For A Steak 'N Shake Burger That's 10X More Flavorful, Always Order This Sauce On The Side

When you're craving a classic burger, fast-food giants like McDonald's, Burger King, or In-N-Out might come to mind. But so many smaller burger chains serve equivalent fare. One of them is Steak 'n Shake, an Illinois-born burger joint with around 400 locations nationwide. The fast-food eatery is known for its SteakBurgers, which are traditional smash burgers with melted cheese, pickles, onions, and ketchup. Sure, you can stick with its classic condiments, but adding one specific Steak 'n Shake sauce turns up the flavor 10 times over: Frisco Sauce.

For an additional 50 cents, you can order a side of Frisco Sauce with your SteakBurger. The creamy, tangy sauce is reminiscent of Thousand Island and French Dressing; we don't know the exact recipe, but fans speculate it's a combination of ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, and spices. While Frisco Sauce typically comes on the Frisco Melt — a pressed sandwich with two burger patties, melted American and Swiss cheese, and grilled sourdough — you can order it as a side with just about anything.

Frisco Sauce gives burgers a creamy, tangy flavor. Instead of adding plain mayonnaise and ketchup, or forgoing condiments, Frisco Sauce softens the buns and transforms the flavor of the already classic burger. It pairs well with the acidity of burger's onions and pickles, plus matches the richness of gooey cheese. Bonus, it should taste good with just about any flavored burger — even the ones with barbecue sauce.

Frequent Steak 'n Shake goers give the Frisco Sauce high praise. "That Frisco Sauce is on point," one Redditor posted. Another Redditor posted their own homemade recipe for the sauce, to which someone replied, "Saved. Thank you, because that's one of my all time favorite sauces too." Another fan of the chain wrote on Facebook that Steak 'n Shake is their go-to. "That steak 'n shake frisco sauce is literally top tier," they added.

Despite several Steak 'n Shake locations shutting down recently, the retro 1930s burger chain is winning over a new generation. The restaurant has made some revamps to its menu, including making its fries in an old-school style with beef tallow. Of course, the SteakBurgers and melts are still the most popular items, but order them as a combo and you'll get fries, too. And don't forget the shakes—in our review of 19 Steak 'n Shake milkshakes ranked worst to best, the Oreo Mint Cookie took first place.