I like to peruse the internet for "Best of . . . " lists when I have the time. One of those lists happen to be the best burgers in America. Discovering this list I wanted to jump in the car and go right away but I reigned in the impulse because I was going into the city this weekend anyway. So off we went after having run a mile that morning with the dog, looking forward to some fish balls and burgers. I was planning on dragging my family over to the Shake Shack in the Theater District but since the Philippine Independence food area was located on Madison and 24-26th streets we found a Shake Shack right in the park there.
A plus is that this is where it all began. We went to the original shack and I was expecting a lot considering the line was long enough to be a 30+ min wait. Not that I was counting. I'm not sure whether the wait was due to hundreds of Filipinos there for the festival or that it was just that happening here but we dutifully stood behind a man with a box of craft beer from Whole Foods woefully warming in the spring weather. We finally ordered and the guy next to me joked about my ordering the whole menu. I ordered three single stack Shack burgers and three shakes (2 caramel and one Fair shake: Vanilla spun with coffee).
Here's the handy dandy vibrating guest caller and the receipt totalling a little more than 30 dollars. Thirty dollars for four people? It was good and considering it's NYC, I guess worth it.
The only thing is, after the long wait to order, there's yet another wait for your food. However, I was not complaining as it means they cook it fresh. Yumm.
We got the food and it looked and smelled delicious. Grabbed an almost indecent amount of napkins and ketchup and joined the group.
Conclusion? Juicy and delicious. Worth it and I will be coming back. The meat patty looked hand assembled, slightly pink in the center and dripping with juice. The american cheese melted on it like a hot delicious glue to hold the burger in place with ripe red fresh tomatoes and a leafy lettuce. No iceberg for this baby. Amazingly enough the tomatoes did have their own flavor that added to it, they were small but there were at least three in there. The shake was delicious but being "spun" with coffee, way too liquid to be called a shake. The caramel shakes were perfect in consistency but the Fair shake had better flavor. Just wished it was thicker. The fries were alright, I tried it with cheese but nothing special. Next time, these burgers coupled with Pommes Frites poutine. Match made in heaven. An added bonus? Lots of eye candy to be had.
Shake Shack
Southeast corner of Madison Square Park
Near Madison Ave. and East 23rd.
(Take the R/W to 23rd St.)
11A-11P
