Shake Shack started as a small hotdog stand operating out of Madison Square Park in New York City. They then grew and became a gourmet fast-casual restaurant, expanding their menu from hotdogs to burgers and milkshakes, with over 254 outlets worldwide.
First Impressions
My family and I were looking for a quick fix to our snack cravings after seeing the Rain Vortex light show at the Jewel. We then spotted from afar a queue of people snaking out from a store. We thought that if those people were lining up for food, then it must be really good and we have to give it a try.
And voila! We arrived at Shake Shack.
We figured that since they have another dining space at the second floor, there will be plenty of seats for us to settle down. But we were so wrong. The place was packed to the point of seeing other people standing next to tables of customers that are soon-to-finish. It was really an uncomfortable sight.
I have to separate from my family to order food while they stay at the dining area on the lookout for the next table to be available.
The Staff
There are not much staff to see amidst the crowd other than one person that endlessly clean-up tables of finished customers, and those that are behind the counters taking orders. I have to wait about 30 minutes before I get my turn to order.
The staff taking my order seems to be pretty worked up and stressed - poker face and all. I can understand the pressure but a little smile when facing customers would not hurt.
The Service
It is pretty much self-service after my order has been taken. They gave me a wireless paging coaster that will light up and vibrate when my order is ready for collection. It took about 15 minutes waiting time.
The Food
We were excited when our wireless paging coaster lighted up and vibrated. So I hurried downstairs to collect our food. And the excitement turned to disappointment.
I ordered for doubles expecting the burgers to be big but it turned out to be smaller than a regular Burger King burger. At the back of my mind, I am saying "Is this what we have waited for almost an hour?" The Crinkle-Cut Cheese Fries portions are fine but the burger portions were really disappointing.
We started with the Crinkle-Cut Cheese Fries and it was surprisingly good. Better than any cheese fries we had before. The texture of the fries remained crisp and crunchy and there was just the right amount of saltiness.
The cheese sauce was very addicting and I would suggest to the management be more generous on the cheese sauce next time.
Crinkle-Cut Cheese Fries costs S$5.90.
Crinkle-Cut Cheese Fries
I ordered two types of double burgers, ShackBurger and SmokeShack. At this point let me forget about my disappointment over the portion size and focus on the other aspects.
The burgers were presentable and look nice inside the disposable paper pockets. This is a plus point.
The ShackBurger is a burger with melted cheese (a special blend of cheddar and American cheese), tomato slices, lettuce, and their proprietary ShackSauce. The burger patties were moist and juicy and it tastes heavenly with the fusion of the melted cheese and the ShackSauce.
The SmokeShack also comes with melted cheese and ShackSauce topped with chopped cherry pepper. And you will notice the strips of bacon smoked with applewood. I find the bacon a bit salty and overdone. It was crisp but there was a hint of bitterness. The burger patties have the same consistency and juiciness as that of the ShackBurger.
The price difference between the two burgers? Double ShackBurger costs S$12.70 while Double SmokeShack costs S$14.40.
Double ShackBurger and Double SmokeShack
We also tried their chocolate and strawberry flavors of Classic Hand-Spun Shakes for S$6.90. What makes their shakes really good is that they have their own signature frozen vanilla custard. You can tell the difference from other shakes as Shake Shack's more dense, rich, and creamy.
Our Take
Overall, I find their food pricey especially on their burgers. They could have made the portion more reasonably sized-up considering the price. But I would recommend the ShackBurger over the SmokeShack.
Don't miss their Crinkle-Cut Cheese Fries and Classic Hand-Spun Shakes as it goes well with the burgers.
And lastly, don't go there on a weekend because it will be very crowded. Avoid lunch hours as much as possible.
Operations
Shake Shack Jewel opens daily from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Major credit cards, NETS, and cash payments are accepted here.
Speak Your Mind
Have you tried Shake Shack burgers? What can you say about their portions? Let us know in the comments below.
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