Shack Shack: the Review

Savoring a great hamburger is one of life's little joys. A really great burger can take a seemingly mundane undertaking and elevate it beyond merely obtaining sustenance. I've written about my love for great burgers before, both on the East Coast and back home. Today, in the interest of science (gastronomy is a science, right?) my taste buds and I went to seek out the now legendary Shake Shack.

My first encounter with Shake Shack was actually over a year ago, at the 2008 Big Apple BBQ fest here in NYC. The Fest was held down at Madison Square Park, which also happens to be home to the original Shake Shack, which lives up to its name since it actually is a shack in the middle of the park. What amazed me is that despite the presence of the once a year BBQ fest, with pit masters from around the nation and beer and music, and despite the 100+ degree heat, there was still a line a block long for Shake Shack. This line was easily as long as any of the BBQ lines and longer than most. Clearly something good was coming out of this little hut in the park.

I encountered the Shake Shack phenomenon next on my trips to the new Citi Field, which boasts a Shake Shack location in the plaza beyond the outfield bleachers. I was again amazed at how much people seemed to crave whatever was coming out of their kitchens. On both trips the line for Shake Shack zig zagged several times before stretching out down the length of the left field bleachers, and it stayed long the entire game and well after. My understanding is that the Citi Field location opens hours before the game and remains open an hour after the last out, something almost unheard of for a ballpark concession stand.

You get the idea: people really love Shake Shack.

Shake Shack has been described to me as the closest thing to In-n-Out here on the East coast. This is no small thing for me to hear. In my mind, comparing something to In-n-Out is like comparing a basketball player to Jordan or a golfer to Tiger. You don't just throw that comparison around. I've also heard a few less enthusiastic reviews, mostly from displaced Californians who long for a Double-Double. Nevertheless I had to see, and taste, for myself. The franchise has four locations that I know of, and luckily for me one happens to be on West side.

The menu at Shake Shack is similar to In-n-Out, with an emphasis on simplicity and fresh ingredients. They do burgers, fries, hot dogs, and frozen custard served several ways, including in a variety of shakes. They also do beer and wine. There decor at the Upper West Side location is basic and has kind of a faux industrial feel similar to Chipotle.

There is a large menu on the wall but it lacks much key information. For example, it will tell you that one of your Options is a Shack Burger, but won't actually tell you what that means (I thick it means is has Shack Sauce). Worse than that are the many frozen drink concoctions, which are named but not described. Smaller paper menus fill in the details, but it seems to me like a big oversight. They also proudly claim that all their electricity is wind generated. Bully for the them, I guess, but when your business is selling beef its hard to really see you as hardcore environmentalist, given the resources that go into and pollution which results from raising cows. Whatever.

The line was long but moved quickly enough. When you order they give you one of those little beepers like they use for people waiting for tables at a sit down restaurant, and then they beep you when your order is up. Seems like overkill to me but it works for them.

For the purpose of this taste test I decided to order what I would normally get at In-n-Out, to see how it stacked up, with one exception: I got a single cheeseburger instead of a double. Shack Shack differs from In-n-Out, and most other fast food joints, in that the burgers are served plain and any additional items must be requested when ordering. I like this idea.

I ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce and onions, fries, and a chocolate shake. The first thing I noticed was the prices. A regular hamburger will run you $3.75. Add cheese and its $4.25. Get a Shack Burger and you'll pay $.50 just for the addition of Shake Sauce, whatever that is. Double Hamburgers are $5.75, and it takes $6.50 for a double cheeseburger. Keep in mind, that's a la carte. No fries, no drinks, no anything. The fries were reasonable if still a little steep at $2.75. Add a dollar and you can get cheese fries, though the only ones I saw didn't really look like they had a dollar's worth of cheese on top.

These prices are high but tolerable given that were are in the Big Apple, but what really breaks the bank is the shakes. A frozen custard shake will cost you $5.25. And we aren't talking about a large cup either. Its the equivalent of a small sized soda. For the purposes of this comparison I went ahead and got it, but I doubt I ever will again.

There are also McFlurry-like custard treats with mix ins which will cost you $7 a pop. They might be worth it but I didn't try them on this trip.

I placed my order, waited a few minutes with my beeper, and then finally got to see what all the fuss was about.

First things first: the burger. It was... great, actually. Fresh beef and cheese, cooked medium so it was still juicy, topped with onions and lettuce on a kind of sweet bun. The bun was ok, better than an average burger bun but not measuring up to the Sponge Bun. The onions weren't grilled but were still fine. What made the burger was the burger: tasty, juicy, flavorful. If I had any complaints, its that it was on the small side, especially given the price, but quality wise it was there. Even as I sit writing this, hours later, I can still taste it in my mouth, one of the signs of a great burger and a familiar sensation for anyone whose ever enjoyed a Double Double.

On to the fries. They resemble the crinkle cut fries you find in the supermarket freezer case, which made me hesitant at first to even order them. However, they surprised me with how crispy they were, and the taste was nice as well. A fine enough side order, though not in the running for the title of Best Fries.

The shake was interesting. Despite being made of custard, which I figured would have made it thicker, it was actually thinner than most shakes I've had. The taste was good, very chocolaty and a little bit different than what I am used to. Worth the price? Meh. But a good drink to be sure.

So what's the initial Shake Shack verdict? The cons have mostly to do with cost and value for your money, though that may be partially the result of expectations. I got a good burger, fries and a shake for $12. In half the restaurants in this city I'd be lucky just to get the burger for that, and it likely wouldn't be as good. Still, its a lot for fast food, even good fast food. The beer and wine are also no bargain, though they are not overpriced either. The other con is the line and the wait time, though with some timing and luck that doesn't have to be a problem.

In the Pro column, the food does satisfy the taste buds and the appetite. I can't make this claim for the whole menu, but for what I tried it certainly was a good meal.

Of course, the real question here is simple: does it stack up to In-n-Out?

I my own very, very biased opinion... not quite. If In-n-Out is Tiger, than Shake Shack would make a decent Phil. Maybe not the greatest but certainly close, and with a style which is slightly different and has its own charm. I won't be moving downtown just to be closer to it, but I will certainly be enjoying it again when I have the chance.