Not Five Guys — The Most Expensive Burger Comes From This Fast-Growing Chain

Years removed from the worst of post-pandemic inflation, the cost of a burger still has people screaming. According to research from Datassential, burger prices have surged 14% from 2023 to 2026, which makes sense given the cost of ground beef skyrocketing. As for the country’s most expensive burger from a chain these days, even famously pricey Five Guys can’t hold a candle to Shake Shack.

In Tasting Table’s list of the most expensive fast food burgers in America, we discovered that the single most expensive burger on the standard menu at a fast food burger chain is Shake Shack’s Triple Avocado Bacon Burger. It’s a pretty big burger for sure, containing three ¼-pound patties, applewood-smoked bacon, sliced avocado, American cheese, and Shake Shack’s signature sauce. Avocado and bacon aren’t exactly cheap toppings, and while a triple burger certainly is a lot of food, the price comes in at a whopping $15.99, though pricing may vary by location.

The most expensive burger on Five Guys’ menu is the bacon cheeseburger, which comes with two patties and is $13.79. The one asterisk here is that while a triple bacon cheeseburger is not on the menu at Five Guys, the chain is famous for allowing customization, including the option for an extra burger patty. Do that, and the Five Guys triple bacon cheeseburger rises to $17.29.

You can certainly debate whether any fast food burger is worth $16, but Shake Shack’s sourcing for beef has standards that are at the top of the industry. Not only does it use 100% Angus beef, but it’s verified as hormone- and antibiotic-free, and the chain adheres to high-level animal welfare policies that include humane treatment. All of this isn’t just promised by Shake Shack, but confirmed by independent third-party assessors. Those kinds of standards cost money.

It should also be noted that if you go by the amount of food you get, Shake Shack isn’t bad. At the locations we checked, the Shake Shack Double Bacon Cheeseburger, which is almost identical to Five Guys’ most expensive option, was several bucks cheaper at $12 on average. An investigation by NetCredit into value at national burger chains also found that Shake Shack’s per-ounce cost for burger patties actually falls near the middle, at $2.27 an ounce. That was more affordable than Carl’s Jr., Sonic, or even In-N-Out, which is often praised for its value. Five Guys was the most expensive at $3.59 an ounce.

Customers seem to respect the value for quality as well, because Shake Shack has blown up nationwide, even as its prices have done the same. It expanded to nearly 380 locations, up from just 50 in 2016, with plans to add at least 50 more in 2026. People may not like expensive burgers, but it turns out they put up with them if the product is that good.