Shake Shack--Not Quite as Good as the Hype, but Close

It was a beautiful day out so we decided to give Shake Shack a try, since the outdoor space is full of adirondack chairs, regular tables, benches, and corn hole. Very dog friendly too! And, since they've been open for a few weeks, we figured they had worked the kinks out and we could give them a fair shake (corny pun intended!).

We were thankful the line was small and it was moving quickly. So quickly, in fact, that we didn't really have time to look at the menu board before we were getting pushed towards the cashier. It'd be nice if they had a holding area for first-time customers like us who need a minute to look over the menu--even if the menu was posted outside, that would work well. We found that even when the line got long, the area that the menu is in is too small and moves too quickly to make a thoughtful decision.

I went with the Link Burger - a cheeseburger with a half link of Pecan Lodge jalapeno sausage on top. It comes with pickles, but I anticipated needing a little more veggie to cut through the richness and added lettuce and tomato. Cameron got the SmokeShack, their version of a bacon cheeseburger. We also ordered a strawberry shake and a black & white (vanilla w/chocolate swirl) shake.

The food came out surprisingly fast and we were able to grab a table outside in what is essentially a food park--great idea! The first thing we noticed was that the burgers were pretty small. Cameron regretted not ordering a double (the cashier probably should have offered - they'd make more money and have happy customers named Cameron). His bacon burger was tasty - especially with the cherry peppers - we just thought the ratio of patty to bun to other good stuff was a bit off. The link burger was fantastic since the sausage basically acted as a second layer of meat. It was the perfect match up between BBQ and a burger - smoky, salty, and cheesy. I was really glad I ordered the extra lettuce and tomato--really cut through the richness. One thing we both wanted was more Shake Shack sauce. We each only got about a half teaspoon on our burgers. It really wasn't enough to even taste, much less determine if it was "secret-sauce worthy." The shakes were pretty standard, and we both agreed that Twisted Root has Shake Shack beat on that front. TR also has them beat on beer selection, although Shake Shack's is decent enough. We both ordered a Four Corners Local Buzz, but the same came in a can, rather than on draft. OK, but would be nice if they expanded their draft beer selections.

Overall, we will definitely be back for the link burger and recommend getting a double patty on Shake Shack's other burger options. Great location, great atmosphere and worth checking out!