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Attendees: :jump_to_Shelley:, Sylvia, Reid, Jeff, Andrew, Andy
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The WBC has been talking about making a trip to Shake Shack for quite some time. Ok, ok, so I’ve been talking about making a trip to Shake Shack for quite some time. I talked about it and talked about it and talked about it. Until I finally wore down…I mean, convinced the rest of the bunch to make an excursion. A weekday when we all had off from work would be perfect. We’d get there early to beat the crowds. We just had to pick which Shake Shack to go to.
The original Madison Square Park location is the best—truly a shack– but in the middle of January seemed the least desirable option. Upper West Side is nice, but close to the Natural History Museum on a school holiday equals filled with kids. Theater District would be crowded. Brooklyn was too far. So, by process of elimination, Upper East Side it was. The UES Shake Shack is on 86th between Lexington and Third Avenues.
We got there a little after 11am (opening time) and found the place pleasantly not very crowded. This Shake Shack is not so much a shack as an open, airy place with ample seating at this time of day. After walking down the stairs you’re presented with the menu board on the right wall at the base of the stairs. Shake Shack offers just a few core basics: burgers, hot dogs, fries, shakes, and concretes (a thicker shake-like concoction that comes served in a cup with a spoon). But within those basics are a variety of choices: single burgers, double burgers, mushroom burgers (for the non-meat lovers among us). You can get a regular hot dog or a “bird dog” which is a chicken, apple, sage sausage, and a variety of toppings. Want a concrete? There are a number of mix-ins available to spice things up.
Having already experienced a Shake Shack burger (which started me on my quest to make a return visit), I decided that today would be a hot dog day. The “Bird Dog” caught my eye, so I got two with sauerkraut, along with a side of fries. (The first time I went to Shake Shack, I had made the horrid mistake of not getting fries. Oh, the horror…the horror.) I placed my order, got my Shake Shack buzzer, and headed to the table that we had selected. The tables are simple, unadorned wooden tables and you sit upon small cubes. As I watched my pals get their burgers, concretes, and fries, I stared longingly at my buzzer. When, oh when would it shake and satisfy my hunger? Finally, the Shake Shack buzzer shook! (or, if you will, shaked)
I was not disappointed. The Shake Shack bird dogs continued to live up to the Shake Shack name. The hot dog buns were the same slightly sweet bread as the burger rolls. The fries were golden, crinkle, salty goodness. Good ol’ comfort food paired with a laid back atmosphere and good company=a perfectly spent morning in Manhattan. (And, me being cupcake-loving me took us on a short walk to Crumbs on 92nd and Lexington. Nothing like a giant cupcake to top off some hot dogs.)
So yes, I spent a day eating like a kid. And yes, I had to go to the gym to work off my kid-like eating. But you know what? It was totally worth it.
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Jessie
March 21, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Great and honest review of the Shake Shack. My favorite burger place.