56 replies to this topic

[eatdrinkmore]

May be a bit premature to start a new thread for a 'rumor', but I was pretty excited to read that Shake Shack may have signed a lease to come to DC.

I have only heard glowing reviews of the NYC Shake Shack. I think this could give several of our burger chains a run for their money. DC really is becoming a burger mecca.

http://eatmoredrinkm...n-hall-rustico/

[leleboo]

I have only heard glowing reviews of the NYC Shake Shack.

Oh really?

[eatdrinkmore]

Argh, if DR doesn't like Shake Shack, I am a bit deflated at this news

[weinoo]

Sorry, but Shake Shack's burgers are not overcooked; they're cooked medium to well-done, and lightly smashed on the griddle, which is obviously not a style that everyone loves. Nothing is par-cooked, by the way, as it is in some other well-know places.

Don't go expecting a half-pound behemoth that you can order medium- rare - ain't gonna happen. Shack burgers are 4 oz.., topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and sauce on a griddled potato roll that is the proper size for a burger like this. In NYC at least, the blend contains chuck, brisket and short rib. This certainly isn't gonna knock the high-end burgers off their game, but it would be a nice alternative to the Five Guys, Good Food and their ilk.

There are also some very good Chicago-style hot dogs and the aforementioned fries as well. Beer and wine, too.

And the "concrete" is Danny Meyers' ode to St. Louis' Ted Drewes, frozen custard spun with add-ins of your choice. I prefer gelato.

[DonRocks]

Sorry, but Shake Shack's burgers are not overcooked; they're cooked medium to well-done, and lightly smashed on the griddle, which is obviously not a style that everyone loves.

I'm not sure there's a better word in the English language to describe burgers ordered medium that come out well-done.

[eatdrinkmore]

Washington Business Journal just confirmed they are bringing their over-cooked burgers to DC in the old Fuddruckers space in Dupont.

[weinoo]

I hope Spike tries one.

[Heather]

My friends in Miami have been completely underwhelmed by the Shake Shack on Lincoln Road. It's doing well with the tourists, though. Maybe DC will be better.

[weinoo]

My friends in Miami have been completely underwhelmed by the Shake Shack on Lincoln Road. It's doing well with the tourists, though. Maybe DC will be better.

Not that hard to understand, as I've seen and tasted what many Miamians hold in high regard.

[Woodleygrrl]

Do we REALLY need another burger joint? Jeebus.

[MsDiPesto]

Do we REALLY need another burger joint? Jeebus.

Sure, that way the lines at each one are reduced proportionally.

[Heather]

Not that hard to understand, as I've seen and tasted what many Miamians hold in high regard.

Wow.*

Could it be possible that the offshoots are not as good as the original? That's usually the way it works with chains. To give a local example, the burgers I've had at Ray's The Classics have not been as good the at the original Hell Burger.


*(I will add that these friends almost never go to the Beach, because the parking is terrible and expensive, the drinks are overpriced, and the food is generally not worth the hype. YMMV)

[Thad]

Started a new topic because other topic locked for some reason. Anyway... I think this is fantastic. Shake Shack is better than Five Guys, BGR, Z Burger, or any place in DC. That said, I do worry whether the DC branch will be as good as NYC version but if they can pull it off, it is a red letter day for D.C. burgers. And finally some good shakes in Dupont!

[squidsdc]

I was told it opened, yesterday, but from what I see on the web it apparently opened today. Line at 1:30 wrapped around the 18th Street block almost to the entrance to Nando's. I happened to be going to Nando's, and asked if they were getting a lot of spillover from people who couldn't wait in line....yep!

My lunch wasn't long enough to wait on line, so someone else will have to be the guinea pig!

[chaofun]

I guess it will be me then. Stopped by quickly at 11:15 because I had to head out to NoVa for a meeting. It was about a 30 min wait in line, 5 min wait for my food. My friend from NYC alerted me that its basically Five Guys, and honestly I'm inclined to agree. Its of that same style thin burger. I got the double shackburger which is two patties, american cheese, lettuce, tomato and special sauce. I asked for onions as well. I like the bun, and the veggie toppings were crisp and fresh. The burger itself was oversalted. The fries were crinkle cut yukon golds that I thought I would hate but were not bad. Crispier than I thought they would be. I still have a general dislike yukon gold fries in general.

