Shake Shack is relatively new compared to the big giants in the fast-food industry. It’s most famous for its main menu item called The Shack Burger, a premium quality beef patty cooked in cast iron pans and “smashed” to perfection.
We can’t really enjoy The Shack Burger as vegans, so here are some Shake Shack vegan menu options to complement your lean and green lifestyle.
Shake Shack: An Overview
Shake Shack started as a hotdog cart in Madison Square Park in 2001. At the time, Madison Square Park, which had fallen into disrepair, was undergoing redevelopment, and the profits from the hotdog stand were said to help with the funding.
Celebrity chef Danny Meyers didn’t think the hot dogs would be a big hit, but he would notice patrons lining up during lunch daily to savor Shake Shack food for the next three years. He attributed it to the ideal location of the stand, which was situated near Credit Suisse and the iconic Flatiron building in New York.
In 2004, Madison Square Park began taking bids to build a kiosk-style restaurant within the park, which Danny Myers won. He and his friend, CEO Randy Garutti, drew up the restaurant's concept on the back of a Shake Shack napkin. It was initially intended to be a New York exclusive roadside burger kiosk, but as its popularity grew over the years, they saw the potential for expansion.
As of 2021, Shake Shack Inc. now owns and operates over 250 locations all over the world.
Shake Shack Vegan Options
Veggie Shack
Shake Shack released the Veggie Shack in 2018 to the joy of its vegan patrons. However, it is yet to be available in most locations (the Veggie Shack is available in New Jersey, California, New York, and Ohio Shacks). The new veggie patty is made from black beans, brown rice, roasted beets, and topped with provolone cheese, shredded lettuce, roasted tomato, onions, pickles, and -- get this -- vegan mustard mayo! Just remember to swap out the regular bun for the gluten-free bun or a lettuce wrap, and omit the cheese from your Veggie Shack.
The Shroom Burger, while safe for our vegetarian friends, is not a vegan option. The veggie burger is made from a breaded portobello mushroom patty that is cheese-stuffed.
Shake Shack Fries
The iconic crinkle-cut Shake Shack Fries are 100 percent vegan. Ask for ketchup, mustard, vegan mayo, or vegan lemon aioli for dipping sauce, as their in-house barbecue sauce contains milk and eggs.
However, Shake Shack’s website says the Shack Fries are cooked using the same equipment as their fried chicken, so there will always be a risk of cross-contamination. If you're craving fries, you can try making our skinny-loaded chili fries recipe!
Shake Shack Beverages
Thankfully, most beverages at Shake Shack are safe for vegans. They carry homemade lime agave lemonade and watermelon mint limeade, both vegan drinks, aside from fountain soda and root beer.
They also offer sweet iced tea and cold brew, but you’ll have to order it without milk specifically.
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Other Options
Gluten-Free Bun
Martin’s Famous Potato Bun is unfortunately not vegan friendly as it contains milk. Shake Shack does have a gluten-free wheat bun, or you can opt for lettuce wrap for your Veggie Shack or Shroom Burger instead.
Cone
While their famous frozen custard is not vegan friendly, the cone holding it is. It’s not the most appealing option, but it’s an okay crunchy snack.
Vegan Concrete Mix-Ins
Their frozen custard can be topped with many different mix-ins. Here are the vegan-friendly mix-ins available, so let your creativity shine as you build your snack:
- Almonds
- Amarena Cherries
- Bananas
- Cacao Nibs
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Citrus Marinated Fresh Raspberries
- Coffee Beans
- Graham Crackers
- Matcha Green Tea Powder
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Potato Chips
- Strawberry Jam
- Strawberry Puree
- Walnuts
- White Peach Puree
What’s The Limited-Time Burger: The Sluttyshack?
You wouldn’t imagine our delight when we found out that Shake Shack was collaborating with Slutty Vegan, a plant-based burger restaurant chain. The limited-time SluttyShack features Shake Shack’s Veggie Shack, topped with Slut Dust, lemon ginger kale, caramelized onions, vegan ranch, and tangy lemon mayo (vegan, of course). [1]
This special vegan burger is currently only being sold in small quantities in Harlem, so you will want to get there early before the store runs out of Veggie Shack.
All proceeds of the Veggie Shack-Sluttyshack partnership will be donated to local nonprofits and the restaurant community.
FAQs
Unfortunately, no. Shake Shack’s Shakes are not vegan friendly as they all contain eggs and milk. The fast-food restaurant chain has also never mentioned that they will be making vegan options for milkshakes anytime soon.
No, Shake Shack does not offer vegan cheese. If you're strict on implementing a vegan lifestyle, you want to make sure that you omit the cheese when you order Veggie Shack.
In Summary
While the vegan options are still pretty limited, we think Shake Shack is one of the better restaurants out there for those on a vegan diet. The Veggie Shack with fresh real greens was so rich and flavorful; we couldn’t believe it was meat-free.
If you find that the Veggie Shack, SluttyShack, or Shroom Burger is available at a local Shack near you, we urge you to check them out!
Reference:
- https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/shake-shack-is-launching-a-collab-with-slutty-vegan-080921
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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