Steak 'n Shake

Gus Belt opened the first Steak ’n Shake in Normal, Illinois, in 1934. His slogan, “In Sight It Must Be Right”, was a promise with a performance attached: he would wheel a barrel of T-bone, sirloin and round steaks into the dining room and grind them into burger meat in front of the customers. At a time when Americans were deeply suspicious of ground beef, that was the entire pitch, and it is where the word “steakburger” comes from.

Today the chain is run by the investor Sardar Biglari, who has turned the old sit-down diners into faster, kiosk-ordering restaurants and made some headline-grabbing moves, from switching the fries to beef tallow in 2025 to accepting Bitcoin. The thin, crispy-edged steakburgers and hand-dipped milkshakes remain the reason people go.

Around 400 restaurants across more than 25 states.

• Blake's Lotaburger (United States, since 1952). New Mexico’s own burger stand, where green chile is the default topping. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.
• Swensons (United States, since 1934). The Akron drive-in behind the Galley Boy, a double cheeseburger with two house sauces. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.
• Z-Burger (United States, since 2008). A Washington, D.C. burger shop with free toppings, peanut-oil fries and 75 flavours of shake. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.
• Big Boy (United States, since 1936). The chubby boy in checked overalls, and the double-decker that came before the Big Mac. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.