Overall, I would call it a fancy Five Guys. Actually I like Five Guys better, more topping choices, better fries. I give Shake Shack the nod on the quality of the toppings they had, which are only raw onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and on the bun. It's more similar to In-N-Out burger, but In-N-Out is superior, from just having it in Las Vegas. Good burger, but I wouldn't wait in line for them again.

[bookluvingbabe]

I'm looking forward to trying the DC version. I love the NY Shake Shack. It doesn't remind me of Five Guys at all. It reminds me of old school, midwestern Steak and Shake with a little Ted Drewes thrown in for good measure.

Waiting for the hype to blow over before venturing over...

[MC Horoscope]

Shake Shack is always described as a "roadside joint." I don't know. Does Madison Square Park in NY pop into your mind when you hear the term "roadside"? Strange marketing gimmick. Might as well call it a drive-in.

[DonRocks]

Shake Shack is always described as a "roadside joint." I don't know. Does Madison Square Park in NY pop into your mind when you hear the term "roadside"? Strange marketing gimmick. Might as well call it a drive-in.

Refer to Freddy's Lobster and Clams, Tackle Box, Surfside, Clare and Don's Beach Shack, Burger Joint, Red Hot and Blue, Hard Times Cafe, Silver Diner, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Buck's Fishing and Camping, Taqueria Nacional, Bayou Bakery, etc.

[MC Horoscope]

Touché! I think Buck's takes the cake.

[weinoo]

Has anyone tried the hot dogs or a concrete?

[lion]

I was there on Tuesday night about an hour before closing since I was in the neighborhood. It was still packed and a full line. However since I was only ordering a black and white shake, really appreciated the "Cold Items" roped line which let me bypass the regular line. Still from waiting on my order and observing the counter and kitchen, things moved pretty quickly.

The Shack looks modern and the design fits well within that section of town. It felt like a slightly more upscale joint that Good Stuff eatery and Five Guys and is much more cleaner visually as there were no photographs of people on the wall. Even after 10 pm on a weeknight, the tables in the back room were all full.

Since I had eaten dinner earlier in the night, this was a shake trip only. I was a little surprised by the size of the shake, basically it's the same cup size as Potbelly's and perhaps that coloured my impression of the taste in a negative way. Still, the shake just tasted rather bland.

[DPop]

The comparison to Steak and Shake is a good one, as is the poor man's version of In-N-Out (another place I find terribly overrated). I wasn't excited when I heard the news that this place was opening in DC, and I wasn't excited by my double shackburger a couple nights ago. Fast food, thin patty burgers that aren't Good-Stuff-greasy but knocking on that door. Terrible fries, very good milkshake (although I'm not sure I've ever met a milkshake I didn't like).

Meh. Another place where you will have to wait 30-45 minutes in line for a mediocre product while restaurants like Mark & Orlando's right down the street go out of business for offering the same main food item for a few dollars more and a few hundred times the quality but inferior marketing. I don't get it.

[mtureck]

Just had lunch there today.
I'd say the burgers were on par with Five Guys. Same style certainly, a little saltier, but juicy and tasty.
The shake was good, but nothing exciting.
The fries were dull and underwhelming.
Not much else to say really...it's better than the Fuddruckers that it replaced, but all in all I'd go to Five Guys instead if given the choice.

[squidsdc]

The comparison to Steak and Shake is a good one, as is the poor man's version of In-N-Out (another place I find terribly overrated). I wasn't excited when I heard the news that this place was opening in DC, and I wasn't excited by my double shackburger a couple nights ago. Fast food, thin patty burgers that aren't Good-Stuff-greasy but knocking on that door. Terrible fries, very good milkshake (although I'm not sure I've ever met a milkshake I didn't like).

Meh. Another place where you will have to wait 30-45 minutes in line for a mediocre product while restaurants like Mark & Orlando's right down the street go out of business for offering the same main food item for a few dollars more and a few hundred times the quality but inferior marketing. I don't get it.

I was walking nearby and noticed the line wasn't as long today at about 12:20, so I decided to give it a try, as I've heard that the line moves pretty quickly. Not sure when you went that you waited 30-45 minutes, but at prime lunchtime I was on line for maybe 15 minutes max, with a short wait for the food once ordered. Even after sitting to eat outside, I was back at my office before the hour was up. I was really impressed by how quickly they get people in and out, especially when you have a lot of individuals asking questions because they are new to the restaurant.

