Make Steak 'N Shake Burgers More Flavorful By Ordering This On The Side

Steak 'n Shake, opened in 1934, is a classic fast food spot. With burgers, fries, milkshakes, and more on the menu, this drive-thru classic can be good time and time again. Although sometimes, fast food needs an upgrade. For an unforgettable burger, get an order of Frisco sauce on the side. This tangy condiment will add punchiness and a more pronounced flavor than the regular ol' ketchup the standard Steak 'n Shake burgers come with.

The actual recipe for Frisco sauce is undisclosed (it belongs to Steak 'n Shake after all), but various copycat recipes claim that the sauce is a mixture of Thousand Island dressing, French dressing, ketchup, and a bit of Worcestershire sauce to finish it off. The sauce is bright orange, with a tangy, slightly sweet flavor. It's similar to your typical fry sauce or secret sauce, but has more of a pungent taste to it, so it's worth picking up a side of it when you're grabbing a burger from Steak 'n Shake.

To order it, simply ask for a side of Frisco sauce. The sauce will come in a 1 ½-ounce plastic cup with a lid and cost 50 cents, and it should be easy enough to incorporate into your meal by pouring or spreading it on your burger bun. You can also order your burger without ketchup so the sauces don't clash. And if you're craving more than just a burger, Frisco sauce goes great with a host of other menu items, including the one it standardly comes on, of course.

Frisco sauce typically comes on the Frisco melt, a Steak 'n Shake menu item featuring two classic beef patties, melted cheese, and the proprietary sauce sandwiched between two slices of toasted sourdough bread. The sandwich and sauce are named after the city of San Francisco, where sourdough is a culinary staple. For Steak 'n Shake's burgers (which we've ranked), you get different toppings depending on which type you order, but the original double 'n cheese includes two beef patties, cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle slices, and onions on a toasted bun. The major differences between this menu item and the Frisco melt are the additional toppings on the burger, and the bun instead of sourdough.

While you should add it to your burger, a side of Frisco sauce can be used for many different Steak 'n Shake upgrades. For starters, you can use it as a dip for the chain's french fries, which are fried in beef tallow (the natural fat from cows). The beef tallow gives the fries a beefy, umami flavor, which pairs nicely with the tangy, slightly sweet Frisco sauce. You can also use the sauce for the Steak 'n Shake other dippable offerings, including the chicken tenders, tots, and onion rings, or even pour it on the chain's hot dog. The sauce is quite versatile and flavorful, making it a worthwhile addition to your order.