The Ultimate Guide to Eating Vegan at Shake Shack

Published by Sara Oliver.

If you’re heading to Shake Shack hoping for an easy, fully vegan meal … lower your expectations. While the chain has made small steps toward offering vegan options, there’s still no fully vegan burger straight off the menu. That means ordering vegan here takes a little strategy—and a willingness to customize—but every time you order a vegan meal, you’re sparing gentle cows, playful chickens, and intuitive pigs immense suffering. 

The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Shake Shack

Are There Vegan Burgers at Shake Shack?

The Veggie Shack burger features a vegan veggie patty made from mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and grains—but the sandwich still comes with cow’s milk cheese and a non-vegan bun.

To make the Veggie Shack burger vegan:

  • Request a gluten-free bun or opt for the lettuce wrap (the regular bun contains dairy).
  • Ask for no American cheese, ShackSauce, and crispy onions, as they all contain cow’s milk.

What Sides Are Vegan at Shake Shack?

Good news: Shake Shack’s fries are vegan. Just make sure you’re ordering the plain fries, as the toppings are not vegan-friendly. Steer clear of the onion rings, as they have cow’s milk hidden in their batter.

Are Any Sauces Animal-Free?

Bottom line: We hope you like ketchup! Unfortunately, Shake Shack’s signature ShackSauce contains chicken eggs, and the honey mustard contains—you guessed it—honey … and eggs.

What Desserts or Shakes Are Vegan at Shake Shack?

There are currently no vegan desserts available at Shake Shack.

The chain previously offered vegan milkshakes made with NotCo’s Not Milk, but they’ve since been discontinued—leaving animal-free customers with zero sweet treat options.

Shake Shack’s Lemonades and Teas Are Vegan

While the lack of desserts isn’t ideal, you can still sip on something sweet at Shake Shack without harming animals. The fast-food chain’s lemonades, iced tea, and soft drinks are vegan, including:

  • Pomegranate Sweet Basil Lemonade
  • Fifty/Fifty Lemonades
  • Strawberry Lemonade
  • Mango Passionade
  • Shack-Made Lemonade
  • Iced Tea

Add More Vegan Options, Shake Shack

Something’s better than nothing, right? … Right? In a time when many fast-food chains are rolling out fully vegan burgers and dairy-free shakes, Shake Shack is falling behind. Customers shouldn’t have to jump through hoops just to avoid cheese, eggs, and other animal-derived ingredients.

Hungry for More? Vegan Fast Food Options Are Plentiful

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