Shake Shack sacrilege

Shake Shack, Madison Square Park, New York City

Burger, fries and a shake: $14

On my first trip to New York, I agonised over which of the city's super-burgers to try first. In what Shake Shack fans would no doubt view as a controversial move, I chose the Burger Joint. It was an amazing experience. This was before we had Meatwagon, back when Byron was still quite new, and the slightly pink, extremely meaty burger in the bowels of Le Parker Meridien was a revelation. I never made it to Shake Shack on that trip. So on my most recent visit, I felt obliged to queue in Madison Square Park and get my chops round one of the Shack's finest. 

The queues are legendary, so long they stream footage from the Madison Square Park security camera to the website so that you can plan your meal appropriately. However, we avoided the issue by arriving mere moments after the Shack opened. The burger is what Mr F would describe as a budget burger, perhaps slightly poshed up with good local ingredients and a trendy ethos. With the possible exception of Byron, we don't really do the budget burger justice in the UK, but in the US, there are several well loved chains serving up cheap, simple but good quality burgers. Shake Shack fits into that mould: the burgers are affordable, the meat is juicy and flavoursome and the bread has that slightly sweet, shiny quality that characterises proper American buns. Still, it's just a good burger... so why all the fuss?

Well, it might be the cheese, which is a victory of science over texture:  supple, orange and oozy, yet still managing to taste of cheese. On the burgers, it is good; but on the fries, it is genius. If not the cheese, it must be the shakes, which are thick and perfectly creamy. 

However, I would be slightly surprised if all those people are queuing just for the burgers. I know anticipation can add to the enjoyment of a thing but it seems to me that the effort to reward ratio has got a bit skewed here. When did a burger become a worthy activity for an entire afternoon? Good things may come to those who wait but, unlike Burger Joint where the time spent queuing was fully rewarded, we felt a little let down by the treasures waiting at the end of the line in Madison Square Park.

I wasn't overawed, but maybe that's because I only visited the Shack post- Burger Joint and Meateasy. Perhaps I am jaded? Call me a burger cynic, but I couldn't help feel the Shack is a little over-hyped. All the same, I suppose they deserve credit for pioneering increased burger quality. Without them, we'd probably still be eating McDonalds.