Monthly Feature
Stacy brings you the latest from the world of fast food!

The Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, NYC has only been open since 2004, yet I feel like it’s been around for centuries. I’ve been hearing about their legendary burgers and shakes for as long as I can remember. As luck would have it, I found myself in the Big Apple this Memorial Day and what better way to celebrate our fallen heroes than with a juicy, 100% natural Angus beef patty?

I, of course, ordered their famous Shack Burger – 4 oz. of black Angus beef, topped with American cheese, green leaf lettuce, plum tomato, and ShackSauce (which is some kind of mayo mixture) on a grilled potato bun.

The verdict?

These burgers are small, so if you’re super hungry, I suggest ordering two. I was super hungry, but my two dining companions (one of whom chose not to eat at all) had me feeling a little self conscious about my fat-assed-ness. “Just one for me…oh yeah, this is super filling” I feigned.

But I digress.

The burger was cooked to medium perfection. If you desire a more well-done burger, you can let them know, but I suggest taking it the way they make it. Because the way they make it is pretty damn good. The bun is soft yet crisp from some grilling, the meat perfectly cooked and seasoned. The toppings are super fresh and the cheese…oh my. I wasn’t nuts about the ShackSauce. I would have much preferred some good ole fashioned ketchup and mustard. And maybe some mushrooms, although that wasn’t an option. I did however, think that it was pretty great their menu offered a treat for dogs – the Pooch-ini: ShackBurger dog biscuits, peanut butter sauce, and vanilla custard. In a dog friendly city like New York, it’s no surprise. But it’s still nice. I believe in spoiling our pooches!

I passed on the fries (they didn’t look like anything special), but I did get a vanilla and hot fudge swirled shake. It was good, but again, nothing special. And while I quite enjoyed my burger, I sure as hell wouldn’t wait in line longer than 20 minutes to get it. Luckily, we got there early and only had to wait about 10. Some people wait for hours! The line will literally wrap around the entire park. That’s just crazy, ya’ll!

I think the best thing about Shake Shack, which you’ll only get at the Madison Square Park location, is the atmosphere. Little bistro style tables make for great dining experience and whether its day or night, you’ll have a lot of people watching to do. It is a park, after all. It has such a cozy, community feel to it. And I’d imagine that it’s quite a good date spot at night, when the lights that are strung over the seating area are turned on, and you and your lover are sharing a milkshake. One straw of course. How romantic. Until one of you burps. Because yeah. That IS a tasty burger.