With tater tots and sausage patties galore, on paper Shake Shack’s breakfast menu is a thing of glory, but how does it compare to McDonald’s? The McMuffin and hashbrown has a serious contender for best breakfast combo
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you – Shake Shack has launched a brand new breakfast menu.
McDonald’s might be your go-to for a greasy but glorious fast-food breakfast, but there’s a new sheriff in town. For me, a sausage and egg McMuffin, with a hash brown on the side of course, is high up on my list of hangover cures. So when I heard Shake Shack was launching a breakfast menu, featuring tater tots, you can say I was slightly excited.
The fast-food chain first came to the UK from the US back in 2013, and quickly became a hit among Brits for their iconic burgers. Now, there are 15 stores and counting – with a new branch opening this summer in St Pancras International.
But Shake Shack’s breakfast offerings have only ever been available at Gatwick Airport – meaning you’d have to jet off to Spain just to grab a bite. But that has now changed.
For now it’s only London-based fast food lovers who can finally enjoy the the Wake Up Shack, Sausage, Egg and Cheese; Bacon, Egg and Cheese, or the Egg and Cheese sandwich, unfortunately. The breakfast menu has come to Canary Wharf and Mansion house, and is served daily from 8am to 10.45am – and we were lucky enough to try it.
So is it worth spamming Shake Shack on X, formerly Twitter, to get them to start selling it at your local restaurant? Yes. Without a doubt.
The star of the show was no doubt the Wake Up Shack – which features a griddled egg, topped with applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese, breakfast tots and Shack breakfast sauce. Tater tots on a breakfast sandwich? Genius.
The salty, crispy potato-goodness marries perfectly with the bacon – which there’s lots of. The soft bun is lovely, and the sauce is a game-changer. I would actually liken it to a Thousands Island-style sauce with a bit of a kick. It might not be your go-to ketchup of brown sauce and sound a bit strange as a breakfast sauce, but trust me, it works.
Meanwhile, Rosaleen Fenton, who also taste tested the Wake Up Shack, said: “I thought the sauce was really good – though not something I’d normally have at breakfast. It definitely made the breakfast sandwich stand out from the crowd. The sandwich should leave McDonald’s quaking – it’s a proper-step up for those looking for a different breakfast option.”
You can also get a portion of tater tots, which are described as crispy potatoes, on their own, served with the Shack breakfast sauce. Rosaleen and I agree these are delicious, salty and crispy. As salt lovers these are right up our street, so we can’t really speak for those who are salt-averse.
Ellie Fry, who also tasted the tots, added that they had really good crunch, even when travelling – a win for those who hate soggy potatoes. These are paired with Sake Shake’s breakfast sauce, which Ellie said is “tangy with a subtle kick”, and is also “quite sweet”. Beware, these are super moreish, so you might struggle to share them.
Next was the Sausage, Egg N’ Cheese, which is comparable to a McDonald’s McMuffin. Served in a soft bun was a griddled egg topped with pork sausage, and American cheese. Ellie dubbed this one ‘better than a McMuffin’ – and I’d be inclined to agree.
Ellie added: “The sausage patty is salty and herby and moist with a nice char.” The patty, which is much bigger and thicker than one from McDonald’s, is packed with flavour. You’ll be really full after this one, but remember, there’s always room for a few tater tots.
For those who aren’t keen on tater tots on their breakfast, they can opt for the humble Bacon, Egg N’ Cheese, with features griddled egg topped with applewood-smoked bacon and American cheese, or the Egg N’ Cheese, which comes with just a griddled egg topped with American cheese.
I’d argue these are a bit on the boring side – but this is down to personal preference. I appreciate not everyone loves a meaty breakfast sandwich. These should be enough flavour to satisfy those who don’t eat meat.
Have you tried Shake Shack’s breakfast menu? Let us know in the comment section below.
