Note: Shake Shack opened at the Mall of America on Thursday, and it's arguably the biggest restaurant leasing coup in the mall's 24-year history. (Let's face it, the competition -- Hard Rock Cafe, Benihana, Tony Roma's, Hooters -- isn't exactly steep, but that's beside the point). I visited the original Shake Shack in New York City for Burger Friday back in May 2014, so here's a truncated, updated version (find my original post here).
The burger: Restaurateur-to-end-all-restaurateurs Danny Meyer launched this fast-food phenomenon from a hot dog cart in Manhattan's Madison Square Park. Twelve years later, the company now operates 95 locations worldwide. (FYI: Meyer's empire, which has amassed a staggering 25 James Beard awards over the past 24 years, started a few blocks away at the Union Square Cafe in 1985).
The burger definitely occupies a berth on the upper end of the fast-food hierarchy. The patty was fresh and sizzling hot (the kitchen grills to a uniform medium) and spilling out from a soft, eggy bun. Plenty of melty American cheese was insinuating its way into the beef, the tomato slices actually boasted some flavor and juice (and a pleasingly deep red color) and the lettuce leaf was crisp and garden-fresh. The swipe of "Shack sauce" -- a proprietary concoction of what I'm guessing is some combination of ketchup, mustard, mayo and seasonings -- added rather than distracted from the overall taste sensation. The words "old-school" apply, in a very good way. Yes, a fine fast-food burger.
Price: $5.29 for a single patty with cheese, proof positive that eating well doesn't have to be an expensive proposition. Make it a double for $8.09.
Fries: Extra. After watching them come out of the fryer -- and getting showered by some pretty serious salt action -- I regretted not ordering a basket of the thick, crinkle-cut fries ($2.99), cut from Yukon potatoes. Next time, right?
Wisconsin terrritory: The shakes of the restaurant's name are crafted from the kitchen's own vanilla frozen custard. It's a Culver's-like product, only richer, milkier and less sugary. I indulged in the coffee version ($5.29). It was a wickedly creamy delight, and each slurp brimmed with a dark-roast bite.
Locally grown: It's refreshing to see that the company isn't just dropping in a factory-made widget of a restaurant into the Mall. Instead, this Shake Shack sports several distinct Minnesota qualities. The burgers' beef is being sourced from Revier Cattle Co. in Olivia, Minn., and the bar is tapping beers from Summit Brewing Co., Lift Bridge Brewing Co., Badger Hill Brewing, Brau Brothers and Grain Belt. The restaurant's walls are clad in Minnesota-sourced reclaimed barn wood.
Oh, and here's a sweet touch: there are two only-in-Minnesota concretes, which are Shake Shack's Blizzard-like blend of frozen custard and mixed-in goodies. "Butter Coffee Blend" spins butter-coffee caramel sauce and shortbread cookie into vanilla custard, and "Malt of America" blends peanut butter sauce, marshmallow sauce, crumbled sugar cone cookie and malt powder into vanilla custard. Singles are $4.69, doubles are $6.79.
