Is shake shack the best burger restaurant ever?

No.

Love,

In-n-Out

No. They just have good PR.

It was one of the better ones a few years ago. What it's become after its changed all of its original recipes is shit.

Whataburger! yummy

I'm sure the fat queen eating In n Out in her car the other day will disagree with you, OP.

No. The best burgers come from independent places.

The best burgers in New York could found at The Riviera - which has just closed, sadly.

5 Guys Bitches!!! Get one with yellow mustard and onion. It's orgasmic.

r6 I'm curious why did they close?

[quote][R6] I'm curious why did they close?

Rent was too damn high.

After several trips to the new-ish Los Angeles Shake Shacks I've decided it's extremely overrated. Overpriced. Ridiculous lines. Mushy buns that don't hold up. And I'm not an In n Out shill either. I refuse to wait in those lines for a very average fast food burger with shitty fries. Five Guys is the best chain burger for my money.

I think they want to develop the site, R8

I don't get the love for Shake Shack. It's an ok burger, but it's not like an orgasmic experience. And I can understand how tourists coming to NYC might find it better than McDonalds and Burger King, but there are plenty of excellent burgers in NYC, none of which I'm going to list because I don't want you there crowding up the place like you all did with Corner Bistro.

I follow a few New York groups on Facebook. They were all freaking out about The Riviera.

Jesus now I want to go to In n out for dinner

The best veggie burgers used to be at Bareburger- the farmer's quinoa burger was to die for- but they altered the recipe and it's no longer as good.

Shake Shack has the shroom burger which is a portobello mushroom deep fried with cheese in the middle. It's WAY too much and feels drenched in fat and grease.

The best burger is at VLife- a vegan restaurant near 22/7. The also have a BBQ seitan sandwich that is out of this world.

So no, shake shack is not the best.

r13 I'm sure the starbucks that replaces it will be just as good.

Ew, no. I too have tried to new Shake Shack in West Hollywood and it pales in comparison to In N Out. It's not bad, it's just totally average, like a burger and fries you'd grab at the airport before catching a flight. I know In N Out has it detractors, but for my money it IS the best fast food burger. Thank God they don't deliver, or I would weigh 300 lbs.

Shake Shack burgers are too salty.

I've never had shake shack, where are they located?

In N Out...

Shame about the fries.

Don't these places like Burger King & McDonalds use that leftover crap for meat, you know the parts that usually go to dog food factories? It has to be sanitized to be fit for human consumption.

[quote]I've never had shake shack, where are they located?

They originated in NYC where there are about 8 locations. They now have locations in London and California.

Five Guys.

In n Out has disgusting fries. Shake Shack's fries are unrivaled.

If you don’t like the In-N-Out fries you might try the animal fries.

In n out fries are ok, they're not going to win any awards but considering they're not full of preservatives I'm ok with them.

No, they aren't even the best in NYC.

Again, In n Out... shame about their fries.

Fresh yes... but always served cold, limp, and tasteless.

Another vote for In N Out. I don't get people standing in line for 45 minutes for Shake Shack burgers.

I prefer Lucky's Famous Burger on 23rd street.

Shake Shack has better fried than 5 guys or In-and-Out.

I prefer the flame 🔥boiled Whopper. You can have it your way!🍔

[quote]I prefer the flame 🔥boiled Whopper. You can have it your way!🍔

And 30 minutes later, you can wave goodybe to your $6.50 as it leaves out your backdoor.

I'm literally LOL, R33.

Where the hell are you people waiting in line for Shake Shack? The last two SS I have gone to, the one near Battery Park and the one in Downtown Brooklyn, I had my food within 15 minutes of walking in. Is this an LA thing?

[quote]Where the hell are you people waiting in line for Shake Shack? The last two SS I have gone to, the one near Battery Park and the one in Downtown Brooklyn, I had my food within 15 minutes of walking in. Is this an LA thing?

No. There's never a line in Brooklyn. By Battery Park, do you mean the one by Goldman Sachs or is there one farther down?

I've seen lines at Madison Square Park (the original), Times Square and Upper East Side. These three always seem to have a line.

