Shake Shack

For reasons beyond my control, I hadn't been able to get to Danny Meyer's Shake Shack. This hoity-toity version of fast food where you can get a burger, fries, hot dogs, shakes (obviously) -- along with a glass of perseco or 2003 Sonoma Valley Chardonnay if you'd like -- has become very popular since its first location opened in Madison Square Park in 2004. Since then it has expanded to the Upper West Side and the new Citi Field. I believe that more locations are planned.

Shake Shack isn't just a yuppie McDonald's or Burger King -- it's more like a pretentious New York version of In'n'Out Burger. Because of the weather and my location, I wasn't able to go to the original Shake Shack but I went to the one on the Upper West Side. Also, because it was so cold, I wasn't able to have an actual shake -- I will have to return sometime soon and have one and will report on it ASAP.

Danny Meyer doesn't have the greatest track record with me. I found the BBQ at Blue Smoke mediocre and the Alsatian cuisine at The Modern less than stunning. But I'll admit that Shake Shack is popular for a reason. The food is really good. The burger was tasty and filling, and the fries -- WOW! These are the best fries in town, fluffy and delicious, and you get the feeling that someone had just peeled, cut-up, and thrown them in the fryer right before serving them up.

Though the Shake Shack I went to was crowded, they did a great job of crowd control and getting people their food quickly. The lines are clearly roped off. They quickly ask the next "guest" to come up to the cash register. They ask for your name to put on the receipt. And they give you a little device to hold while you wait for your food and, when it lights up (or starts "shakin') then your food is ready (it invites you to come up to the "shack").

I do have a couple of complaints. First, if you want lettuce and tomato on your burger you must remember to order it. The burgers don't automatically come with them and they don't ask you if you want it -- you gotta remember to order it. Second, as you might have guessed, the prices. Okay, so if you want cheap fast food then go to Mickey D's but still ... it cost my $9 for a simple cheeseburger, fries, and a regular drink that was literally a cup of soda. Seemed a little over the top to me.

Still, if you're a burger fan like me, than I recommend checking out Shake Shack. It's very good and shows that this town knows how to make a great burger.