Shake Shack adds a Buffalo menu, but skips the wings

Move over Shake Sauce because there is a bold flavor that is calling people to the Shake Shack restaurants. The Buffalo menu, featuring a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and Buffalo Spiced Cheese, Fries is heating up the winter season. Can you handle all the spice?

Over the past several months, Shake Shack has been highlighting several limited time offerings. Beyond the special celebrity chef pop-up menus, the other special menus have featured a variety of bold flavors. Who didn’t fall in love with the Korean inspired menu from last year?

This Buffalo menu offers the fast casual restaurant’s version of a Buffalo sauce on two menu items. While a traditional Buffalo sauce is vinegar forward, this sauce has a punch of garlic. While the tanginess is present, the heat packs a punch.

The two Buffalo menu items are a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries. The sandwich features the signature chicken smothered in the Buffalo Sauce. While not quite as messy as those traditional wings, it might be best to have a few extra napkins at the ready.

Also, this version pairs the Buffalo chicken with ranch, versus blue cheese. While people can debate the condiment choice, ranch can be more approachable than the pungent blue cheese flavor. The tangy, cooling effect from the ranch seems to be the Shake Shack preference.

For guests who want double the Buffalo flavor, consider pairing it with Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries. The classic Shake Shack crinkle fries are sprinkled with Buffalo seasoning and topped with cheese sauce. And, for those not feeling cheesy, it can be skipped. Either version is served with a side of ranch.

Given that these new menu options come at the end of football season, the flavors offer an alternative to classic Buffalo Chicken wings. In some ways, it makes the case that certain flavors aren’t limited to just one way of enjoying them. Maybe it is time to put some Buffalo seasoning on a burger too.

The Buffalo menu items will be available from January 28 through April 25. In addition, Shake Shack App users can get early access to the new menu items now.

And, for people who want to cool off their taste buds with something sweet, there are two new limited time shakes added to the menu, The Wake & Shake and The Chocolate Pie Shake. The Wake & Shake is combines Red Bay coffee with vanilla frozen custard. But, the interesting other flavor additions are maple syrup and orange zest. While maple and coffee have been paired before, the addition of the orange zest adds the brightness to lift the flavors. It could start a new trend in desserts.

The Chocolate Pie Shake is one that pie lovers will run to get a taste. Featuring pie from the iconic Four & Twenty Blackbirds, the chocolate ganache toasted oat pie is a little treasure treat in each sip. Plus, the croissant cookie crumbles will have people wishing to save the topping till the end.

What is your favorite Shake Shack shake? Are you excited to try these new menu items?