I ordered a plain burger with lettuce and tomato, and topped it with ketchup. I would not classify my burger in any way as a "fast food thin patty." I noted that it was thicker than Five Guys with more grill flavor, and quite juicy to boot. My only complaint was that it was a bit too salty once I got to the end where the edges were a bit thinner. I agree with other posters that the potato bun was quite good as well. All in all, if I'm in the area and there is not a wait and I'm hankering for a burger, I might go here to get it. It's certainly difficult to beat the price.

The fries: I confess that I am a crinkle fry lover. These were nice and crispy with pretty good flavor, even after sitting about a bit as I brought half of them back to my office to share with a coworker; the coworker was more impressed with them than was I. But now that I've had them once, I probably won't waste the calories on them as I'd much rather order what I had for dessert.. And in comparison with Five Guys, the advantage here is that they are not fried in Peanut Oil, for those who are sensitive or allergic to peanuts. Point Shake Shack.

Let me point out that while waiting in line, they brought samples of the custard in vanilla and chocolate flavors. I was able to taste both, and was not impressed. Both left a sweet odd aftertaste that was not desirable in the least. I had noted that the special custard of the day was the "thin mint" custard, modeled after the Girl Scout cookie of the same name. This is my weakness. So even though I wasn't enamored with the samples, I decided to try it out.. This flavor was exceptional, and worth going back for. Seriously.

So all in all, if one is allergic to peanuts, it's nice to have an alternate place to get a quick tasty burger. And if you like thin mints, it's worth it to find out what day they'll be dishing the flavor as it's only once a week.

ETA one more thing...I know people who wait on line for the lobster truck longer than it took to get my burger today.

[hmmboy]

I guess I'm in a small minority on this board, but I LOVE the Shake Shack burgers. At the burger bash at the South Beach Food and Wine fest this past February, there were 29 restaurants offering burgers. I tasted 26 of them, and while Shake Shack's did not approach those offered by Michael White or Michael Symon or Marc Murphy (my 3 faves), they were certainly in my next favorite grouping. They are infinitely better than Five Guys or In and Out. They will not make you forsake Ray's, Palena, and the like, but they are, for me, the very best of their genre. The crinkle cut fries, though not as much to my liking as the fries at Five Guys or Central, were good. I did not expect to like them much, but they were crispy and tasty. And I also enjoyed the Chicago dog - no, its not Wieners Circle, Flukys, Hot Dougs, etc., but it was as good as any Chicago style dog I have tasted in DC. The space is lovely - great workmanship, materials and attention to detail. Hey, I won't wait 10 minutes for a Red Hook lobster roll, which is as good as any I have ever had, so I won't stand on line at Shake Shack for any extended period. But there will be times when there is no long line and at those times I will be grateful to have it as an option.

[chaofun]

Not sure when you went that you waited 30-45 minutes

It was opening day, sounds like a little of the craziness has worn off.

[DonRocks]

The crinkle cut fries, though not as much to my liking as the fries at Five Guys or Central, were good. I did not expect to like them much, but they were crispy and tasty.

You're kidding, right?

Hey, I won't wait 10 minutes for a Red Hook lobster roll, which is as good as any I have ever had

You're kidding, righ ...

... oh, wait a minute, it's the deep-frozen aspect of things that you must like. Never mind.

Enjoy with a 2005 Torbreck "The Laird."

[Uperenat]

Shack burger with onion was delectable. FAR from overcooked. I prefer this to Five Guys. I'd like to try it animal-style.

[jayandstacey]

Had one in NY 3 weeks ago and enjoyed it. However I think the bun has a lot to do with it - the potato bun has more 'pop' in the flavor and a sweetness that offsets the saltiness of the burger. Plus, a key element is that it is not multiple pounds of meat - rather it is somewhere between a slider and a 5 guys burger, meaning it doesn't strike back at you an hour later - while not being a flat-patty McDonalds style. So basically it is a nicely seasoned, reasonably sized burger on a sweet bun. Works for me.

[turbogrrl]

Seemed like a good evening for a stroll, and the boy was coming in from VA, so we met and checked out the hullabaloo. Line out the door was ~15 deep, but we still had our food in 25 minutes or so. Burgers were juicy and flavourful; pretty much what my mouth has always wished five guys would taste like. Mouth was happy. Forgot to get fries, don't think we missed much there. $5 milkshake did not live up to pulp fiction standards, but was tasty nonetheless. (Nick disagrees, and says he'll stick with soda in the future.) May have to spring for the "insert burger here" onsie for a certain cranky baby I know.

