The Ultimate Ranking Of Shake Shack Burgers

I have been a Five Guys girl since I got one in my area over a decade ago. It was one of the only options that wasn't a McDonald's-style fast food joint, offering an elevated meal over the typical burger drive-throughs. However, another brand has made it to my state: Shake Shack. This burger chain was founded in NYC in the early 2000s and has made a name for itself in an array of locations not only across the US, but the world. With this in mind and an empty stomach, I decided to tackle all the meat-based burgers on the list to see which were the best and if this chain really holds up to the hype.

I ordered 10 of Shake Shack's burgers, all featuring their high-end Angus beef patties, and ate my way through the bag. From gruyere and truffle to some classic toppings, I ranked each burger based on taste, ingredients, and overall satisfaction. Let's check out Shake Shack's lineup and see which burgers are a must-try and which options are a pass. Spoiler alert: I have a new fast food favorite!

Black truffle can be a tough food item to use, as a little goes a long way. Often times, restaurants use too much. However, the opposite seems to be true of the Black Truffle Burger from Shake Shack. What looks like a beast of a burger turned out to be truly disappointing.

This limited edition burger features a 100% Angus beef quarter-pound patty topped with Gruyere cheese, black truffle sauce made with real black truffle oil, and crispy sweet onions on a toasted potato bun. It sounded like a win, but the flavors just weren't there. What's wild was that you could smell the truffle, but it just didn't come through in the bite. I was also excited about the edition of the Gruyere, but again, I couldn't find this flavor within the profile either.

For a burger with so many incredible toppings, you couldn't taste any of them. I don't even understand how it's possible, but it's the reason this one went to the back of the list without argument.

I'm not quite sure what to say about Shake Shack's Black Truffle Shack Stack. This one features a burger and fried portobello, offering guests a wild experience they probably won't find anywhere else. However, sometimes simple is better.

The limited time only Black Truffle Shack Stack features a quarter-pound of 100% Angus beef topped with Gruyere cheese, a crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, and black truffle sauce. Like I said, there is a lot going on in this burger. While the other option had no flavor, this one had too much, causing a sad Goldilocks moment via burger rather than porridge. 

The fried portobello was great in that the cheese within offered a lot on flavor the palate. However, this burger felt like it was having an identity crisis, unsure if it should be fried and feel-good, sophisticated with the truffle, or one of those novelty burgers that people buy just for the picture. I think some things were working here, but it's not something I'd eat again. There was too much going on, nothing was balanced, and there are way better burger options on the menu. Keep reading to find out!

There's something to be said about the brand's tried and true hamburger, as it was the base for all the rest. Offering up a quarter-pound patty of 100% Angus beef on toasted potato bun, this one was great — just a little too plain Jane for such an epic menu. While the plain hamburger from Shake Shack placed 8th, it's important to know it's only because there are a lot of other amazing burgers on the list with a little more flair.

I loved the light char on the edges of the burger which gave the beef a nice crisp. It was pressed well, it was juicy, and it had a nice light salt flavor with a little bit of grease from the grill. No real notes here.

At the end of the day, there was nothing special about this burger, but the grease and the bun were good compliments, offering up a yummy bite. Shake Shack's hamburger is classic done well, but there are a lot of flavorful options you have to try over a regular burger.

I really need to start paying more attention before I take my bites because I was not ready for the Smoke Shack burger. This one features the brand's signature patty with American cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, chopped cherry peppers, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun. Between the cherry peppers and whatever was in that sauce, my mouth was on fire!

For such a small and simple-looking burger, this one packed a punch. There was no respite from the heat, save for my boyfriend's vanilla milkshake. After two bites, I couldn't go back for a third; this burger was that spicy.

What I will say is there was a lot of flavor present, even within the heat. You got that fresh pepper taste combined with the delicious cheese, the bacon, and that epic sauce. I can honor those who like a good bite, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this one. For me, it's staying in 7th because lighting my mouth on fire is not my idea of a positive eating experience. On to the next!

After trying the Black Truffle Shack Stack, I was wary about trying another burger that featured both the beef patty and the fried portobello. However, this one did surprise me, offering more balance and a better flavor profile.

The Shack Stack features a quarter-pound of 100% Angus beef and fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun. There was a lot happening in this burger, but unlike its truffle sibling, this one made sense. You could really taste the burger, along with all the cheeses in the fried portobello. With the additions of the tomato and lettuce, I got a fresh taste, plus that ShackSauce is divine.

