I usually leave the shiny national chains to people who enjoy standing in line for algorithmic burgers and branded nostalgia, but Shake Shack has always had a certain big-city mystique.
Born in New York and now planted at 2111 NW 50th in The Oak, across from Tommy Bahama and its fine silk shirts, the much-hyped burger chain has finally settled into Oklahoma City long enough for me to give it a try.
I’d heard enough East Coast evangelizing to be curious, so, before heading off to Baltimore for vacation, I figured now was as good a time as any to see what all the buzz was about.
Seemingly housed in a glass case, we walked into Shake Shack for an early lunch and, sadly, there was already a line forming. Instead of the good old face-to-face encounter that I was accustomed to, I finally caved to capitalism and used their computerized ordering system and—beep-blop-bloop—I ordered our food.
It was a nice day, so we chose a table in the small patio area and sat outside in the sun. While Sean, my cunning canine, settled in with us, an employee asked if she could bring him a Shake Shack-branded pup cup, and, of course, he ecstatically accepted.
Sean must have loved it, because in less than a minute, he slurped that whipped cream cup down, licking his foam-covered chops. Just a few minutes after he finished licking the cup into oblivion, our number was called.
First of all, I have to say our interaction with the servers was beyond top-notch, bringing us our food with a glowing smile. You won't find that at McDonald’s!
That being said, we started with the Spicy Fries with Ranch ($5.49). Crispy crinkle cut fries are spiced with Shake Shack’s hot pepper blend of cayenne, garlic, and paprika, then served with a side of their Shack Ranch.
These fries were jusssssst the right amount of crunchy to bring a smile to my mouth. The blend of spices, especially that cayenne, gave the side dish a real kick in the nards.
My wife, always the paragon of tasty virtue, got a Chicken Shack ($7.99) sandwich. A hand-breaded, white-meat chicken breast is dressed-up with lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo on a lightly toasted potato bun.
Forget Chick-fil-A! This sandwich is the real deal. The extra-crispy fried chicken earns top marks on its own, but add in a swath of creamy buttermilk herb mayo and, well, that made this the sandwich for me… or it would have.
As good as the chicken was, the real test was the original double ShackBurger ($9.79). Made-to-order, I got two 100% Angus quarter-pound beef patties, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun.
Tantamount to the most fabled of corporate fast-food burgers like In and Out, Culver’s or White Castle, I got to be honest: it was glorious. The meat slid off the bun in the smash-burger style, and the toasted bread and the wonderful sauce really complimented the whole package.
Sorry, but I had to eat the whole thing! *burp*
Of course, I couldn’t leave Shake Shack without trying their namesake treat. I kept it simple, a Vanilla Shake ($5.00), made with their house-made vanilla frozen custard.
Hey, I have had better shakes, but, in the context of the whole meal, it was pretty good, and I took it with me to finish while I ran errands. As I sipped, I thought to myself, I should probably commit to a more exciting flavor next time.
Either way, the next time you are in a fancy shopping center—whether at The Oak or one of Shake Shack’s 400 nationwide locales—and you need a premium burger or chicken sandwich in a jiffy, Shake Shack is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
