“I stopped going because their food kept getting worse. I used to love their steakburgers, but they would decrease in size every few months. Their shakes got downright unpleasant.”
That Reddit comment captures a frustration that runs through Steak ‘n Shake’s recent history — a sense that the chain’s attempt to reinvent itself has come at the cost of what made it worth visiting in the first place.
Steak ‘n Shake was a specific kind of American institution. Servers in uniforms, diner-style booths, a menu that hadn’t changed much in decades, milkshakes that arrived at the table in metal mixing cups alongside the glass they were poured into. The experience was deliberately nostalgic. Then, in 2021, the chain eliminated its servers entirely, replacing them with self-service kiosks as part of a cost-cutting transformation overseen by owner Sardar Biglari. The dining room has not been the same since.
The kiosk complaint
The reaction to kiosk-only ordering has been one of the most consistent themes in Steak ‘n Shake feedback. “It is 100% self serve and at the kiosks it asks if you want to tip them – for what exactly?” one reviewer wrote on Yelp. “As much as I love the food, I won’t be returning.” Others have described confusion over an experience that no longer has clear rules – where to sit, when to pick up food, how to get help if something goes wrong. “They made all these changes and yet have nobody to assist you on the new model,” one forum user wrote. “It’s just the kitchen staff and customers are left doing whatever they want.”
For elderly customers in particular, the kiosk transition has been a barrier. Multiple reviews describe older patrons struggling with the ordering screens and finding no staff available to help.
The food and wait complaints
Beyond the ordering experience, food and service complaints have accumulated. “After 3PM it’s useless trying to get anything from Steak ‘n Shake,” one Reddit user wrote. “There’s probably two workers there, ten cars in the drive-thru, and you’re gonna get the wrong order.” Shrinking burger sizes and inconsistent shake quality have come up repeatedly, alongside reports of long waits and cold food.
To be fair, the restructuring appears to have stabilized a company that was in genuine financial distress — Steak ‘n Shake came close to bankruptcy before Biglari’s changes took effect, and the chain has remained open when closure seemed possible. Some customers report perfectly good visits, particularly at well-run locations. But for the fans who loved Steak ‘n Shake precisely because it felt like a throwback, the new model is a trade-off they didn’t ask for and haven’t fully accepted.
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