Did You Know There's A Secret Chicago Hot Dog-Inspired Sandwich At Shake Shack?

By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 12, 2016 4:49PM

Photo by Melissa Wiley

It's all the rage for fast food spots to have secret menus—see everything "Animal Style" at In-N-Out burger—but we'd never heard about this menu item until recently. Shake Shack apparently has a sandwich that is, sort of, inspired by a Chicago hot dog.

Shake Shack has had a secret menu for a long time, but we've always assumed, based on our internet wanderings, that it wasn't available in their Midwest locations. While Shake Shack's representative officially didn't have any comment whatsoever on the secret menu or its availability, a reliable inside source let us know about a few secret menu items available in Chicago.

The "Garden Dog" is kind of a misnomer, as it's actually on a hamburger bun, but it's a strange version of a veggie sandwich. There's no actual hot dog or burger patty; instead, it's every single item you'd find on a Chicago hot dog, including Rick's Picks Shack relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport peppers, celery salt and mustard, all on a potato roll. So, if you're looking for a vegetarian dish at Shake Shack, this might be your best bet.

The garden dog isn't the only secret item we were tipped off to. Apparently, they'll also make you an off-menu BLT with Niman Ranch bacon, a grilled cheese sandwich (which, since it's just cheese on a potato roll, hardly seems like it counts as secret) and the artery-hardening winner, the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger, a Shake Shack burger with bacon and peanut butter served on the side.

As always, if you try to order these and get a blank stare, don't yell at us; not everyone at every location is always in on the same secret menu items.