Shake Shack adds boneless baby back rib sandwich to summer menu

2 min readUpdated April 29, 2026

Shake Shack is launching a BBQ Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich as part of a limited-time summer menu available at U.S. locations nationwide starting April 28.

To make the sandwich, baby back pork ribs are hand-deboned and slow-cooked for nine hours after being marinated in apple cider vinegar and a proprietary BBQ spice blend — and the meat is 100% pork rib, the company says. A toasted potato bun holds the finished sandwich together, with coleslaw, pickles, and the chain's classic smoky BBQ sauce rounding out the toppings. The price is $12.99, the company said.

Trump vows new tariffs on the E.U. after Brussels fines Google $1 billion

Joining the sandwich as a new menu addition is a Mac & Cheese side dish ($5.99) built around cavatappi pasta tossed in a cheddar-American cheese sauce and finished with a toasted breadcrumb topping, according to Food Network. Returning items include the Smoky Classic BBQ Burger ($10.49), the Smoky Classic BBQ Chicken Sandwich ($10.49), Spicy Fries with Ranch ($5.49), and Spicy Cheese Fries with Ranch ($5.99).

Shake Shack venues inside stadiums, racetracks, airports, and roadway stops are excluded from the limited-time offering, which is otherwise available across U.S. locations, according to Food Network.

The rib sandwich enters a category long associated with McDonald's $MCD McRib, which was first introduced in 1981 and has returned periodically since. A Wall Street Journal report put McRib sales at over 60 million units across a three-year span, a figure MarketWatch cited in its coverage. The McRib is currently not available at McDonald's locations.

Shake Shack officials told MarketWatch that the new sandwich is not aimed at competing with the McRib, but is instead part of a broader BBQ-themed seasonal menu. Izzy Kharasch, who heads the Chicago-based consulting firm Hospitality Works, told MarketWatch he sees the sandwich as a way to re-engage existing Shake Shack fans rather than pull diners away from McDonald's — a switch he considers unlikely given how attached McRib loyalists are to both the product and its lower price point. The McRib has typically been priced at $5.49 to $6.99, according to MarketWatch.

MarketWatch noted that both Arby's and Burger King have taken runs at the rib sandwich format in years past, with neither chain currently carrying one.

Shake Shack is adding a slow-cooked boneless baby back rib sandwich to its summer menu

Related Content

Related Content