Shake Shack: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Shake Shack works well for vegetarians, which wasn’t always true here. The chain built its name on burgers and frozen custard, but it now carries two real meatless mains, the Veggie Shack and the Shroom Burger. Add vegan crinkle-cut fries and a full lineup of shakes, and a vegetarian diet holds up fine even at a fast-food burger counter.

What to order at Shake Shack

The Veggie Shack is your best shot at a full meal, a patty built from mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, farro, and quinoa, topped with cheese, crispy onions, lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce. It rolled out to every U.S. location in 2023. The Shroom Burger is the longtime favorite, a portobello cap stuffed with melted muenster and cheddar, breaded and fried, then dressed with lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce. The crinkle-cut fries are vegan as served.

What to watch out for

Neither burger comes out vegan by default. The Veggie Shack patty itself contains dairy and egg, so it’s vegetarian at best even before toppings. The Shroom Burger can’t go vegan at all, since the cheese is sealed inside the patty. If you want a vegan Veggie Shack, order it without cheese, crispy onions, and Shack Sauce, and ask for a different bun, since the standard Martin’s potato bun contains milk. Cheese fries and fried pickles are vegetarian only, not vegan.