I Tried Shake Shack's New Veggie Burger And This Is How It Tastes

Shake Shack recently announced that it would be testing a new veggie burger at select locations in New York City. The "Veggie Shack" — made with a black bean, brown rice, and roasted beet patty topped with provolone cheese, lettuce, white onion, pickles, and a vegan mustard-mayonnaise — will be offered at the chain for a limited time only starting April 19, but thanks to our friends at the chain's Madison Square Park outpost, The Daily Meal was able to sample it early.

Having eaten plenty of veggie patties in my day — Morningstar, Impossible, etc. — I consider myself an aficionado of sorts. Unlike those aforementioned patties, Shake Shack's veggie burger doesn't really aim for a meaty taste or texture, instead emphasizing the flavor, feel, and color of its vegetable ingredients. The Veggie Shack was soft, but solid (if that makes sense). At first, I was nervous the vibrant red patty would break off and fall to its death, but everything stayed together quite nicely. That being said, I wouldn't recommend wearing a white blouse within a 10-foot radius of this burger.

One element I was surprised to enjoy was the mustard-mayonnaise. Although I've never been one to purposely choose vegan products over traditional condiment options (although Heinz ketchup is also vegan, and I love ketchup), this sauce was great. It wasn't overpowering and it honestly just tasted healthy. In fact, the whole shebang had me feeling as if I made a wholesome meal choice. The vegetables were fresh, the topping ratio was 1:1, and the bread was nice and fluffy.

To be completely transparent, I could have probably eaten three of these puppies. Especially because there were pickles and white onion slices. There's nothing better than a dill pickle and there's nothing worse than a restaurant or deli that puts half of a red onion in your sandwich.

Shake Shack made a smart move by creating an official veggie burger. The New York-based chain has another plant-based sandwich on the menu already — the 'Shroom Burger — but the center is a mushroom and sometimes we leaf-eaters need more substance. The limited-edition Veggie Shack will be available to the public starting April 19 at select outposts in the Big Apple, but here's hoping that a nationwide rollout is in the not-so-distant future. 

This burger brand isn't the only company making waves. The fast-casual industry is growing faster than ever, so whether you've gone meatless or are asking, "Where's the beef?" — here are the burger chains to look out for in 2018.

This product was provided by Shake Shack for review at no cost to the writer.

Taylor Rock is the East Coast news editor at The Daily Meal. You can follow her on Twitter @taylorlrock.