Shake Shack Chicago: A First Timers Tale

For years I’ve been hearing the hype surrounding the legendary Shake Shack. Having never lived in a city that had one (and never being that keen on waiting in a long line for a burger when I am on vacation), I just never got around to trying this hot spot.

Flash forward to tonight. My first Shake Shack experience has happened and as a result, I am regretting the last 10 years that I’ve avoided it. This place is freaking epic (and it’s not just because they make a bomb burger).

Let me start from the beginning…

For those of you who don’t know (or live under a rock), Shake Shack Chicago opened tonight in the River North neighborhood. After much hesitation and internal debate, the overwhelming response on social media guilted me into waiting in the massively long line down Ohio street.

From the moment my friend Jason and I got in line, to the second we placed our order, the experience was simply delightful (and worth all 55 minutes). Take for example the photo below:

This amazing Shake Shack Chicago employee was handing out french fries and chatting about the insanely delicious menu. Other team members were giving out high fives, order suggestions and generous words of encouragement as we waited outside. Simply just great customer service.

When we finally got in and placed our order, I decided to keep it simple with a single shack burger. I also split an order of french fries, a peanut butter shake and a “Da S’mores” concrete featuring s’mores pie from Bang Bang Pie Shop.

If you can’t already tell by looking at my tray, the food was honestly amazing. It was so fresh and surprisingly not heavy. Here are my thoughts on everything I tried:

1) Single Shake Shack Burger: This burger was out of control. The bun was fresh, soft and light, the burger was cooked perfectly and the vegetables were crisp and memorable (which is rare with a burger). Oh and who can forget the special sauce and cheese? This simple classic is a MUST order.

2) French Fries: In my opinion, fries are fries. While they are crisp and delicious, for 470 calories, I would split these with a friend or two and call it a day.

3) Peanut Butter Shake: It was flavorful, creamy and surprisingly not too sweet. This is the perfect dessert to finish your meal (or a great dipping sauce for your french fries).

4) Da S’Mores Concrete: I mean…Shake Shack Chicago basically combined one of my favorite local pies and their creamy custard. You can’t go wrong by ordering this and I’ll go out on a limb and recommend any of the other ones too. It was that good.

The moral of this Shake Shack Chicago story is….come for the food…stay for the incredible hospitality.

Welcome to Chicago, Shake Shack. I have a feeling you’ll fit in just fine!

Love always,
Erica