i waited 1 hour for food at shake shack yesterday...
and it was totally worth it.
ive had a concrete before but never was there for food. i happened to walk by with the girlfriend and figured we'd check it out. the line got excruciating at the 40 minute mark but once we got our double shack burger (amazing), portobello burger (possibly even better), fries (surprisingly great), and 2 concretes, we were in heaven.
one small side note...in carroll gardens, schnack recently closed. i swear, the shake shack burger was just a larger, better version than schnack's little sliders called schnackies. if anyone has the time and dedication, they should revamp schnack with a better location and improve on their menu and have a shake shack-type place in brooklyn...very similar style of burger.
sam1
May 05, 2008 06:42AM
I used to wait between 1/2 hr and 3 hours for shake shack. I am over it. Yes I love the burgers, but unless i walk bay and the line is manageable, I'll keep walking.
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Interesting...I'm planning to visit on my trip to NYC later this month but wondering if the line is horrific are there any other quick eats options in the area?
I would love the Shake Shack though - the menu looks so yummy.
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Try Molly's, where you will not have to wait an hour!
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/505302
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i usually go to eisenberg's sandwich shop...on 5th ave and 22nd street. old school nyc shop with great cherry lime rickeys, egg and tuna salad sandwiches.
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I like Eisenberg, esp. the BLT and eggcreams, but skip the Eisenburger.
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Only been to Eisenberg's once. The BLT I had was horrible, and the egg cream was mediocre.
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Just wanted to mention that Molly's burgers and Shake Shack's are two totally different styles -- Molly's are thick while SS's are small.
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Mintycake,
If you want to avoid the insanely long lines at Shake Shack, your best bet is to go on Saturday or Sunday morning. Be there a few minutes before they open at 11 a.m., and there should be either no line to speak of or a very short one.
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Yes, go right at opening time as RGR says. In the meantime Mintycake, you can get a good idea of the lines anytime with their Shake Shack video camera:
http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/camera.html
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Thanks! we're actually planning on hitting it on a Monday at 4pm for an early dinner....hopefully that works out.
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Long lines today at 3:47 p.m. on their web cam! Miss Needle is correct in the difference between Molly's and the Shake Shack. One Molly's cheeseburger will fill me up for the day, whereas it would take 2-3 from the SS.
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i was walking through madison sq park about an hour before that, and couldn't believe how long the line was.
here's my question: who has that much time for lunch? doesn't anyone work anymore? the people waiting in line can't ALL be tourists.
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I looked at the webcam at noon and I wouldn't wait in a line that long for a hamburger even if Angelina Jolie gave me a kiss with my fries!
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The best time to go is at 11 am when they open,
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I went Friday and had the shortest line ever, waited 5 minutes to order and 10 minutes for the food. I tried a dog for the first time, the flat top, and though it was good I think I'll stick with the burgers. maybe next time I'll try the Chicago Dog with the works.
One point of interest, the shake I got (black & white of course) was larger than usual. Maybe it was that day only, but has anyone else witnessed an increase in the size of their shakes?
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It's a good burger but not even remotely worth an hour wait. There are so many good burger places in the city - you could travel to almost any of them and back in that time period. I work 2 blocks from the park and still virtually never go there, and I love burgers. Corner Bistro is where it's at!
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I agree - try Fanelli, Blue#9, Lucky Burger, Island Burger .... the options are boundless.
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a couple of notes...shake shack is fast food...not a regular burger...also, corner bistro is on serious decline lately...particularly at peak hours.
it was a beautiful sunday outside with the ladyfriend. you make the most of it and we enjoyed ourselves. everyone on line were nice.
but yeah, im only going at quieter times going forward.
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Shake Shack is fast food?
When I think fast food, Burger King and Macdonalds comes to mind. I don't think that any of those come close to the quality and flavor that Shake Shack provides.
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LA style fast food...in n out, fat burger...better quality food...not the sludge they pour out and call burgers at burger king.
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I've had In n Out many times and I liked it (we used to be Marin county resident) and I agree that it is fast food. However, I still maintain SS to be better.
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I agree, RCC. The Shake Shack's burger is far, far superior to what one gets at fast food places like Mickey D's and B.K.
Also, in addition to the high quality of the food, part of what makes going to the Shake Shack so appealing to me is the opportunity to enjoy it in a lovely park setting.
That said, afaic, there's no burger anywhere that's worth waiting on such insanely long lines for.
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Corner Bistro is nowhere near Shake Shack in terms of quality. Shake Shack is a thin burger, best in the city. It's hard to compare it to the biger 8oz+ burgers. My favorite big burger is Market Table.
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I would agree that Corner Bistro is nowhere near Shake Shack in terms of quality, in that Corner Bistro's is so much better.
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Yeah, love when corner bistro serves those pre-cooked burgers reheated till they are nice and dry.
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Well, for the record I almost never go there during the early evening or traditional lunch hours but I have no idea how you have ever ended up with a dry burger there. I get mine medium rare (even rare a few times) and it is indescribably juicy and delicious. If anything you could complain that it's so juicy that it falls apart and is hard to manage (a price I will gladly pay). It doesn't need "seasoning" - it has the burger goodness of the meat, cheese, raw onions, pickles, delicious bacon and (thankfully) no "secret sauce" for me to request my burger devoid of. Perfect.
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Please. Corner Bistro went downhill years ago.
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I don't think Corner Bistro really went downhil all that much, its just that the competition has risen so dramatically in the last few year....shack shack, burger joint, royale, blt burger, etc etc....when corner bistro is super busy their burgers suck, always have...
