The Legend of Shake Shack

Springtime is here, which can only mean one thing to serious Manhattan burger eaters: the opening of Shake Shack. For those who are unfamiliar with the legend, Shake Shack is a tiny burger stand in Madison Square Park owned by Danny Meyer, of Gramercy Tavern, 11 Madison, and Tabla fame. When weather permits, a line of hungry park goers can fill up the entire block. People wait in line for hours to feast on the no-frill famed burgers, served simply in cardboard boxes. Despite the fact that I am lucky enough to live a few blocks from Madison Square Park, today was my first Shake Shack experience. I rarely munch on cheeseburgers in general so I always hope they will be worthy of the indulgence. The legend of Shake Shack did not let me down.

The menu is simple and essentially offers 4 items: hamburgers, French fries, shakes and custard. The Shack also offers a pretty nice selection of beer and wine. On a nice day, it’s tough to think of anything better than sitting in the park and enjoying a juicy burger, washed down by a cold beer or even a glass of Caymus Conundrum (a personal fave of mine which I was shocked to see on the menu). The line today was around the block but it moved quickly and it only took us about half an hour to get to the front and place our order. There are also plenty of cute dogs bopping around the park to entertain you while you wait. I ordered a double Shack cheeseburger, cheese fries, and a Brooklyn lager only to be told the tragic news that they were out of cheese for the fries. I nearly cried. After ordering, composing myself, and getting my nifty buzzer, I walked to the table and mourned the cheese fry loss with my friends. I almost considered running across the street and purchasing some top notch queso dip to make up for the loss of cheese. It took us awhile to get over it and a few- Wait, that girl has cheese! No no that’s mustard. Wait, what’s she pouring on there? I think that’s cheese! It was hard to get over it, but we pushed through.

After about fifteen minutes, my buzzer went off and I leapt from the table to claim my burger as if I had won the lottery. Here is a picture of my prize:

The burgers are not huge, but a double burger will certainly be plenty of food with some fries on the side. I learned that these burgers are unique in that they use a mixture of sirloin and brisket rather than ground chuck which to me, made them less greasy and more fresh tasting. The burger is very tender though somehow the meat is dense at the same time. How do they do it? The bun is traditional and the French fries are your regular run-off-the-mill crinkle type. The (plain :( ) fries were tasty though very much overshadowed by the delightful burger. The Shack burger was not my favorite in Manhattan-the burger at Mollie’s continues to have my heart- but it was certainly worth the wait!

Shake Shack: Madison Square Park at 23rd and Madison
Cuisine: Burger Joint
Burger Price: $4-$7
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.