I don't get the love for Five Guys: the burgers are hard like pucks at the one I tried (twice, to see if it was just a bad night the first time). In-n-Out seemed overrated, based on the Redding, CA one I went to.

Fatburger is the only global chain that hasn't let me down so far on multiple visits.

I don't mean to be crude, but I went to a Burger King near London about a month ago. It tasted very nice. I remember when they first came to England in the late 70s. Going there was a treat and a big deal, bit like Shake Shack now. Anyway, next morning I was taking a shit and it stank. I thought, why's it stinking so? - then remembered...Burger King yesterday.

I think that little vignette speaks for itself. God knows what they put in them.

I WON'T be returning anytime soon.

R21, Shake Shack is a national chain now.

I don't care for most burger restaurants. Shake Shack, The Counter, Hopdoddy's, Steak n Shake, all very average at best. Stick to local places. Better yet, quit eating burgers.

In N Out is only good if you order extra toast!

Shake Shack is ok, but.... LA has tons of great local places like Tops in East Pasadena. DC, after many years, has a number of places better than Shake Shack. Five Guys varies a lot--many franchises are barely ok.

There's an In 'N Out in my town and I don't see what al the excitement is about. It's a bland, boring, near flavorless hamburger served at an über-"christian" establishment. It's the Chik Fil A of hamburger joints, I totally agree with those upthread who recommend going to locally owned places instead of chains for a decent hamburger. That said, today I had a guacamole Big Mouth Burger® at Chili's that was fucking delicious.

LA - Father's Office.

r42 The heir of In n Out might be religious but I don't think she funds anti-gay organizations like Cathy does.

R44 — That's good to hear. I know the In 'N Out owners aren't religiously evil, like the awful Chik Fil A folks, but I do find the "John 3:16" reference on the bottom lip of the cola cups to be off-putting, though.

In n Out is open on Sundays unlike that other place.

Fresh yes... but always served cold, limp, and tasteless: Reminds me of an ex-boyfriend. He liked burgers too.

Really salty but not bad if you like thin, grayish fast food burgers. BGR in the DC area and a few other markets is much better, but they are too expensive to really become popular.

If I indulge I like to go to a place called Wendy's for their special square hamburgers. I get the Baconator. It comes with bacon.

What R37 said. Five Guys doesn't offer anything close to medium rare so they're out. in n Out I never got on that train when i lived in LA because I LOVE Fatburger on SM Blvd. It's too bad there are none in NYC.

R37 Exactly. Fatburger is consistently very good. Shake Shack is the latest trend to sweep LA. If lining up and waiting hours for burgers indicates a burger's quality, explain the three-hour wait for White Castle in Las Vegas?

Five Guys burgers do not contain enough fat, or they cook it all out, so they are hard and dry. And it is exorbitantly priced.

In N Out is good for exactly what it is -- a cheap burger. That's why Californians love In N Out. Not because it is great; rather, because it is cheap. Super cheap.

Disclosure: I have never tried Whataburger, which my Texas friends claim is top notch. For pedestrian drive through, I'll take Wendy's or Carl's Jr. over Burger Tsar, McDonalds, Red Robin, etc. Finally, never, ever get a Rallys/Checkers; I crunched down on a big toenail in one, I swear to G-d.

OMG I loved Wendys burgers when I was a kid with the square patties. I'm guessing they've changed the ingrediants because they aren't as good as before

Didn't they close all the Fatburgers in CA?

Shake Shack is over-rated. In n Out is the best. But had lunch at a place in Palm Desert called Gorilla Burger. It was the best I have ever had in my life.

Yes r52, I think Wendys changed something. Maybe when the old man died? I had thought they originally had a bit of spice in their burger but now it's gone.

Fuddruckers!

Still and always the bestestest.

Del Taco's burger is actually better than In n Out.

R53 California? No way! They just opened in Pasadena. Canada? I dunno...

R58 My daughter loves Del Taco Double Del Cheeseburger and their awful crinkle cut fries.

I like BGR and Bare Burger.

