I Tried Everything on Shake Shack’s New Smoky BBQ Menu

The weather may be teasing us more than we’d like, but spring is in swing. Now, Shake Shack is getting ready for summer, launching a Smoky BBQ menu for the season.

Featuring several new items and returning BBQ offerings, the limited-time summer menu is landing at Shake Shack locations nationwide. I got a chance to try them all at the a festive outdoor event held at the original location in New York City’s Madison Square Park.

“We love barbecue in the summer,” Shake Shack Executive Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation John Karangis said at the event. To which I say, who doesn’t?

What food items are on Shake Shack’s Smoky BBQ Menu?

The menu features two new items:

• BBQ Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich ($12.99): Made with hand-deboned 100% baby back pork ribs (a first for Shake Shack) that have been slow-cooked (for nine hours, the brand says), marinated in the brand’s BBQ spice blend and apple cider vinegar and topped with its classic smoky BBQ sauce, the sandwich also features coleslaw and pickles — all on a toasted potato bun. I loved the satisfying crunch and punch of sweet and smoky flavors; found the coleslaw to provide a nice, fresh-tasting element; and thought the snappy tang of the pickle was a chef’s-kiss touch. Definitely grab extra napkins for this saucy sandwich. You’ll need them.
• Mac & Cheese ($5.99): This restaurant-style take on a comfort classic — the third new side dish Shake Shack has introduced in the past year — features Cavatappi pasta, a ridged corkscrew shape that’s a bit longer than and, Karangis says, holds its texture a bit better than macaroni when cooked. The pasta is mixed with a creamy cheddar and American cheese sauce, butter, salt and olive oil and topped with toasted breadcrumbs. I found this cute side cup of Mac & Cheese to be super rich, cheesy, creamy and hard to put down.

It also features four returning BBQ-themed faves:

• Smoky Classic BBQ Burger ($10.49): This 100% Angus beef burger is topped with American cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, pickles, “crispy” onions and Shake Shack’s classic smoky BBQ sauce and comes on a toasted potato bun.
• Smoky Classic BBQ Chicken Sandwich ($10.49): Same as above, but with “crispy” white-meat chicken in place of the burger.
• Spicy Fries with Ranch ($5.49): Shake Shack’s “crispy crinkle cut fries” come spiced with a “hot pepper blend of cayenne, garlic, and paprika” and with Shack Ranch sauce on the side.
• Spicy Cheese Fries with Ranch ($5.99): Same as above, but additionally topped with Shake Shack’s cheese sauce.

What drinks are on the Shake Shack’s Smoky BBQ Menu?

Shake Shack is bringing its Strawberry Lemonade — a pretty, pink, sweet-but-not-cloying combo of strawberry puree and lemonade — back to menus and introducing two new drinks. All three are priced at $4.49:

• Sparkling Cucumber Basil: Starts with a cucumber and basil puree and tops it off with Sparkling Shack2O water. This light, refreshing and hydrating drink — not too sweet, not too blah — was my favorite thing on the summer menu. It was like a high-end mocktail and will make for great warm-weather sipping. Note that the blend comes at the bottom of the cup, so you’ll want to give it a little shake or stir to combine it with the sparkling water.
• Tropical Mango Lemonade: This blend of tropical mango puree and Shake Shack lemonade is also light, refreshing and not overly sweet, but it tasted a bit watery and uninteresting to me. Perhaps I’d let my ice melt too long.

What shakes are on the Shake Shack’s Smoky BBQ Menu?

True to its name, Shake Shack is introducing three new “hand-spun” shakes for the summer season:

• Key Lime Pie Shake ($6.99): This blend of vanilla frozen custard, key lime pie curd and crunchy graham cracker bits, topped with whipped cream and more crunchy graham cracker bits is new to the U.S., although it was available at Shake Shack locations in Mexico for a limited run in 2024. The taste and texture are delicious. I’m a big key lime pie fan, and this really was like a creamy, lime-y, crunchy key lime pie in a cup. Yum.
• Chocolate Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Shake ($6.99): This shake, made with vanilla frozen custard and “toasted marshmallow dark chocolate ganache” and topped with whipped cream and “s'mores graham cracker crunch,” is creamy, crunchy, marshmallowy and cocoa-y. I really loved the cozy campfire vibes. (Note that Shake Shack has previously offered two s'mores-inspired shakes, but this one is a new take on the theme.)
• Tropical Mango Shake with Passionfruit Popping Boba ($7.99): Also vanilla frozen custard-based, this shake adds tropical mango puree and “mini passionfruit popping boba,” then tops it with whipped cream and more tropical mango puree drizzle. It’s sweet, creamy, fruity and enlivened by fun, tangy pops of boba. The shake is new to the U.S. but has been available at Shake Shack locations in Hong Kong. If you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a milkshake with boba, here's your answer.

When can you order from Shake Shack’s Smoky BBQ Menu?

The seasonal menu is now available at all U.S. Shake Shack locations, except for those in stadiums, racetracks, roadways and airports, for a limited time.

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