Since it went public two weeks ago, Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack has confirmed what we already knew: the new-school burger concept is a force to be reckoned with. The chain currently has 63 locations in the United States and abroad, and it’s valued at a whopping $1.74 billion. From the looks of it, this is only the beginning: Shake Shack opens its first Baltimore location on February 16 and has expansion plans for ten more openings, including Austin, later this year.
Worldwide domination wasn’t part of the initial plan. When Meyer started the business out of a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in 2001, the stand wasn’t even a year-round business. But the cart begat a kiosk, which eventually led to a handful of Shake Shacks around the city. New Yorkers lined up out the door for humanely raised beef burgers, friendly service, concretes, and a thoughtful selection of craft beer and wine.
Yet even today, with its current size and scale, Shake Shack’s food has managed to stay impressively consistent. The ShackBurger I ate on a recent trip to Turkey, for instance, could’ve come out of any location in New York. The only difference was my dessert, a pistachio creation exclusive to the Shake Shack in Instabul’s Tünel neighborhood. Turns out every Shake Shack location, whether it’s the original Madison Square Garden outpost or a new storefront in Moscow, offers its own unique set of burgers, dogs, shakes, or frozen desserts that give the location a sense of place. From campfire s’mores in Atlanta to a Lebanese-inspired dessert in Beirut, here are some surprising Shake Shack specialties for all you burger-obsessed globetrotters.
Pistachio Concretes
Where: Istanbul, Turkey
In the Middle East, the enormous selection of baklava speaks for itself: Turks love their pistachio desserts. Shake Shack’s taken this to heart, offering multiple concretes (blended frozen custards) with pistachio accents, like the Tünel (chocolate custard, fresh pistachio, cookie pieces, marshmallow sauce) and Pistachio in the Park (chocolate custard, cocoa-dusted pistachios, fudge sauce, and crumbled fresh pistachios, pictured above). (Photo: Mark Rosati/Instagram)
Publican Dog
Where: Chicago, IL
For its Chicago opening in November, Shake Shack partnered with James beard Award-winning local chef Paul Kahan to create an item that highlighted sausage from Kahan’s butcher shop, Publican Quality Meats. The link, which is flavored with garlic and white wine, is wrapped in a hot dog bun before being dressed with Shack cheddar, American cheese sauce, and crispy, ale-marinated shallots. (Photo: Shake Shack)
Campfire S’mores
Where: Atlanta, GA
Shake Shack’s culinary director Mark Rosati fell in love with local chocolatier Cacao Atlanta, so he created a twist on campfire s’mores using chocolate custard, marshmallow sauce, graham crackers, and the candy brand’s dark chocolate chunks. A bonus: Five percent of sales from that specialty item go to support a local charity for children, Camp Twin Lakes. (Photo: Redee Robinson/Instagram)
The Emilia Burger
Where: New York, NY and London, England
Shake Shack’s been known to create special-occasion offerings at various locations around New York (remember the Cronut Hole Concrete or the Big Gay Ice Cream’s Layer Shake?). Last fall, Shake Shack partnered with revered Italian chef Massimo Bottura for a limited-edition offering named the Emilia burger. Bottura filled the beef patty with cotechino sausage for a melt-in-your-mouth texture, then topped it with griddled Parmigiano, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and salsa verde. The Emilia was available for two days only—on Columbus Day at the original Madison Square Park location, which is currently closed for renovations, and on November 9th in London’s Covent Garden location. Here’s to hoping Shake Shack will consider a repeat come Columbus Day 2015. (Photo: Shake Shack)
The Shackopolis Concrete
Where: Moscow, Russia
At the Metropolis Shopping Center in Moscow, Shake Shack fans can order a frozen dessert that’s a peanut-lover’s paradise: chocolate custard, peanut-butter sauce, chocolate toffee, and salted peanuts. (Photo: Laura Enoch)
Ghraybe Blend Concrete
Where: Beirut, Lebanon
Last week, Shake Shack’s second Beirut outlet, in ABC Achrafieh, launched a Lebanese-inspired dessert called the Ghraybe Blend, made with vanilla frozen custard, ghraybe (south Lebanese semolina shortbread cookies), and crumbled fresh pistachios. (Photo: Mark Rosati/Instagram)
Breakfast Sandwiches
Where: New York, NY
Commuters’ mornings got way better when Shake Shack announced two months ago that it would start serving breakfast sandwiches at Grand Central station (for what it’s worth, they’re available at the JFK Airport location, too). “Trust us when we say this is unlike any breakfast sandwich you’ll find in a typical fast food restaurant,” the company declared on its blog. We have no doubt, considering breakfast at the Shack involves proprietary pork sausage, soft potato buns, and Stumptown coffee. (Photo: Shake Shack)
Vice Crispy Treat
Where: Miami, FL
The South Beach outpost of Shake Shack offers a refreshing take on Rice Krispie treats with a Floridian twist, and naturally, it’s called the Vice Crispy Treat. Proceeds from the blended vanilla custard with marshmallow sauce and crunchies mixed in benefit ArtCenter South Florida, a Miami art nonprofit. (Photo: hamacham/Instagram)
Sticky Toffee Concrete
Where: London, England
The chain’s Covent Garden location in London offers some UK-specific items, like a Cumberland sausage made with a rare breed of pork and a Sticky Toffee concrete, which pays homage to the popular English dessert. The dessert starts with a vanilla custard base; chocolate toffee, Paul A. Young chocolate chunks, salted-caramel sauce, and malt powder all get blended in. (Photo: Shake Shack UK)
Victory Brewing Shack Frost Ale
Where: Philadelphia, PA
This winter, Shake Shack’s collaborated with Philadelphia-based Victory Brewing Company to serve a special beer on tap: The Shack Frost Ale, a light-bodied, winter wheat beer with notes of clove and banana. It’s available at all three Philadelphia-area Shake Shacks for the rest of the season. (Photo: Shake Shack)