. I ranked based largely on the best flavor and texture balance, then on value, and finally, the simplest test: which I would order again.