The Windy City’s first Shake Shack opened to eager customers this week after a two-year wait, and according to Eater, the burger joint didn’t have to wait long for its first major review.
Kevin Pang, Cheeseburger Bureau Chief and reporter for the Chicago Tribune, reviewed the Shake Shack — which is located in River North, a block away from Michigan Avenue in the old Harley Davidson gift shop — within hours of the chain opening its doors.
Pang’s review gives a brief history of Shake Shack itself, which started as a hot dog cart in Manhattan that was only open during the summers. Eventually the cart became permanent and increasingly popular. These days, there are Shake Shacks internationally and, like the Chicago addition, are spreading across the U.S. itself.
Shake Shack offers a variety of burgers, hot dogs, fries, custards, and — of course — shakes. Additionally, the chain also serves beers and wines for their legal-age customers.
Pang praises Shake Shack’s SmokeShack burger, which he calls “a wonderful sandwich ($6.45 single/$9.15 double), easily best in class within a mile radius.”
In addition to the regular menu, Shake Shack offers items inspired by and incorporating local cuisine, like a hot dog that uses pork sausage from Publican Quality Meats and an ice cream dish that includes chunks of salted caramel doughnut chunks from Dazed and Infused.
The one thing that Pang was not impressed with was the crinkle cut fries, which he found to be too dry on the inside.
According to Pang, what Chicago needs is not just another burger chain, but a quality burger chain, and Shake Shack overall fits the bill.
Aside from Pang’s review, Shake Shack has already gotten some positive reviews on business review site Yelp. Almost one in four people have posted a comment or review online about a product or service they have used. In the two days after the grand opening, Shake Shack comes in at 4.5 out of five stars, though there are only 12 reviews so far. Time will tell how well Shake Shack does in the future — but they’re off to a pretty good start.
