Restaurant Review - Shake Shack

I have stuff just sitting around to post and this one is a place that has such a legend behind it at this point, and a great chef backing that it might be somewhat controversial at the end. Shake Shack is a public company now, with huge fanfare and a very strategic growth plan. While the fast casual upscale burger business is booming, no one has the reputation that the Shack has at this point. So during Baltimore Comic con weekend, the family made a trip to the Baltimore Inner Harbor location to see what the hype was about.

There is no shortage of burger spots in the area and a new one Smashburger is opening soon around the corner from my home and there is a heavy presence of Five Guys. Being that one of the big things that was being hailed was the chicken sandwich, I decided to go with that and step outside of the burger box to see what some are comparing to the infamous Chick-fil-a sandwich in a favorable manner. My wife went with the grilled hot dog smothered in cheese, while the kids both had the shack burgers with sauce on the side.

The chicken sandwich was good, but it didn't break any ground. I wouldn't wait in line for it if there was a chick-fil-a close by is what I'm saying. It has shredded lettuce and Buttermilk herb mayo which was cool to me. It just wasn't crazy good. I had a lemonade to drink which was excellent however.

The kids were less than impressed with their burgers, although my son did tell me that it was better once the shack sauce was on the burger, which he tried after tasting it without. They also had milkshakes which just felt like Mcdonalds to my taste buds. My daughter openly said she preferred the Five Guys burgers. My wife said the hot dog was as expected.

Overall, I was not terribly impressed, given all of the hype surrounding the chain. It wasn't bad but it didn't make me want to rush back when there are other versions of this concept that taste better and are more affordable.


Rating: 2.5/5

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Places - Burger Fi

This week's brand new lunch selection was a place called Burger Fi in the new Luarel Town Center. This burger joint has all of the modern claims to fame that are hip with the publiuc these days. Burgers made with fresh more natural if not all natural ingredients, quick but not fast service, and a dining area with exposed wood and aluminum accents.

The thing is I have never been to Shake Shack yet this place seems just like what I expect it to be, only less crowded. The menu board is simple with a regular burger being a little pricey because once you start adding cheese, bacon, specialties it can add up. Small fries are like most places now where you get them dumped in your bag and I had a 'concrete' which I had assumed was a trademarked kind of thing but I guess it isn't. Red Velvet, which was cake swirled with a cream cheese tasting custard.

The burger itself was just alright to me. Maybe it should be with the sauce they make to be at it's best but it really lacked a stand out characteristic. The bacon wasn't memorable either and for a company preaching sustainability, it seemed over done in the take out container which is made from recycled materials but seemed to much. The fries were fine, I like mine a little darker most times but I'm not going to complain about them.

The Red Velvet Concrete was definitely the best thing. The cake asn't too dry and it was a good mix of cake to custard. The custard was smooth and creamy and had good flavor. That one thing was worth it's cost. Overall though I wasn't feeling it very much. The prices aren't great so it isn't a value play, I get it, but for the price I need the flavors to pop and all of the elements to make their mark. Bacon should never be forgettable and the burger really underwhelmed me with the lack of any real flavor.

Rating: 2.5/5

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