Prefer Five Guys to In N Out but Five Guys is a bit overpriced. But i prefer In N Out to The Habit

Five Guys isn't that overpriced considering you can basically add whatever toppings on it for free, right? And also they basically dump two containers of fries in your bag for the price of one.

White castle is very good

A tie between Father's Office and Umami burger. Shake shack was not good at all the 2 times I tried it.

I personally thought Umami was overrated and not very good.

I like Shake Shack's chicken sandwich.

r53 I went to a Fatburger in British Columbia in late June, so if all Canada locations were closed that must have been very recent.

R15 fully agree with you about the portobello burger at Shake Shack. I could hardly finish it as it was so heavy, and it didn't taste very good. The concretes... I have tried a couple but only remember the taste of sugar. Overall, overrated.

It's really not that great. And it's overpriced.

[quote] I personally thought Umami was overrated and not very good.

Oh gawd yes. It's even more overrated and overpriced than Shake Shack. I don't understand its appeal.

But here in Chicago basic bitches will flock to anything....at least for the first few months it's open, until it's not "hot" anymore.

Whataburger is the best.

White Castle!!!!

Five Guys cheeseburger w/mustard, onions, and jalapeños.

I first had this about 6 or 7 years ago, and have since become addicted to fresh jalapeños.

On everything.

Five Guys' price is more than made up for by the ridiculous amount of delicious, fresh-cut fries that you get with an order. They're outstanding.

I love Shake Shack. In N Out is good for drive thru fast food. I don't understand the love for Whataburger. Their burgers are bland and the service there is slow.

I've never had a bad burger at Umami. The meat is always perfect. Guess they differ between locations *shrug*

Whataburger is indeed the bomb. And the one in my neighborhood is open 24 hours.

In 'n Out fries are just ridiculously bad. They should have figured this out by now. I don't care that they're "fresh-cut" if they can't fry them in a way that adds flavor.

I seriously wonder about how they do the fries at In n Out and if the oil is hot enough.

I fucking love Websy’s burgers.

They taste so beefy.

You have to ask for fries to be "well done" at In N Out. It doesn't make them any bigger, but at least they are not a soggy mess.

Freddy's just opened a few locations in the Atlanta suburbs. They're pretty good if you like those thin, lacy, crunchy, Steak 'n Shake type-burgers. Frozen custard too!

White Castle is gross. Please tell me you're joking.

Waiting in line for twenty minutes for a burger will eventually fade out.

leave it to some queen from Atlanta to recommend some local imitation of something you can get anywhere, including ATL.

R80 I've seen Freddy's in San Diego and Victorville (CA) recently, so I guess they're expanding.

[quote] I fucking love Websy’s burgers.

Websy's?

No, just about any diner has better burgers.

I'd always heard about Shake Shack and wanted to try them, but the ones nearest me (in Calif.) are too far away. So on a recent trip to NY, I thought I'd check them out. I was staying in the theater district, and walked by the one on 8th Ave. a number of times, and it was ALWAYS packed--even late at night. Sometimes with a line out the door. But I happened to be in Brooklyn visiting the NY Transit Museum, and noticed there was a Shake Shack nearby. So I tried it out. The burger wasn't bad, but it's quite pricey for what you get, and the service left a lot to be desired. I asked for one of the menu burgers with one item left off, but the counter person said I couldn't do that and that she'd have to ring it up as a completely different kind of burger and add items on. Seriously? Since when can't a single item be left off? The burgers aren't pre-made. Even Burger King lets me have it my way.

To be fair, there is always a line at In-n-Out, too.

[quote]It doesn't make them any bigger, but at least they are not a soggy mess.

What is it with fast food places that can't figure out that fries shouldn't be a soggy mess? It's the same problem at my local Five Guys restaurant.

Five Guys burgers in London - the meat has a weird taste and the fries are soggy.

But I love the soda dispensers with a zillion choices. They're probably run of the mill to Americans. I love grape & cherry Fanta - which I never have anywhere else.

Also tons of ice is a rarity on London. I love that too.

oops, MORE from me.

When Five Guys arrived in London, look what happened.

