The Best Fast Food Release I Ate All Year Is Joining Menus Permanently

As a food news editor for Allrecipes, I, admittedly, eat a lot of fast food. And, unlike some folks out there who claim to just hit the drive-thru for convenience, I’ll be honest: I love fast food. Yes, it’s convenient, yes, it’s nostalgic, but it can also be downright delicious. 

Sure, like everything, there can be some fast food release flops, but nine times out of 10, I enjoy the newest foods from the drive-thru—even the Heinz tomato ketchup smoothie. This year, I ate some of my all-time favorite menu items—some that have even replaced my regular go-tos, with standouts being Wendy’s Thin Mints Frosty, Taco Bell’s Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla, and Shake Shack’s French onion soup-inspired menu.

Shake Shack’s entire French onion menu, which was released in September, is delicious, from the soupy onion-topped burger to the Parmesan Garlic Fries, but the Onion Rings are a standout. Fans of the chain have long requested onion rings to be added to the menu and after years of trying, the Shack’s culinary team was finally able to get them in our hands this past fall. 

While the French Onion Burger, French Onion ‘Shroom Burger, French Onion Shack Stack, and Parmesan Garlic Fries will eventually leave menus to make room for new limited-time offers, Shake Shack has announced that its Onion Rings are here to stay.

Shake Shack Adds Onion Rings To Permanent Menu

“Attention all Shake Shack fans: This notice is to inform you that Onion Rings have officially joined our permanent menu,” the Instagram caption on Shake Shack’s post reads.

Fans immediately sounded off in the comments. 

“Dreams do come true,” one fan responded. 

‘We have won,” another wrote. 

The Onion Rings will join Shake Shack’s classic crinkle-cut fries as permanent sides on the menu to accompany the fan-loved burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs. Shake Shack’s crispy beer-battered Onion Rings are made with sweet Spanish onions and served with your choice of sauce, including honey mustard, ranch, barbecue, and Shack Sauce.

I fell in love with the onion rings because they have the perfect breading-to-onion ratio. They’re just the right amount of crispy, with a strong onion flavor—and taste like the ones you’d get at a state fair, which are the best onion rings, in my opinion.

While I’m celebrating this onion ring victory, some fans in the comments have already moved on to their next request: “Can we get tator tots,” an Instagram user asked. 

While Shake Shack does offer hash browns on its extremely rare breakfast menu, which is only available at airport and roadway Shack locations, we haven’t seen crispy potato rounds on any of its nationwide menus. Maybe the culinary minds at Shake Shack have some tator tots—or even breakfast items—up their sleeves, but, for now, I’ll be happy with my side of crispy beer-battered onion rings with every ShackBurger.