Steak 'n Shake Just Made Another Huge Change

In January 2025, beloved burger chain Steak 'n Shake made a huge announcement: it would be swapping seed oil for beef tallow in its fryers. “Our fries will now be cooked in an authentic way, 100% beef tallow, in order to achieve the highest quality and best taste,” a Steak 'n Shake exec said, per QSR.

Now, a year later, Steak 'n Shake has announced another major move in the name of quality.

Steak 'n Shake Removes Microwaves From All Its Restaurants

On Feb. 12, Steak 'n Shake announced on Facebook that it will remove microwaves from all of its restaurants by April 15 — just in time for Tax Day. "Quality restaurants don't need microwaves," the post read. "It is part of our journey to improve food quality and use traditional methods of cooking only." Needless to say, the microwave, which was invented in 1945, is hardly traditional.

According to a former employee who commented on the post, the microwaves weren't used much, anyway. "Only thing I used the microwave for was the chili and the occasional cookie or brownie for a sundae," they wrote. "Everything else was done fresh everyday. We even made the guacamole fresh."

Some people on Reddit saw right through what they thought was a PR stunt. "The 'no microwaves, no freezers' [stuff] is just appealing to dummies," one person wrote. "They're just tools. When used properly they're great. They're not the problem."

A chef on the thread agreed. "[Microwaves are] great for starting potatoes before baking, boiling water, heating stock, melting butter or chocolate," they explained. "We would never use them to cook food, but they’re very handy for prep."

Others were eager to see what other changes Steak 'n Shake has in store. "Ok, now get rid of the locked down soda fountains," one person pleaded.