Great space, everyone seemed happy, chatting with other people in line. I'll be back, but my craving for guilty burgers like these doesn't tend to hit me all that often.

[hmmboy]

Enjoy with a 2005 Torbreck "The Laird."

your misplaced hatred for SS is so predictable, but this is so nasty it makes me believe something more is amiss - wiener on the fritz again mate? I readily concede that I enjoy SS's crispy frozen fries and Red Hook Lobster's Maine roll to the anal juices of several of this city's toques which you so frequently savor, typically washed down with (and I quote your boy Parker) "some teeth enamel removing wine with acid levels close to toxic, made by some sheep farmer on the north side of his 4,000-foot foot elevation vineyard picked two months before ripeness, and made from a grape better fed to wild boar than the human species." Cheers

[DonRocks]

wiener on the fritz again mate?

I knew that would touch a nerve, hee, hee!

[DPop]

Watch out Don you've angered the bear!

[DonRocks]

Watch out Don you've angered the bear!

[Jarad Slipp]

the anal juices of several of this city's toques which you so frequently savor,

Now actively seeking investors for Jarad's Shrimpin-mobile.

It's like a food truck but different. Bring your own straw...

[Psinderbrand]

My friends in Miami have been completely underwhelmed by the Shake Shack on Lincoln Road. It's doing well with the tourists, though. Maybe DC will be better.

Looks like DC is going to follow suit. Went this evening, and those in line were mostly tourists. Burger was fine, a step up from 5 Guys, but not in the same league as Ray's or even BGR. Fries were forgettable, as was the chocolate shake. Didn't get a chance to sample the concrete, so may come back some hot and humid DC afternoon, but doubt I'll be back for burgers. Too many other options to fall for the hype more than once.

[mame11]

Could post a negative comment or two but instead I am going to post a positive comment to assist members of, and visitors to, donrockwell.com...

if you are in dupont circle and crave a hamburger and fries go to BGR north of the circle and partake in a meal. The burgers at BGR are grilled, not fried. The fries (sweet and idaho) are freshly prepared.

[Michael Landrum]

While not perfect (to whit, fries), I must say that I immensely enjoyed my Double Shackburger and Rhubarb concrete today--and I don't say this to annoy Don, although that is an added bonus. To me, this is a perfect and delicious iteration of the classic, traditional-style American burger--and even with the somewhat accurate assessment of a less than fully pronounced beef flavor, I would still argue that in this style burger, the crispy-edged salty goodness and the fact that the melted cheese vies for dominance with the burger patties is EXACTLY as it should be, and what makes it so great.

Further, as a great admirer of Danny Meyer, I have to mention two astounding feats at Shake Shack that I can only marvel at: One, the burger presentation, specifically, how they manage to keep the buttery potato roll hinged even while being toasted on the grill (and this coming from someone who knows more than a little bit about coming unhinged) so that the burger opens up with a wide smile with all it's promised good stuff on full display, but that the last few bites are nothing but pure, unadulterated burger, cheese, butter and grease--in short, heaven.

[Now if we could just get The Parker Meridien to open here, both to get a Burger Joint, and to make possible some Biggie-style "sweets at the Parker Meridien" (No love making, strictly back breaking...)]

And two, the sheer, tight efficiency of design and execution of the operation. Far too many people lately, especially with cupcakes and burgers, equate long lines with popularity and success when that is simply not the case in some notable cases.

While on the subject, I really would like to bring up something that has troubled me more and more lately, and that is, when did it stop being okay to like or prefer one burger without having to absolutely HATE another burger--especially with something so basic and so deeply personal when it comes to preferences and with so much of the whole temps perdu, temps retrouve thing going on? Why isn't it alright to just like what you like and leave it at that?

And why does there have to be this forced competition where someone who prefers a different style or place becomes a sworn mortal enemy.

I'll be perfectly honest, there are pretty much about six things in life that I love beyond anything else: women, music, burgers, ice cream, roller coasters and scotch (blended, and don't even start with me--just go play adult kickball, or do some Civil War re-enactment shit or practice for your next Ba'at'lith competition and then argue about "craft" beer for twelve hours while your home-made Durian bitters age and leave my drinking preferences the eff alone)--and I guarantee you all that there is not a single day that I don't wake up in the morning and immediately start to think about one or all of those things and how and when I can get in on some of that as soon and as often as possible.

