Shake Shack's Stampede burger is worth the midway trip
The burger chain debuts at the Calgary Stampede with a Cowtown exclusive: Alberta Angus beef, crispy cheese curds, pickles and BBQ.
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Shake Shack is making its Stampede debut, and it's not holding back. The burger chain, which just opened its first Alberta location at CF Chinook Centre last month, is bringing its Shack Truck to the midway for the first time — and it's debuting an exclusive burger that feels made for the occasion.
The Cowtown Burger stacks 100 per cent Alberta Angus beef smash patties, crispy cheese curds, thick pickle slices and smoky BBQ sauce. The bun is fluffy, the patties smashed thin to maximize surface area, and the pickles cut through the sauce with the right amount of tang. The cheese curds are chunky and fried crispy — that familiar squeak when you bite down is still there. If the BBQ sauce runs a bit heavy, it's the kind of thing you either lean into or ask them to go easy next time.
Here's the real news: it's priced like food, not like a midway trap. A single patty Cowtown comes in at $11, a double at $15. For comparison, that's what Shake Shack charges in the restaurant. Given how packed the Calgary location has been since opening, expect lines at the midway, but the burger is worth the wait.
Along with the Cowtown, the Shack Truck will serve the standard Shack Burger (switchable for a veggie patty), crinkle-cut fries, and hand-spun shakes in vanilla, strawberry and cookies and cream. All priced in line with the restaurant. Stampede crowds and strong debuts are a reliable combination.