I still think a burger topped with a fried and cheesy mushroom is too much, but I can see the appeal. For me, there were too many textures, but there were a lot of great flavors here that pushed it to a better spot in the ranking. I'm not saying no — maybe try it once for good measure.

As we hit the half-way mark in this ranking, we find the Double Shack Burger with a half pound of Angus beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce. It really did taste as good as it looked, but two burger patties with all that cheese was just too much.

The burgers in this one were super juicy and had a solid flavor with a light char, but that extra beef with complementary grease took over the entire bite, leaving the other toppings in the dust. There wasn't a lot of balance here, and after a few bites, you're really just eating multiple burger patties sans toppings. The only other flavor was the cheese, which was good but weighed me down after a few bites.

The Double Shack was truly delicious, but with a lack of balance, I couldn't place it any higher on the list. Honestly, I'd rather get two single patty burgers and enjoy the experience. I'd suggest the same for you, too.

For me and my personal preferences, it's hard to beat a simple cheeseburger done right. Yes, I do love a good novelty burger once in a while, and I will always choose bacon when I have the option, but Shake Shack really nailed a classic food item with this one.

I think what really makes the simple burgers at Shake Shack so great is the burger itself. This one was a little charred and crisp around the edges which paired perfectly with juicy meat. There was no sauce, no heavy rubs — just a great bite every time. (And a lot of grease that I thoroughly enjoyed.) Don't worry — the potato bun soaks it up and adds to the flavorful experience.

With a solid choice of American cheese that was melted to perfection and that toasted bun, this was a hard one to beat. The regular cheeseburger from Shake Shack is simple but done so well with so few ingredients. You won't be disappointed.

Breaking into the top three is the Bacon Cheeseburger. Why? Because everything is better with bacon, especially an already stellar cheeseburger from Shake Shack.

While this one was almost the same experience as the regular cheeseburger, the applewood smoked bacon added a lot to the bite. While I like my bacon a bit more cooked, Shake Shack leaning undercooked and fatty, you could tell this was great-quality bacon. I enjoyed the fact they offered large pieces and a nice, thick cut. You get the smokey flavor in every bite, and it paired so well with the cheese and crispy edges of the patty.

I think at the end of the day you can put whatever you want on a burger, but if the patty is solid, the American cheese is melted, and the bacon is delicious, what more do you really need? (Surprisingly, something you might not expect in the first place spot!)

The Shack Burger from Shake Shack is a tried and true classic American burger. While I thought the regular cheeseburger was great and that I needed bacon for success, this burger taught me a new lesson about balance.

The Shack Burger features a quarter-pound per patty of 100% Angus beef topped with the essentials: American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun. There are no big thrills or wild notions here; just a solid, well-rounded burger.

I loved the construction and toppings on this one. The burger was cooked well and had that signature taste, and the sauce really added a lot to the bite. However, there was no one food item that stole the show. If you are looking for a great burger without any pomp and a solid bite every time, this is it. Overall, I have no notes here. This one proudly wears the silver medal.

You might think it's hard to pick a top burger out of this lineup, but I can safely say that Shake Shack's Avocado Bacon Burger was the best on the menu. And I know what you're thinking: How? Great question; I had the same thought. It's the right ingredients done well.

Like the others, this one features their signature patty topped with American cheese, freshly sliced avocado (and fresh it was), applewood-smoked bacon, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun. If you look at my top three, you can see why this one made sense to me. It had all the right things without being too much. This burger was my Goldilocks bite.

When it came down to it, there was something about the texture of the avocado that added the perfect aspect to each bite. There was also a lot of flavor here from the burger to the bacon, and that burger was cooked perfectly. 

At the end of the day, this was the burger I couldn't stop eating. It's the burger I will actively seek out when I'm near a Shake Shack, for sure!

For this taste test, I ordered every meat-centered burger through the online app and went to the restaurant to enjoy my fill. When I got there, I also got fries and a vanilla milkshake — two musts, if you ask me.

I always start with the simple, albeit bland options, then work my way up to bolder flavors — anything with spice or items like truffle. The goal was to see if these burger were really as good as they say and decide which menu items were worth the purchase. 

I focused on taste and balance, looking at each bite in terms of toppings and how well each burger was cooked. Texture did deter at times, taking the focus away from the overall experience and flavor profiles, so that was also taken into account for the overall ranking.