This National Fast Food Chain Is Going Microwave Free

Anyone who eats fast food regularly knows that their expectations can’t be that high – but in 2026, is it too much to ask that it isn’t microwaved? Apparently so, and for some reason, fast food chains think that they can still pull the wool over our eyes on that one. Well, they can’t. We all know the tell-tale signs. Floppy, moist food. Patchy heat. Grub that goes from hot to cold in mere seconds. Unless you’re making certain things, like microwaving slider burgers, it can all be very disappointing. 

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Well, it seems like Steak ‘n Shake has finally realized that microwaving food might be a no-go. Yesterday, the chain made a very public declaration that it was getting rid of all its microwaves in its kitchens. Turns out that declaration just led to more questions from its customers. You can’t win. 

No More Microwaved Burgers

Steak ‘n Shake announced that it was removing microwaves from its stores in a post on X. “Quality restaurants don’t need microwaves,” the chain said. “It is part of our journey to improve food quality and use traditional methods of cooking only. Eat Real Food.” Steak ‘n Shake ended its post with an American flag emoji, apparently equating the lack of microwaves with an act of patriotism. 

If we’re speaking from our chests, the tone of this post and the claim that “quality restaurants don’t need microwaves” feels a little sanctimonious, considering that it was clearly very happy to use the appliances up until this point. This fact didn’t escape its customers. “Why were there microwaves in the first place?” asked someone in the reply section. Others pointed towards other improvements that Steak ‘n Shake could make, with one person asking, “When will you bring back cashiers and waitresses to take your order?” There are no winners on the internet, folks. 

Nonetheless, more broadly, it looks like Steak ‘n Shake’s announcement went down well. The post generated thousands upon thousands of likes and reposts. Looks like people are feeling pretty anti-microwave at the moment, huh?

To Zap or Not to Zap

Steak ‘n Shake’s announcement sees it position itself in line with burger chains like In-n-Out and Five Guys, where nary a microwave is to be seen in their kitchens. Other chains, like Raising Cane’s and Bojangles, also skip the nuking and cook their food via other methods (which we’re very pleased about – nothing worse than a soggy, microwaved chicken tender). 

At other burger joints, though, you may still end up with that telltale microwaved feel. Burger King infamously uses a microwave to heat their patties after they’ve been broiled, while McDonald’s has been known to zap certain items in its microwaves to give them a lil’ boost. To be honest, though, we can’t judge that much. We use our microwaves for pretty much everything, and some things are just better cooked in it.