It’s fair to say that excitement for the upcoming premiere of Game of Thrones is bigger than Ramsey Bolton’s excitement about torturing people. In just a few days, the final episodes of the entire series will begin — we’ll know who lives, who dies, and everything in between. To celebrate the event, the popular burger chain Shake Shack is offering new Game of Thrones inspired menu items.
Though the promotion is not set to debut at all Shake Shack locations until Apr. 12, the Madison Park location in New York City is selling the select menu items right now. Legend says that to order these items, you have to do so in Valyrian, a language used on the show by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and various other characters. Apparently they aren’t being very strict about this rule — when SYFY WIRE visited the location today, the cashier wasn’t forcing anybody to speak the tricky language.
The first new item on the menu is the “Dracarys Burger,” named after another phrase used by Daenerys whenever she wants one of her dragons to blow some fire. The burger is described on the special menu as being “a double cheeseburger, featuring Monterey jack cheese, bacon, and a fiery ShakeSauce.”
Though the menu says that it comes as a double, customers can get a single burger if they wish. There is no shortage of meat involved, as this burger is heavy on the bacon.
The taste is not dissimilar to a tried and true Shake Shack burger… until a few moments go by. That’s when the dragon fire really hits you, and it burns you up like you’re a Tarly refusing to bend the knee. It burns hotter than Stannis Baratheon’s passion for grammar. Alright, maybe it’s not that hot (what possibly could be?) but thankfully there’s another item on the menu — the “Dragonglass Shake.” It is described as a “minted white chocolate shake, topped with shards of Dragonglass in a limited edition Game of Thrones cup.”
It’s not really dragonglass on the shake (unfortunately), it is black toffee. The chilly cool of the peppermint is what really comes through with this one, providing the perfect counterbalance to the fire of the burger.
When put together? There’s only one way to describe the experience — it is a meal of ice and fire.
Thrones excitement was high around the restaurant, with one customer (who wished to remain anonymous) even trying to order in Valyrian despite it not being required. “My Valyrian was awful, but the burger is great,” she said. When asked if she will be watching the premiere on Sunday, she responded only with, “Duh.”
Even the folks behind the register shared their excitement for the premiere, handing over the special items and saying, “Sunday! It’s almost here!” Every single person there seemed to have very firm plans for where they were going to watch. It wasn’t a matter of “if” they were going to watch the premiere — it was a matter of what the most perfect spot would be for the perfect viewing experience.
Game of Thrones returns this Sunday for it’s final season, only on HBO. All men must die, and all burgers must be eaten.
