Few things get Toronto foodies as excited as the opening of a beloved American burger joint, and Shake Shack Toronto is the latest patty to cross the Atlantic. After several sneak peeks on social media, Shake Shake Toronto finally opened the doors to its first-ever Canadian storefront on June 13, 2024.
The popular fast food joint is known for its made-to-order burgers, cult-worthy crinkle-cut fries, crispy chicken and house-made lemonades and milkshakes, but Shake Shack Toronto will be launching several Canadian and locally inspired menu items. Canadian exclusives include The Maple Salted Pretzel Shake, which blends up vanilla frozen custard with pretzels and maple syrup; the I Heart Butter Tart Concrete, which blitzes Brodflour butter tarts; and a Shack Attack Concrete which utilizes fudge sauce, chocolate chunks and cocoa nibs from Chocosol.
During my visit, I devoured the SmokeShack, a classic cheeseburger given some extra panache with the addition of applewood smoked bacon and chopped cherry peppers for a little kick and their trademark ShackSauce. It's hard to live up to the intense hype surrounding Shake Shack Toronto's opening, but it's a solid patty that's fairly comparable with local smash burgers like Rudy (high praise from a Rudy diehard like me). However, I found the crinkle-cut fries, one of Shake Shack's most celebrated menu items, to be over-salted and a little underwhelming.
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Read moreShake Shack Toronto will also feature beer and wine that has been specifically created for the Canadian outpost. Crack open a ShackMeister Ale, brewed by local fave Bellwoods Brewery, or sip on the Shack Red and Shack White made specially by Rosewood Winery in Niagara. Shake Shack Toronto has even partnered with local Toronto artist, Briony Douglas, to create an art installation inside the Yonge and Dundas location.
And, because it wouldn’t be Shake Shack Toronto without a nod to our four-legged pals, local dog treat bakery Wufers will be providing the treats for our furry friends. Pooch-inis, a vanilla frozen custard dessert, topped with Shack dog biscuits, seems like the perfect way to cool down after a long walk in the summertime.