& Shake Shack arrived the same week for some reason.

you need to click on these pics to see the freak show >>

Not a great fan of burgers. Both IN'And Out and SS are fine. The SS on 8th Avenue is always packed and I really do not get it. In London, the Leicester Sq. one is always pretty empty. I got to try Shake Shack Salted Caramel Milkshake and I have to say that it was delicious. I am not sure how many calories it might have but I am afraid it might have been a lot.

Does anyone give a fuck about vegan/veggie burgers ? I know i dont.

Shake Shack = Over-rated and Over-priced.

R90 Yeah - do they do free refills at the Five Guys in the UK? Because I noticed that McDonald's does NOT, even though the majority of the US locations have self-serve sodas with unlimited refills.

Oh -- and that machine you're referring to is called Coca-Cola Freestyle. (I like it too -- I can get my Lime Diet Coke.)

I like the burgers at two places near me . Harlem Shake on Lenox and the burgers at Jimbos on 124 and Lenox Ave. Been to 5 Guys wasnt that impressed.

Five Guys fries are SO greasy, they literally soak the paper bag they put them in.

Larkburger is my favorite, by far. Where I live there's a larkburger and a Five Guys in the same huge strip mall and both are really popular but the larkburger has better flavor and better prices. Occasionally I'll have a Five Guys burger instead but I always thank afterwards that I should have had a larkburger.

Not Websy’s - I meant Wendy’s.

[quote][R90] Yeah - do they do free refills at the Five Guys in the UK? Because I noticed that McDonald's does NOT, even though the majority of the US locations have self-serve sodas with unlimited refills.

No, they don't. Maybe if I went to a big fancy one they would.

Talking of which, when McDonalds first came to London they were the only place in England you could get Root Beer - then they stopped it. These fancy soda dispensers at Five Guys also do not have Root Beer.

[quote]I can get my Lime Diet Coke.

Exotic!

How could you not have refills if it's a self-serve Freestyle machine? Do they have guards that prevent you from going to the machine again?

No, in McDonald's they DON'T have self-serve machines in England.

But the ones in Five Guys are self-serve and you can't get refills?

They are in the Five Guys restaurants in my area (Seattle).

R102 it's possible! I had the unfortunate task of having to take visitors to one of the local amusement parks. When we grabbed a bite they had the freestyle fountains. One of the machines was messed up and only dispensing soda water. I went to try a different machine and couldn't get it to work.

What I didn't realize was that the machines were fitted so that it read some number off the cup, essentially, a one use code and therefore the machine wouldn't allow refills.

Re: Shake Shack, yeah, it's not great, however, people are forgetting that they redid/reformulated their menu. It used to be pretty good. Now it's basically what you can get at any other fast food burger place.

[quote]But the ones in Five Guys are self-serve and you can't get refills?

You CAN get refills at 5G. I never said you couldn't.

You did at R101.

Shake Shack is okay. I like the fries but I think the burger bun could be better and I wish they had cheese other than American. I find the taste of Five Guys really bland. The burger needs salt or something. The fries are good but when they first opened near me they were awfully greasy.

[quote]You did at [R101].

I was referring to McDonald's

Beck's Prime, a local chain, has the best burgers in Houston. Whataburger has the best "fast" food burgers in Texas; sometimes I opt for the Monterey Melt. Smashburger is tasty.

I love Whalburgers. They are the best.

[quote]leave it to some queen from Atlanta to recommend some local imitation of something you can get anywhere, including ATL.

People are all over this thread suggesting imitations of everything bitch. You think Shake Shack invented hamburgers? Or In 'n Out? Or McDonalds? Or Five Guys?

In other words, die in a grease trap fire. Cunt.

Is there really no refills in England?

It has been almost two years since I ate a fast food or chain burger. I had no idea that Del Taco served them and now I am tempted to give that place a try.

[italic]Which of these establishments uses real cheese rather than plastic American slices? Any?[/italic]

Tasty Burger in Boston blows Shake Shack and Five Guys out of the water. Sublime burger and sublime fries and onion strings. You can get a 50/50 of them, which has become my go-to.

Also, with SS, 5G and Tasty, etc., the experience is always optimized when you get a double patty.

[quote]I prefer Lucky's Famous Burger on 23rd street.

