Shake Shack - Madison Square Park

There's a magic recipe brewing in NYC and I'm not sure where it started but the theme is simple. Serve burgers and shakes and the people will flock. Somewhere along the line people figured that fattening foods go really well together and they help the fat get fatter and the skinny get fatter and it's a fat-tastic win-win situation. 

Buried in Madison Square Park, amidst equal parts tourist and hobo, is the Shake Shack. Yes, there are others and they're ALL crowded - except the one at Citi Field from July on since there's no reason to be there past July. It's like wearing white pants after Labor Day, you just don't do it. I hear there's also a Shack in Dubai but that's way too far to travel for a burger, regardless of the lines in the Park. Also buried inside that piece of paper is a burger that's being smothered by lettuce and tomatoes. Be a friend and help me out says the burger, I'm happy to oblige.

All of the hype for the Shack is semi-deserved. The burgers are good, not great. Same for the shakes. The menu is simple yet there are still people who can't discern whether they want a burger, fries, and shake or just the burger and shake so your wait grows accordingly.

My advice to the Shack - have a window for people that have a clue and then send the clueless out back on a special path to Wendy's where they can take all the time in the world, sit, gather themselves, and clog up someone else's line.

Part of the negative experience with Shake Shack is that the lines are atrocious, generally speaking, at all times of day. I don't take away points from the Shack because of it, I just bring it up for anyone that hasn't been there and is expecting to show up and get served. It's like Pink's in LA, but not as good and not nearly as worth the wait.

The simple menu will tell you that you're either getting a burger, with or without cheese. There's a shroom burger for the veggies out there and a few hot dog offerings, which if you're like me and need a Chicago style dog, their Shackago Dog is worth a look. It's not quite what you'd get in the Windy City at say, SuperDawg, but it's worth a look. They even got the poppy seed bun right.The fries are really not worth discussing since they're somewhat overpriced and slightly undersized. The words Shack Sauce kinda scare me but that's for my therapist and I to work out.

If you are craving something sweet, I'd go for a shake rather than a concrete. The latter is their take on a Blizzard and if you are stuck in NYC and don't have easy access to Dairy Queen, that's too bad because this is a cheap imitation.

There are numerous accolades for this place and each time I've had it I just don't get it. Yes the Shack is good. No, it is not great. There's not much, in terms of a burger (with or without the Shack Sauce) that can merit the hype. It's a smaller burger and you'll need two or three to get full. 

But at least they sell some sort of ice cream treat for those with dogs.

Rating - 3.2/5 - There's definitely better burgers in NYC for a similar price. I'm not going to compare their burger to a Luger Burger or JG Melon or Minetta Tavern because the comparison is outrageous but if you want something small and fast and cheap, I think you can do better. I wanted to inflate the score a bit as a nod to the dog but I refuse since we're on a burger hunt.