The truffle, whether black or white, has long been a symbol of fine dining, due to its pricey exclusivity. However, thanks to a host of factors including supply, demand, and a bit of culinary definition-stretching, this classy little fungus has also begun making appearances in the fast food industry, and Shake Shack’s latest menu puts truffles on full display.
Shake Shack announced on its website that beginning February 10, the White Truffle Menu will be available nationwide. It includes:
- White Truffle Burger: Fontina cheeseburger topped with real white truffle sauce made with Regalis organic white truffle oil, and crispy sweet onions on a toasted potato bun
- White Truffle ‘Shroom Burger: Crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with real white truffle sauce made with Regalis organic white truffle oil, and shredded lettuce on a toasted potato bun
- Parmesan Fries with White Truffle Sauce: Crispy crinkle cuts topped with parmesan cheese and served with real white truffle sauce made with Regalis organic white truffle oil
(For those who just can’t wait until Friday to taste it, the new menu items are available exclusively via the Shake Shack app starting today, February 8.)
This is not the Shack’s first time blending a luxury ingredient into its lineup. Back in 2021, the brand offered a Black Truffle Burger and Parmesan Garlic Fries with Black Truffle Sauce as a limited-time promotion. Our verdict was that the fries were a resounding success, but the same could not be said of the burger. Nevertheless, we were excited to try this new high-end offering from Shake Shack. Here were our findings.
Shake Shack’s White Truffle Burger
This was the least enjoyable of the three offerings. The first disappointment was the fact that the white truffle aspect was hardly detectable at all—most of the sauce appears to have been absorbed by the bun by the time it was unwrapped—and wherever the truffle flavor was detectable, the nuance was gone, and it only served to lend an overly salty taste to the already savory burger.
The combination of the beef, the cheese, the fried onions, and the white truffle sauce made for a saltier bite than I would have expected or preferred. The slightly sweet bun balanced it a little, but it could have used something bright on top. This burger just felt like it was missing something; I had the unfortunate urge to slather it with ketchup, but I resisted. At $9.99 on the Shake Shack app (versus $6.89 for a regular ShackBurger), this burger came with a white truffle price tag, but ironically, the white truffle is the one element I would have left out of it.
Shake Shack’s Parmesan Fries with White Truffle Sauce
These crinkle-cut Shake Shack fries are topped with shredded parmesan cheese and served with a side of the same white truffle sauce found on the two sandwiches. The cheese and sauce work well together as a pairing, but after a while, the deeply savory white truffle flavor can become overwhelming when paired with salty fries beneath a bed of salty cheese. Halfway through my order of fries, I had to stop dipping them into the sauce altogether—it was just too much. An order of these fries costs $5.59 on the Shake Shack app, but they’re only somewhat worth the additional $1.60 upcharge from a regular order of fries. If you’re with a group, only one of you needs to order the white truffle fries, because one order of sauce is best split among a crowd.
Shake Shack’s White Truffle ’Shroom Burger
This is the absolute best item on Shake Shack’s White Truffle Menu. The ’Shroom Burger is already a staple of the menu, featuring a crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with a combination of melted muenster and cheddar cheese. This latest version is topped with the same white truffle oil sauce as the burger, and sits with shredded lettuce on a toasted potato bun.
The breading on the portobello mushroom managed to stay crisp for a long time, even while enshrouded in truffle sauce and wrapped around a moisture-rich mushroom full of deliciously oozing cheese blend. The simplicity of this sandwich allowed the truffle sauce enough room to be appreciated as its own ingredient, without being as overwhelming (as it is when used as a fry dip). If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, this is not burger for you, and I mean that as a compliment. The earthy taste distinctive to mushrooms is detectable the whole way through, even when competing with all that cheese, and the truffle sauce boosts the earthiness even further. Though this burger is priced exactly the same as its meaty counterpart, I would gladly pay $9.99 for this offering any day of the week.
If Shake Shack can learn anything from its foray into the world of truffles, it’s that fungi should stick together. Keep the truffle-boosted ’shrooms coming—we can do without the rest.