The Mysterious Steak 'N Shake Phrase Most Customers Don't Understand

Steak 'n Shake has embraced some big changes over the years, like replacing its cooking oil with 100% beef tallow in 2025. But, Steakburgers sold by the sack is a timeless concept that works and keeps on working. According to The National Restaurant Association's 2025 Off-Premises Restaurant Trends Report (via QSR), nearly 75% of all restaurant sales last year were to-go orders. For 90 years, Steak 'n Shake has been championing the takeaway concept with its "Takhomasak" slogan — which is meant to be phonetically pronounced as "take home a sack."

An Instagram post from the beloved burger chain's official social media account asks, "'Takhomasak' is a classic Steak 'n Shake phrase that goes back to our roots. Do you know what it means?" Enthusiastic commenters respond with the answer: "Take home a sack!" At Steak 'n Shake, it is (or was) one of four ways to dine: Car, table, counter, or "TakHomaSak." The word was once displayed in red neon lights on restaurant exteriors beneath the iconic black and white Steak 'n Shake logo. So integral to its identity, some longstanding locations – like the Steak 'n Shake in Springfield, Missouri, which opened in 1962 — still display the word "TAKHOMASAK" in large red architectural script on the outside of the building. The first official Steak 'n Shake restaurant opened in 1934 on Route 66, a come-up that would have chronologically coincided with the rise of 1950s drive-in culture (a la Dog N Suds), ostensibly driving the takeout concept's popularity even further. 

When Steak 'n Shake first opened its doors, it was called the Shell Inn, and it was an expansion of a gas station run by Gus Belt and his wife, Edith, in Normal, Illinois. Later, the joint was renamed "Whitehouse Steak 'n Shake" to reflect its burger- and milkshake-centric menu, and — inspired by the other burger joints in nearby Champaign, Illinois — they began selling those burgers to-go by the bagful. Enter: the "Take Home a Sack" catchphrase. The etymology of "takhomasak" might have been another exercise in friendly borrowing. Per the lore, Belt got the term from a Colorado restaurant that was already using it. Although this potential origin story isn't sturdily substantiated, the colloquialism certainly stuck.

The late great film critic Roger Ebert (who famously named Steak 'n Shake as his favorite restaurant) even recounted a playful exchange in which he and talk show host David Letterman recited the original Steak 'n Shake menu from memory, line by line. As Ebert wrote in 2012, "'I hear you're from Indianapolis, home of the head office of Steak 'n Shake.' 'In Sight, It Must be Right,' he said. Our eyes locked in unspoken communion. 'Four Ways to Enjoy,' I said. 'Car, table, counter, or TakHomaSak,' he replied. 'Specializing in Selected Foods...' '...with a Desire to Please the Most Discriminating.' 'Thanks for Your Liberal Patronage...'"

In 2017, the chain peaked with a whopping 626 locations, but after a string of closures and some financial setbacks, it ended its table service last year – a big change. Now, to dine at Steak 'n Shake at all is to "takhomasak." Counter service only.