Good call. I used to go there to eat after getting my huge dick drained at the video store a couple blocks down 8th Avenue.

The best burgers in NYC are from "upscale"(?) hipster bar/restaurants. There's one near me in Greenpoint that used to be Whiskey burger. They've changed their name but I think the burgers are the same. Sure, you'll pay $14-16 but the meat is the best, the cheese is the best, the toppings are the best, the fries are great. Places like that are where you go for a serious burger.

I feel bad for people who only know chains.

That said, Shake Shack was indeed rather good ten years ago.

No it is not.

$16 for a burger? It better be fucking Wagu with Japanese rubbing the cow down daily.

In-N-Out is horrible. Dry, tough meat. Plastic milkshakes. And nobody cares.

Best burgers I've had in California were at the Burger Lounge chain.

On the subject of burgers, why does beef in Colorado and Wyoming have so much more flavor? Far superior to anywhere else.

^^^In-N-Out shakes are made with 100% real ice cream. R121 is misinformed or lying.

Apple Pan, L.A. is the best!

R106 At Universal in Orlando they have a souvenir plastic cup that's good for unlimited refills at the Freestyle machines all day. It has a code on the bottom that indicates to the machine that it's OK to dispense.

R115 Definitely not at McDonald's. And not in restaurants either -- they often serve you a canned soda instead of a fountain one. (I also found this to be the case in much of New England and eastern Canada, for some reason-- very few places had fountain sodas outside of 7-11s and fast food chains.)

What shocked me most was having to pay 3 pounds for a cup of coffee at a sit-down breakfast restaurant in London -- and then be charged 3 pounds again for a refill! Highway robbery!

I like Chicago's slim burger. Traditional one-third of a pound, beef patty, Italian beef, sweet and spicy mayo, sweet peppers, cheese, sesame seed bun

I'm guessing that between the burgers, fries and gallons of soda mentioned on this thread, the average poster's A1C is about 10 or 11.

The best burger I've ever had was a wild boar burger at a place called "The Fix" in LA. Delicious!

A good place to get a burger is the bar of a steakhouse. They take the trimmings from the steaks and grind them up and make burgers from that. So you're getting prime quality beef, and they know how to cook it.

Whataburger!

[quote]...why does beef in Colorado and Wyoming have so much more flavor? Far superior to anywhere else.

Because of this guy.

I've had Whataburger. I don't get the appeal.

R132, quantity, variety, and low cost. And it's just good. Better than McDonalds in most cases. Or Wendy's. Or Burger King. With a lot of unique items you can't find anywhere else. With endless options and variations, made-to-order, and did I mention HUGE portions?

I tried Whataburger when I was in Texas not too long ago. I didn't think it was that great.

I think the best fast food burger is at Culver's. They are all over Wisconsin and Minnesota but I'm not sure where else? They are just the best.

I was surprised to find Culver's in Florida.

Five Guys is okay, but not it's worth going to the suburbs to get it, and they don't have any locations in downtown Denver. If I'm going to the suburbs I'll go to Bad Daddy's Burger Bar for a chain, or Crown Burger on South Colorado Boulevard if I'm in the area - it's a dump but their burgers are awesome and their fries are amazing.

For a drive through near downtown it's Good Times for the win. Best burger at a traditional fast food place.

r80 we recently got a Freddy's, I really like Steak n Shake burgers so that sounds good

The shroom burger at Shake Stack is more impressive than their actual burger.

Five guys is great if you like customizing your burger with different toppings. They have many options for free. If you just want a plain burger that is not really their purpose.

In and out is only good animal style, once again their plain burger isn't great. And in and out has awful fries.

If you’re ever in the Detroit area try the burger at Little Tony’s in Grosse Pointe Woods. So simple yet so amazingly good!

Shake Shack sucks.

Shake Shack tastes like actual beef and has a good sear. In N Out is fine but the burgers are overcooked. I think we can all agree that the fries are awful.

Went to Wendy’s yesterday and had the Son of Baconator. It was excellent for a fast food burger. But it would be so much better with some premium bacon on it like Nueske’s.

God now I want a burger!