But the thing is, I love them all, they're all great and they're all different. That only makes me love them and crave them more. That's my day. That's my life. If you opened up my brain that's all you'd see going on. What else is there?

I don't care whose they are, I love them. Why not? And why should it matter? Linda's Place, Five Guys (the one in the Navy League has a great owner and staff and I have found even the fries to be consistently great--like in the old days in the old locations), Palena, Central, Tune Inn, Againn (in Rockville, at least, where they do a remarkable job of approaching the awesomeness of a Minetta's Tavern-style burger), Shake Shake, Morton's, Vidalia's they are all great (just not the blatant rip-off artists' burgers--Did you know that Z-Burger's owner opened a Twitter account under the name Ray's Hell Burger and then used it ti twitter about how great Z-Burgers are?). Even the Cheesecake Factory has an awesome burger. And so are a hundred more I can't even think about right now. Oh, a Patty Melt and a frappe at Brigham's (by the way, even though it's not we serve, i gotta say--if it's any good, it's not a milkshake, it's a frappe!). It's whatever you crave that day or whatever you can get your hands on at the time. And if there's a burger you don't particularly care for, so what? Someone else does.

Same with women. I want them all. Literally. Why else would it be the case that there is an infinite number of ways that a woman can be beautiful, where there is pretty just one way for men to be attractive. Same with ice cream--What? Only one ice cream is the best and that's the only one you can eat? Not great ice cream? Big deal. That's what fudge and caramel and marshmallow fluff and jimmies and frozen sweetened strawberries in those rectangular cans are for. Same with roller coasters. Are there some that you actually have a bad time on? Even the really bad ones still make you think you're going to die on them. That's fun too. (And yes Joe, I do mean the ones you sell...)

Arguing about which is the best burger is about as pointless as arguing about who the baddest ass bad-ass is--Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Clyde "The Glide" Frazier, or Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. It doesn't matter--they're all cooler than any or all of us, individually and put together. They can wear full-length leather trench coats and you can't.

Or like arguing about who's the cooler "Iceman"--Jerry Butler or George Gervin or Otzi. It just doesn't make sense. (And before anyone says anything about that incomprehensibly stupid movie Top Gun, let me remind you that neither movies nor jet planes existed during the Civil War or in Middle Earth).

Anyway, I'm really happy that Shake Shack is here, especially since concretes are the one thing I liked about St. Louis--besides Hadley's Party Center--that was actually from St. Louis, and not from across the river in East St. Louis.

And I can't wait for Bobby Flay's place to open up and the Passion Food Group's place, too, just to have more burgers to try, even though nothing can ever fill the gaping void left when Little Tavern went away and left me all alone.

[DonRocks]

your misplaced hatred for SS is so predictable

While not perfect (to whit, fries), I must say that I immensely enjoyed my Double Shackburger and Rhubarb concrete today--and I don't say this to annoy Don, although that is an added bonus.

One thing six years of running this board has taught me is NOT to sit back and enjoy watching false rumors about me run amok. "Nip them in the bud" - that's the position a 'tweener (neither famous nor unknown) like me finds himself in, so let me pose this challenge:

Can someone please post anything, anywhere, where I've said I hate Shake Shack? As Michael alluded to, I think the frozen crinkle-cuts are lame-o, and yes, I had an overcooked burger at the upper West Side outlet last summer, but if anything, I'm grateful to them for granting Matt and me air-conditioned shelter on a 100+ degree day downstairs, where we slowly nursed our meal and watched the Isner-Mahut Wimbledon marathon for an hour or more as we were doing just about anything to stay out of the heat before having to catch a night flight to Ireland.

That having been said, I now urge all readers to scroll up one post and read Michael's funny, witty, and substantive essay, and I say this while at risk of him being fingered as one of this city's toques whose anal juices I doth shrimp.

And I miss my deathburgers at Little Tavern as much as anyone.

Cheers,
Rocks

(P.S. At 10 PM last night, there was a line, but it wasn't out the door.)

