Shake Shack Debuted A Veggie Burger And We Have Wildly Mixed Feelings

Depending on what kind of person you are, you'll either love it or feel full of regrets.

I'm Michelle and I friggin' love burgers.

Buena Vista Pictures / Via giphy.com

Last week, Shake Shack announced it was debuting a meat-free burger. And though I'm no vegetarian, I am a lover of burgers from all walks of life, and I knew I had to try this.

Paramount Pictures / Via giphy.com

Though I'm a diehard In-N-Out stan, I can't deny that the ShackBurger is one of the most delicious burgers I've ever tasted *lowers voice* in a city that doesn't have an In-N-Out location. Suffice to say, I had high expectations for the so-called Veggie Shack.

The veggie burger will be trialled starting April 19 at select Shake Shacks in New York City (Midtown east, Upper East Side, Astor Place), Los Angeles (WeHo and Glendale) and Austin (The Domain). It will cost $7.29. For reference, a ShackBurger costs $5.55.

When I first saw the press photos, I thought the veggie patty looked kind of dry and honestly not that appealing:

Christine Han / Shake Shack

It's made with black beans, brown rice, and roasted beets, and is topped with provolone cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, and vegan mustard mayo.

Here's what it looked like in real life*, though:

Sarah Han / BuzzFeed

*Okay, so while the real thing looked much more appetizing than the high-def press photos I was sent over, it's worth nothing that my burger was carefully cooked and put together by Shake Shack's culinary director at a tasting organized for members of the press. So, yours might not look exactly like this.

As for the taste? Well, depends on who you ask.

Michelle No / BuzzFeed

As a non-vegetarian, I thought the veggie patty was a bit too mushy. And it didn't taste like meat at all (though TBH I could hardly taste it under all those toppings 😑).

Michelle No / BuzzFeed

My (a non-vegetarian) review: Sure, the patty looks pretty glorious with all that cheese oozing over it, but as soon as you bite into it, it totally flattens out. And when I actually started chewing my burger, all I could taste was the bun and all the toppings. When I took a bite of just the patty, I found it to be slightly sweet and bean-ey. But like I said, I could hardly taste it. Like, if I'm losing out on meaty juiciness, I at least want some HEFT to my patty, knowwhatimsaying?! It's like when you open a bag of delicious potato chips and discover like, five chips in it. Womp womp.

Also, at 530 calories per Veggie Shack, it's actually not that much "lighter" than their 550 calorie ShackBurger?

If you're like me, you might feel like you need to finish that basket of French fries to feel full, or even stuff some in your burger.

Michelle No / BuzzFeed

Shout out to Shake Shack for having the best crispy-on-the-outside, slightly soft-on-the-inside fries.

If you're vegetarian though, you may think this is one of "the best veggie burgers" you've ever tasted. 😱

Michelle No / BuzzFeed

A vegetarian's review: This is one of the best veggie burgers I've ever tasted. It's not trying to taste like a burger, which I think is where other veggie burgers disappoint. It's also got a really nice texture and a really unique flavor. It's kind of sweet but then savory in like a spicy way? And it doesn't fall apart like a lot of veggie burgers do. And IDK what this sauce is but it is doing me dirty. Overall, I'm sold. —Emily Shwake

TL;DR: If you're an omnivore, you might find the Veggie Shack lacking in chewiness or heft. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you might appreciate the fact the patty doesn't crumble like other veggie patties do, and enjoy the slightly sweet flavor.

Warner Bros. Television / Via giphy.com