Bites Around the Block: Shake Shack’s Worth Sacrificing Your Six Pack

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So I know I’m way late, and I mean seriously late, to this one, but the West Coast girl in me was still stubbornly clinging to my beloved In-n-Out as the best burger spot in the  country.  I have to admit that Shake Shack may be the better burger joint. While I’m sure every East Coast-er has already jumped on this bandwagon, for those of us who grew up hearing the catchy “that’s what a hamburger’s all about” sung in almost reverential tones, Shake Shack is entirely new territory. And although it goes against everything I thought I believed, I must begrudgingly admit that I have been converted.

http://froyonation.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/shake-shack-bloggers-event-5-copy.jpg
http://froyonation.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/shake-shack-bloggers-event-5-copy.jpg

So how did I, a diehard In-n-Out-er, find myself on the Shake Shack team? It began with the burger. A tad overwhelmed by the variety of burgers (at In-n-Out, the choices are pretty much restricted to the number of patties you want and whether you want it animal style or not, which you obviously do), I went for the classic Shake Shack burger. Since summer (and bikini season) is rapidly approaching, I went for the single patty, expecting the meat to be a bit skimpy, as with In-n-Out burgers; the double-double is a must unless you’re into the whole thin patty thing (and if you are then I’m not really sure why you’re bothering to eat a burger in the first place).

PC: Nicole Woon
PC: Nicole Woon

 

However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my single burger had more than enough meat, the patty thick enough to satisfy but thin enough to allow you take a bite without opening your mouth so wide you dislocate your jaw. The meat was juicy, tender and pink, cooked to perfection, and the perfect complement to the simple and classic cheese, lettuce and tomato toppings. The one thing I will still maintain that In-n-Out does better is their special sauce, as the Shake Sauce is really no more than a dressed up mayonnaise, whereas the tangy, Thousand Island-like In-N-Out sauce provides more of a punch to offset the heavier meat and cheese flavors.

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PC: Nicole Woon

But then I moved on to the fries. And this is what sealed the deal for me, as even though I will never admit it again and will deny I said this if you ever repeat it, I have always thought In-n-Out’s fries were sub-par, not quite salty enough and uneven in their level of crispness. Shake Shack’s fries though… generously salted with a perfectly crisped outside and a tender, steaming center were absolute perfection down to the hints of potato skin left to allow you to cling to the delusion that potatoes are basically (re: not at all) a vegetable and hence good for you. Even the shakes are superb, not as thick as In-n-Outs (allowing you to actually drink it instead of eating it with a spoon) and with far more flavors (black and white!). Although I still love In-N-Out, my heart (and stomach) has now expanded to make room for Shake Shack.

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