Same with ice cream--What? Only one ice cream is the best and that's the only one you can eat? Not great ice cream? Big deal. That's what fudge and caramel and marshmallow fluff and jimmies and frozen sweetened strawberries in those rectangular cans are for. Same with roller coasters. Are there some that you actually have a bad time on? Even the really bad ones still make you think you're going to die on them. That's fun too. (And yes Joe, I do mean the ones you sell...)

That having been said, there's a difference between enjoying life for what it is, and not being discerning. There's lots of really, really bad ice cream out there that smells like Play-Doh (aside: any ice cream made with HFCS can pretty much go straight to Hell), and also more than a few poorly designed roller coasters (less of a problem with roller coasters since the development cost is so high). So let's not get too carried away with our little luv-fest.

[hexerei]

There's nothing like joining a debate between giants by throwing out some words that aren't my own, but Calvin Trillin's "Anybody who doesn't think that the best hamburger place in the world is in his home town is a sissy" is apropos of everything here.

You can be ecumenical and appreciate the beauty of a thousand thousand women, but we have our signature regional beauty (either Helen Hayes for classic style or Alyson Hannigan for the nerd vote) and suddenly all the folks from NYC won't shut up about this woman who is gorgeous and has nice legs from walking everywhere but thinks you're the frumpy friend who was in student government instead of drama club.

I love this post from my favorite hamburger blog (because I take hamburgers SERIOUSLY, man) that tries to compare the regional champions. It doesn't really work, because everything had to be overnighted for fairness. I believe the end result is there has to be a Springfield vs. Shelbyville factor that makes YOUR burger better than THEIR burger. Hell, I say that even knowing that Five Guys has slid in quality from the olden days before the expansion. I'll gleefully eat a Shake Shack or In-n-out (in fact, I can't wait for my first West Coast burger) but deep down my native heart comes in a greasy paper bag with too many fries.

Also, it's easy for Mr. Landrum to say, "Girls, girls, you're all pretty" when he makes a burger that would make any burger partisan weep tears of tallow.

[cjsadler]

the somewhat accurate assessment of a less than fully pronounced beef flavor

A while back, I tried making my own Shake Shack grind (see article here) and it was a seriously beefy burger. So I was pretty surprised when I tried SS here the other day-- not much beef flavor (somewhat bland, I thought). Did they purposely make the mix milder for DC? Anyone here had SS in both NYC and DC?

[jparrott]

I can echo most of Mr. Landrum's technical comments on the burger itself. Three other observations:

1. The bun-toasting effect is considerably less than that of In-N-Out. The added fatty crunch of the In-N-Out bun is what I think really distinguishes it.

2. Shake Shack's "spread" doesn't seem to have the same impact as that of In-N-Out. I think this is a matter of the quantity applied, as I imagine the spreads are substantially similar. The lack of a "spread," btw, is where Five Guys goes off the rails for me.

3. The lettuce gets lost. One wilted leaf with basically no flavor. If you're going to leaf the burger, either go iceberg (for crunch), add more leaves (for crunch and flavor), or switch to arugula (which gives flavor, but makes the burger a FancyBurger).

[Sthitch]

Same with roller coasters. Are there some that you actually have a bad time on? Even the really bad ones still make you think you're going to die on them. That's fun too. (And yes Joe, I do mean the ones you sell...)

Ride Cedar Point's Mean Streak and see if this statement still holds true, it is without a doubt the single worst roller coaster you will ever ride (and when you do bring a bottle of your favorite headache medicine, you will need it).

[chaofun]

I went again today, line only 10 minutes long. This time I avoided the fries and got a large drink instead of the regular which is REALLY small. The Shack Burger was way better than the one I had opening day. Less salty, cooked closer to medium than last time when it was well done. Thumbs up.

[ahr]

Tip from a New Yorker: As for it "rare," and you'll get one still pink inside, except for the 5% of the time it comes raw inside by mistake. There's no POS key for "medium rare" (or so I've been told).

In any case, if you're not pleased with the doneness, or anything else, return it to the pick-up window and you'll get a new burger with an apology and a smile, no questions asked. Customer service is what these guys do best.

[Joe H]

My wife and I went today. I thought this place was a joke: frozen crinkle cut fries, a burger almost totally devoid of juice/grease/flavor, mildly flavored mayo masquerading as some kind of secret sauce and TWENTY DOLLARS (that's $20.00!) for two single Shackburgers, two french fries and two small soft drinks. No way that I would compare this place to In-n-Out or Hell Burger. A single Shackburger is NOT as large as Five Guys-it couldn't have been any bigger than a single at Wendy's...speaking of Wendy's my wife mentioned it by name as superior. I didn't think she was exagerrating.

