What's The Actual Difference Between Whataburger And Shake Shack's Beef?

Although it's not a federal regulation, most fast food chains publish the full list of ingredients for their menu items. What these lists won't tell you, however, is where the ingredients are sourced from. It's unlikely you'll have any strong feelings about where the flour in your hamburger bun came from, but the meat is another matter. The way beef is raised can impact taste, the environment, and food safety. So what do we know about the beef from Whataburger and Shake Shack? 

The two chains both use 100% beef, meaning no fillers or additives. Shake Shack also promotes its use of a blend of different cuts. The brand famously collaborates with the giant beef supplier, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, to source most of its meat. It, in turn, buys beef from Creekstone Farms based in the Midwest, where its cattle graze on pasture. Whataburger doesn't specify the the cut or provider its meat comes from, but commits to the use of predominantly local sources. 

Whataburger's exact beef supplier likely depends on location, especially as Whataburger is expanding nationally. But perhaps the biggest difference to note is that Shake Shack's beef is hormone- and antibiotic-free. Whataburger doesn't mention this topic, but in 2018 the brand was part of an investigation by consumer organizations into the use of unnecessary antibiotics, which they failed.

Whataburger and Shake Shack don't aim to make the same kind of burger, so it makes sense that there are differences in how the beef is prepared. Per Whataburger's website, its marketing centers on customization and what it calls a "Commitment to Freshness." The patties are never frozen and aren't put on the grill until you order. However, fans of the burger chain suggest the hack for getting the freshest burgers at Whataburger is to order them unseasoned or well done to avoid receiving an already cooked patty, implying that the chain precooks burgers — at least during busy times.

At the time of writing, Shake Shack in the U.S. doesn't mention whether it uses frozen patties, though menus from 2024 claimed that its chicken was never frozen. The Canadian Shake Shack menu clearly states that they don't use frozen patties. In its 2014 annual report, the company claimed to "have a regional strategy for ground beef production to ensure that [they] are always serving freshly ground and never frozen beef." But whether the policy has changed or it's simply no longer advertised is not clear.

There's also a small difference in the size of the burger patties. Shake Shack starts with 4 ounces of beef per patty, though you can expect the weight to change during cooking. Whataburger instead opts for measuring by diameter, with 5-inch burger patties. Based on an independent report by San Antonio Express-News, this equates to around 3.56 ounces.