James Beard-Winning Chef Chris Shepherd Is Taking Over Houston Shake Shacks on Thursday
The local chef is putting his own twist on Shake Shack's chicken sandwich, and it's all for a good cause.

Shake Shack recently announced a slew of collaborations happening this year, where prominent local chefs will create their own twists on Shake Shack classics and sell them to raise money for charity. The series is called "Now Serving," and each collaboration will be available for one day only.
The first "Now Serving" chef collaboration is happening right here in Houston on Thursday, March 4. The fast-casual chain tapped local H-Town chef Chris Shepherd—a James Beard Award winner, owner of Underbelly Hospitality, and one of Thrillist's 2020 Local Heroes—to create an elevated version of Shake Shack's chicken sandwich.

Shepherd worked with Shake Shack to craft what he's calling the Southern Smoke Chicken sandwich. It comes with a hand-breaded chicken breast, spicy bacon jam, pickled jalapeño mustard, cherry peppers, and shredded lettuce. A non-GMO Martin's potato roll holds it all together.
The Southern Smoke Chicken can only be found on Thursday, March 4, at Shake Shack's Montrose and Rice Village locations in Houston. It can be purchased for $7.39 in stores, online, or via the Shack app.
Proceeds from the sandwich will benefit Shepherd's non-profit, Southern Smoke, a Houston-based organization that provides funding for hospitality workers who are struggling.
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