Shake Shack is finally opening its first location in Canada and we’re so excited to tell you all about it! The American fast-food chain started as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park over 20 years ago and is now opening its doors in Toronto. While the fast-food chain has many items on its menu, it is most famous for its delicious smash burgers and perfectly crispy crinkle fries. However, Canadians can also expect to enjoy exclusive menu items only available at the Toronto location.
We had the opportunity to check out the new Shake Shack and try all these delicious menu items. Read on for everything you need to know, plus our honest review.
Related: Shake Shack Toronto Will Have An Exclusive Canadian Menu Item
When and where will Shake Shack Canada open?
Shake Shack Canada’s first location will open to the public on June 13 at 11:00 a.m. It is located at the corner of Yonge and Dundas, one of Toronto’s busiest intersections.
Shake Shack Canada
What makes this Canadian location so special?
Shake Shack Canada will offer exclusive menu items that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, showcasing classic Canadian flavours we know and love. The exclusive menu items include Maple Salted Pretzel Shake, I Heart Butter Tart Concrete, More S’mores Concrete, and Shack Attack Concrete. The menu also features wine and beers from local wineries and breweries.
Also, if you were hoping to give your pup a little treat, Shake Shack Canada has partnered with Wufers to give your four-legged friends a Bag O’ Bones, Shack dog biscuits, and Pooch-inis, a vanilla frozen custard topped with Shack dog biscuits.
Read on for our honest review of Shack Shack Canada’s burgers, hot dogs, fries, treats and drinks!
Shake Shack Canada
Shake Shack Canada Burgers
We tried the ShackBurger, Shroom Burger, and Chicken Shack. While we can’t choose a favourite because the burgers were all so different, we do know we thoroughly enjoyed every single bite.
The ShackBurger is found on every Shake Shack menu worldwide and it’s popular because of the juicy meat patty and their iconic ShackSauce. The beef burger is topped with cheese, tomato and ShackSauce. The potato bun, in combination with th fresh toppings, makes each bite better than the other. We recommend getting a side of ShackSauce to dip your fries and burger in – trust us, you won’t regret it.
We were pleasantly surprised by the ‘Shroom Burger. It’s a vegetarian burger made of a fried portobello mushroom patty stuffed with cheese and topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce. While we love a traditional beef burger, we would go back in a heartbeat just to enjoy the vegetarian option, too. The cheese pull was so fun!
Finally, a fast food chain can’t exist without a fried chicken sandwich on the menu, and Shake Shack does it best. The Chicken Shack consists of a crispy chicken breast patty topped with lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo. Every bite has both crunch and creaminess. Despite it being a fried chicken sandwich, it didn’t feel heavy thanks to the other bright toppings.
Shake Shack Canada Hot Dog
The Hot Dog at Shack Shack is a flat-top dog, which means it’s cut in half and charred in the centre. The bread is a potato bun, and the dog is made with 100 percent beef from Vienna Beef. We enjoyed the hot dog because it was cooked to perfection, and the charred dog and bun made for a satisfying crispiness with that craveable BBQ feel.
Shake Shack Canada
Shake Shack Canada Fries
The hype is real ladies and gentlemen, Shake Shack’s crinkle fries are just as delicious as they look. They are made with golden potatoes and salted to perfection. With a crunch on the outside and a pillowy texture on the inside, these fries are fast food perfection.
We dipped the fries in Shake Shack’s signature cheese sauce, and it brought back all kinds of nostalgic feelings. It reminded us of the cheese sauce you’d get at the movie theatre to dip your nacho chips in. The cheese sauce felt and tasted like a more elevated version of that, and we were here for it.
Shake Shack Canada
Shake Shack Canada Desserts
The Shake Shack menu in Canada offers so many treats to choose from, but what’s great about it is some of the exclusive desserts that you can only order at this Toronto location. We tried the I Heart Butter Tarts and More S’mores Concretes, which is basically frozen custard in a cup blended with some delicious toppings.
If you love butter tarts, then you’ll love the first one because it blends delicious butter tarts from Brodflour with vanilla frozen custard and tops them with flaky salt to add savoury to the sweetness.
Our favourite was the More S’mores because there were so many toppings that made each bite different. It tasted like a summer campfire in a cup. The chocolate and vanilla frozen custard is blended with toasted marshmallow sauce, fudge sauce, graham cracker crumbs and chocolate pieces. See we told you— summer in a cup!
Related: Oven-Baked S’mores
In addition to their classic menu milkshakes, this Shake Shack has a Toronto-exclusive menu item: the Maple Salted Pretzel Shake. Their vanilla custard is blended with salty pretzels and maple syrup. Its then topped with whipped cream and more crushed pretzels. The shake tasted a little smoky while still being sweet. We think it’s the perfect representation of Torontonians and it was totally delicious.
Shake Shack Canada Drinks
At the Toronto location, you can enjoy a lot more than sodas alongside your burger and fries. We tried the lemonade, which is made in-house with real cane sugar, and found it to be thirst-quenching with the perfect amount of tartness. We also sipped on the Fifty/Fifty, which is half lemonade and half organic unsweetened iced tea. It had a sour-to-sweet ratio that will have you craving it time and time again.
Shake Shack Canada also offers wine from Rosewood Winery in Niagara, Ontario. The wine menu includes a Shack White, dry Riesling, and a Shack Red, 50 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 50 per cent Cabernet Franc. For beer drinkers, Shake Shack collaborated with Bellwoods Brewery to bring the ShakeMeister Ale to life.
How much are the Shake Shack burgers in Toronto?
The burgers start at around $9 and go up to around $15 depending on your choice. Additionally, the hot dogs start at around $6, and fries at around $5.