The Discontinued Shake Shack Dessert We're Still Bummed About

To many fans, there is no more important menu item at Shake Shack than the classic ShackBurger, and with good reason: The savory-tangy Shack Sauce and perfectly-griddled, high-quality beef, plus the cushy toasted roll and lettuce-tomato fixin's, deliver irresistible flavor in every bite. For some of us, however, the burger chain's identity as a superior spot for frozen desserts takes precedence. 

Thanks to its roots as a food stand that took inspiration from nostalgic foods (not only burgers and dogs, but also malted milkshakes and the like), Shake Shack started out with a menu that included house-made frozen custards. These luscious custards are still the base of the chain's notoriously thick signature shakes, but were also once used in another type of creation which — if you're a fan of the Dairy Queen Blizzard or McDonald's McFlurry — might sound familiar. Shake Shack's take on the candy-meets-creamy confection was known as a concrete, and was made from scoops of custard combined with mix-ins and sauces, then whipped into a tornado of sweet perfection. 

For many years, the happiness of spooning my way through one of these treats was on par with (if not even a slight step above) that of biting into a hot, cheesy ShackBurger. Which is why, when they disappeared from the menu, I was devastated — and still haven't quite recovered.

The concretes at Shake Shack were part of the custard menu that has narrowed considerably since my early days frequenting the flagship location in New York City's Madison Square Park. Back then, specialty concretes were offered in a variety of rotating flavors paired with mix-ins, from vanilla custard with crispy cereal and marshmallow sauce, to a chocolate custard with espresso and hot fudge, and even elaborate specials that featured whole slices of key lime pie. But customers could also create their own, selecting from sauces like caramel, peanut butter, and fudge and inclusions like cookie dough, brownies, bananas, nuts, sprinkles, and cookies. They were generously bursting with these bits and swirls, rippling through the dreamy, high-quality Shake Shack frozen custard.

Another thing to love about Shake Shack's concretes were community tie-ins. Starting in New York City and then branching out as restaurants opened in other locations, the company frequently partnered with vendors in local areas for new concretes. These featured special mix-ins like black sesame cake doughnuts from NYC's Doughnut Plant (and even the infamous Cronut from Dominique Ansel), to products from other bakeries and farms — all in an effort to connect with and support small businesses and fans in new cities.

Often, these collaborations had a charitable tie-in as well. A personal favorite was the West Hollywood location's Rainbow Connection Concrete, featuring fruit jam and donuts from LA favorites Sqirl and Cofax, respectively, and benefiting the LGBTQIA+ organization LA Pride.

I was heartbroken to learn that Shake Shack concretes were relegated to the discontinued fast food desserts we're not getting back in 2020, when many food establishments were forced to re-evaluate their menus. The discontinuation may also have had to do with the expansion of Shake Shacks, from a few in NYC to hundreds worldwide. After all, part of Shake Shack's appeal is its ability to deliver a consistent, delicious product no matter where you place your order, and a constantly-changing menu item could present logistical challenges to pulling that off.

A similarly crushing blow for me was the loss of the Custard Calendar. This was a program during which Shake Shack locations featured a custard flavor for each day of the week, with the whole selection changing every month — usually featuring super inventive flavors. Not a holiday season goes by that I don't miss the sugar cookie custard scoops topped with red and green sugar (although the fan favorite Christmas cookie shake was still making an appearance as recently as the 2023 season).

Fortunately for fans like myself, the chain continues to offer vanilla and chocolate custard, as well as signature shakes which come in rotating flavors (and non-dairy versions, too), as well as floats. But if I had my way, I'd still be able to step up to that order window, request a ShackBurger and crinkle cut fries, and a Concrete Jungle — extra peanut butter and whipped cream, please.