Five Guys vs Steak 'n Shake: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 21, 2026 5 items matched

The short answer

Steak 'n Shake is the cheaper of the two. Of the 5 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Steak 'n Shake is cheaper on 5 of them, by an average of $1.72 per item.

Typical menu price: Five Guys $8.69 · Steak 'n Shake $5.79

Matched Items, Side by Side

The same item on both menus, priced against each other. Where names differ, we matched the closest equivalent — Five Guys's wording first.

Item	Five Guys	Steak 'n Shake	Difference
Hot Dog	$7.89	$3.29	$4.60 cheaper at Steak 'n Shake
Grilled Cheese	$6.49	$4.29	$2.20 cheaper at Steak 'n Shake
Fountain Drink (large)	$3.99	$3.29	$0.70 cheaper at Steak 'n Shake
Fountain Drink (regular)	$3.49	$2.79	$0.70 cheaper at Steak 'n Shake
Bottled Water	$2.69	$2.29	$0.40 cheaper at Steak 'n Shake

Make Five Guys and Steak 'n Shake at Home

Whichever of the two wins on price, cooking the favorites at home beats both. These are the sauces, mixes and kitchen tools that get closest to the real thing.

Cajun Fry Seasoning For Five Guys-style Cajun fries from your own kitchen. Check price on Amazon Milkshake Maker Diner-style shakes at home in about a minute. Check price on Amazon Burger Press Uniform smash-style patties in seconds. Check price on Amazon Copycat Restaurant Recipes Cookbooks that recreate chain-restaurant favorites. Check price on Amazon

Five Guys vs Steak 'n Shake at a Glance

	Five Guys	Steak 'n Shake
Typical menu price	$8.69	$5.79
Average menu price	$8.82	$5.84
Cheapest item	Bottled Water — $2.69	Coffee — $2.29
Most expensive item	Cheeseburger + Regular Fries + Drink — $22.99	Chicken Fingers Combo — $11.29
Items priced	32	44
Menu sections	5	6
Price range	$$$	$
Founded	1986	1934
Headquarters	Lorton, Virginia	Indianapolis, Indiana
Locations	About 1,400 restaurants in the United States	About 400 restaurants, largely in the Midwest and South

Which One Should You Order From?

Steak 'n Shake has the lower typical menu price of the two — $5.79 against $8.69 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, Steak 'n Shake gets you in cheaper at $2.29.

Five Guys is strongest on Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Five Guys Style Fries; Steak 'n Shake on Original Double 'n Cheese Steakburger, Hand-Dipped Milkshake, Garlic Steakburger. Neither chain's app prices match the counter, and both discount heavily through their loyalty programmes, so the deals below usually matter more than the few cents between the two menus.

Deals Worth Knowing at Both

Five Guys

Order a 'little' burger unless you want two patties — it is a normal single-patty burger and saves about $2.30.
A regular fries at $7.19 genuinely feeds two people; ordering one between two is the main way to make Five Guys affordable.
All fifteen toppings and all milkshake mix-ins are free, so a fully loaded burger costs the same as a plain one.

Steak 'n Shake

Most locations run half-price milkshakes in the afternoon — typically after 2:00 PM — which takes a $5.29 shake down to about $2.65.
Ordering at the in-store kiosk rather than through delivery avoids the platform markup, which at Steak 'n Shake is steep.
A double Steakburger combo at $10.59 includes two patties, fries and a drink — competitive with single-patty combos elsewhere.

About these prices: menu prices are set by individual franchise owners and change without notice. The figures on this page are researched estimates for 2026 and are provided for reference only. Confirm the current price with the restaurant before ordering. Menu Price Book is not affiliated with this chain.

Five Guys vs Steak 'n Shake — FAQ

Is Five Guys cheaper than Steak 'n Shake in 2026?

Steak 'n Shake is cheaper on most matched items — 5 of 5. Across the whole menu Steak 'n Shake is the lower-priced of the two, at $5.79 for a typical item against $8.69 at Five Guys.

What is the price difference between Five Guys and Steak 'n Shake?

On matched items the average difference is $1.72, or about 34% overall. Five Guys averages $8.82 across 29 priced items; Steak 'n Shake averages $5.84 across 44.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Five Guys or Steak 'n Shake?

Five Guys starts at $2.69 (Bottled Water) and Steak 'n Shake at $2.29 (Coffee).

Are these prices the same at every location?

No. Both chains let franchise owners set prices, so figures move by a dollar or more between markets and run highest at airport, stadium and highway locations. Treat these as the typical U.S. price, not a quote.