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Corner Bistro under seasons and pre-heats burgers, it's a known fact. I surely won't wait more than 30min for a burger at Shake Shack, but it is much better.
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corner bistro can still bring it...like 1am on a tuesday night.
but all other times ive been there in the last 2 years, its been dry and underseasoned.
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nothing beats either the late night shenanigans crammed into a back booth, dark mcsorleys constantly; or, the lazy sunday afternoon staked out at the bar, shootin the shit and just general chilling
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The only reason Shake Shack isn't fast food is because the line takes an hour. I recently had a very bad burger from them. A whopper would have been superior. The shakes are definitely great, but an hour wait? Eff that.
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"a couple of notes...shake shack is fast food...not a regular burger"
If you waited for one hour, it's sure not "fast food."
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Well, one cannot dispute that fact! I only go at 11 am on weekends and enjoy my little Shake Shack lunch, with no or little line. But you make a good point!
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Bottom line is that the wait blows, but the burgers are very tasty- are they worth 1 hr on standing in line listening to inane conversations by fellow customers, no you just have to get your burger fix at odd hours.
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can you skip the line if you're just getting a Concrete? I heard something about a "B" line?
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I think the B line is only drinks, which does not (or did not as of last year) include shakes.
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b line includes everything but fries, burgers and dogs I believe. So yes, you can get your shake there.
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Definitely no shakes on the b-line. It's concretes, custards and t-shirts only.
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B line is open for business, by the way. I used it last Friday.
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Wed, April 30th, 11:25AM - no line
Wed, April 30th, 11:55AM - 20 people on line
Mon, May 5th, 11:15AM - no line
You will also find reduced lines at 4:00PM
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If you sneak in close to closing time on a night with bad weather you won't have much of a wait either. I happened to be walking by one night under just these circumstances and basically strolled up to the window and got in the last order. There's a bar on 20th between Park and Bway where you can hunker down and eat if the weather is truly terrible...it's called No Idea.
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Sorry, but although I like a shack burger just fine, it certainly ain't worth all of the logistics. It's great if you happen to be nearby and there happens to be a short line, but otherwise you're always gonna be better off going elsewhere.
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Say what you may, but no one (to my knowledge) makes a Shroom Burger like Shake Shack. And now it comes in Double Stack - one shroom burger and one cheeseburger. I'll gladly wait in line for that, especially that I go for burgers just a few times a year. In my experience, the lines subside significantly after 8 pm if you go for dinner. During the day is pure luck or lack of it.
I heard rumors of a second Shack at the other side of the park, anyone know if it's true?
Oh, and try the Red Velvet frozen custard, it's really good! (fridays in May).
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If by "other side of the park," you mean Central Park, then it's true because there is going to be a second (indoor) Shake Shack on the UWS.
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An indoor Shake Shack? About freakin' time!
On a related note, I had a burger the other night at Burger Joint, which tends to get maligned on chowhound these days. My cheeseburger was cooked a juicy medium rare, though the patty itself could have been more seasoned. The fries were better than those at Shake Shack, which are great fresh but decline dramatically when cold. As with the Shack, I wouldn't wait in line or fight for a table. But I could easily see placing an order to go, getting a drink nearby, then grabbing my food.
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One of the great things about burger joint is that, except, perhaps, during the lunch rush, the line usually is not longer than 10 or 15 minutes. And usually you can snag a table by the time your food comes.
Like any of these quick serve (not fast food) burger joints, the product's not always gonna be perfect, but I'm thrilled with burger joint a lot more than I'm disappointed.
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Having popped into SS on the same day as this original post, I can say the wait was reasonable (20 mins. at 1:45) for a beautiful day. But the burger, quite good, didnt hold its own vs. burger joint's -- smaller (and bj's isn't huge by any means), and missing that crunchy char the bj has mastered so well. I also prefer bj's fries, tho SS's were an interesting change. Can't imagine waiting anything beyond 1/2 hour though. To sit in that setting for a $10 lunch was well worth it, but bj wins the taste test by far (IMHO)
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Wow, awesome! Is there an article somewhere to verify this? Thanks!!
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You don't need an article. Just go to their website. Look on the bottom left where it says "Shack Two!"
http://www.shakeshack.com/
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Thanks, I would've never checked there. :-)
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Its been known and broadcast for months.
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The rumors I heard were about a second Shack in MSq Park, but apparently is not true. Thanks for the UWS news, haven't looked on their website in a while. Not soon enough, but better late than never.
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My solution is to satisfy myself with the B line. What a great chocolate frozen custard cone I got the other day! I think the A line is for hair shirt/self-flaggelating types, no disrespect meant to those who choose that path! I just can't see tghe logic in such a long wait when burgers abound in the area.
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It's not worth the wait at all! Luckily I've never had to wait....but the service is STILL sloooooow. Really slow.
Then you never know what you're going to get. I've had amazing burgers, and then I've had smashed on one side, lopsided, half moon shaped burgers. I've come to the conclusion I'm only happy with them in combination with the fries....and then I've realized it's really the salt that's helping me enjoy the meat...... eating a straight up burger without fries there reveals just how boring they are.
Most of the time I feel stupid for not just going paying a few extra bucks for a real burger instead of these dinky things.
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You're right about how sometimes the burgers are pretty sloppy. I've got to say I've never liked their fries, though. Something is really just not right about them. I'd much rather have McDonalds over those.
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