I wonder if anyone reading this has ever been to Kopp's in Milwaukee which is the standard for frozen custard and burgers?

One last comment: the only reason there was a line is because the countermen were so slow on their registers. Even then when we left @12:15 there were no more than 8 or 10 in line.

Let me be the first to say it: Shake Shack will not make it in D. C. based on what we had there today. A huge disappointment. If New York is better then they need to move a manager and a grill person down here tonight.

And start serving fresh potatoes.

Note: we left hungry and stopped at the Red Hook lobster truck at Connecticut and Van Ness which DOES live up to its billing despite the $15.00 price. Curiously, there was no line there.

[Adam23]

I have been to Shake Shack a few times since my co-workers like it. The burgers are basically non-greasy five guys, but there is no comparison to BGR or Hell Burger. This is a thin patty with minimal taste.

I actually like their fries - mine were crisp and hot and had some seasoned salt on them. I thought they were rather enjoyable and far superior to the ball of grease five guys serves. (But I could be biased since I grew up eating krinkle cut fries since that was what my local fast food place served).

One item I really really enjoy is the Shroom Burger. This may possibly be the best thing I have eaten in quite some time. A portobello mushroom stuffed with cheese and then deep fried until crisp. So good. My co-workers thought I was crazy to order it, but then they saw me eat it and were jealous. If you like fried molten cheese, this is for you.

[yfunk3]

I liked it, but have never had the NYC version (the long line always put me off). If I had one complaint about their burger and fries, it was that it was slightly saltier than I would have liked, so I'm not quite understanding the "flavorless" comments I understand some are used to more salt than others, though. The fries were okay, nothing too extraordinary, but good with the burger. I think by the second half of the burger and fries, my salt tolerance had built up a bit and I was able to taste them more. Good potato flavor in the fries. You can really tell they use Yukon Gold. The special sauce was good in that it added a slight "bite" to the burger, but didn't overpower it. Liked how they sliced the bun so that the burger won't fall out, too.

The custard, on the other hand...was boring as all heck. I got a mix with peanut butter and chocolate syrup. It was such a measly portion of custard (for the price, it was just highway robbery!) and there was little-to-no chocolate flavor at all in the custard, even with the chocolate sauce! Barely any peanut butter, as well. Maybe it's just a handler issue there? I doubt it, though!

[Thad]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion but Shake Shack NY (and elsewhere) is tremendously successful because most people (me included) love the burgers. They are 1000 better than In-N-Out (at only triple the price). I agree the fries stink but the concretes are fantastic. But what really counts is the burger -- tender, very flavorful, great sauce, incredibly soft potato bun.

My wife and I went today. I thought this place was a joke: frozen crinkle cut fries, a burger almost totally devoid of juice/grease/flavor, mildly flavored mayo masquerading as some kind of secret sauce and TWENTY DOLLARS (that's $20.00!) for two single Shackburgers, two french fries and two small soft drinks. No way that I would compare this place to In-n-Out or Hell Burger. A single Shackburger is NOT as large as Five Guys-it couldn't have been any bigger than a single at Wendy's...speaking of Wendy's my wife mentioned it by name as superior. I didn't think she was exagerrating.

I wonder if anyone reading this has ever been to Kopp's in Milwaukee which is the standard for frozen custard and burgers?

One last comment: the only reason there was a line is because the countermen were so slow on their registers. Even then when we left @12:15 there were no more than 8 or 10 in line.

Let me be the first to say it: Shake Shack will not make it in D. C. based on what we had there today. A huge disappointment. If New York is better then they need to move a manager and a grill person down here tonight.

And start serving fresh potatoes.

Note: we left hungry and stopped at the Red Hook lobster truck at Connecticut and Van Ness which DOES live up to its billing despite the $15.00 price. Curiously, there was no line there.

[Joe H]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion but Shake Shack NY (and elsewhere) is tremendously successful because most people (me included) love the burgers. They are 1000 better than In-N-Out (at only triple the price). I agree the fries stink but the concretes are fantastic. But what really counts is the burger -- tender, very flavorful, great sauce, incredibly soft potato bun.

I have a bias: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/292192

Failing that, this: http://chowhound.cho...ts;results_list