Shake Shack has been on my radar for a long time. When I wrote about Milwaukee's burgers for Serious Eats many years ago, the editors of the New York City-based website published dozens of articles about Shake Shack—they couldn't stop talking about their favorite burgers. So, in my mind, and in the minds of a lot of food obsessives, Shack Shake has been a burger holy grail, but impossible to get outside of NYC.
That is until they started opening locations all over the world. It became a publicly-traded company in 2014 and has grown to over 200 locations. Now that this well-loved burger joint is officially a chain, is it worthy of the hype? And can a non-local chain based on burgers and frozen custard compete here, where burgers and frozen custard have been established for decades?
Short answer: Hell yes! You bet Shake Shack is competing, and it's throwing down. I don't know how this location compares to one of the originals, but I do know the food is damn tasty, even to us burger and custard aficionados.
The ShackBurger is the signature offering and comes as a single ($5.39) or double ($7.99). It's pretty as a picture, with a thin burger patty served seared-side up, a generous slice of yellow American cheese melted over it, exactly two slices (always two) of Roma tomato, a light smear of tangy mayo-based ShackSauce, and a single green lettuce leaf, frilly side out, all photogenically bursting from the waxed paper pouch it's served in. This is the only restaurant I know of where the actual items look as good as the publicity photos.
Salt and pepper are used heavily on the beef patties. It's enough to make you notice the seasoning but without that immediate thirst you get from someplace like McDonald's. The beef is a proprietary blend made of Angus short rib, chuck, brisket and skirt steak, with no hormones or antibiotics. A nice crust from the griddle, similar but not as pronounced as Culver's, lends extra flavor and texture.
The Brat Burger ($7.89), a Milwaukee-only offering, tops a beef patty with a Usinger's jalapeno cheddar brat that's been butterflied and griddled. This sandwich also gets a smear of ShackSauce, along with outstanding ale-marinated and fried shallots. They're like crispy onion strings but with a noticeable beer bite. You can also order the brat sans burger patty ($5) with the addition of American cheese sauce.
The 'Shroom Burger ($6.89) forgoes beef for a substantial portobello mushroom stuffed with muenster and cheddar cheeses before being breaded and deep fried. With a core of molten cheese, it's hard to pass up, and it can be added to a cheeseburger to make a Shack Stack ($9.59).
Though it's not a burger, the Chick'n Shack ($6.39) sandwich did not get overlooked by the Shack's product developers. A thick chicken breast is cooked in buttermilk, then battered and fried to order. Crunchy whisps of batter surround the supple chicken. Shredded iceberg lettuce, a few pickle slices and a thick, herb-studded buttermilk mayo complete the package. (Protip: order a side of that mayo for fry dipping.)
All sandwiches are served on Martin's Potato Rolls, a brand of hamburger buns that, for some reason, doesn't distribute to grocery stores in the area (trust me, I've looked: the nearest is the Kenosha Woodman's). They're ethereally fluffy, squishy, and have a cult following all their own. They're lightly toasted here, as all good burger buns should be.
Fries ($2.79) are crinkle cut, with a great ratio of crisp outside to soft interior. You definitely want to get them with cheese sauce ($3.79) and ask for it on the side so they stay crisp. There's enough cheese flavor in the sauce to satisfy any good Wisconsinite, and it stays smooth and flowing to boot. There is no shame in scraping the last bit out of your cup with the little wooden fork they stick in your fries.
As for the frozen custard, it's hard to beat Milwaukee's custard stalwarts, and well, Shake Shack doesn't. It does, however, offer a very good version, even better than some “custard” places here that pump it out of soft serve machines. Skip the concretes and try a shake ($5.19+), which was on par with the local spots, instead. There's also a small variety of local tap beers, if that's more your drink wheelhouse.
So, after all the years of pining for a burger I couldn't have, I finally got it, and it lived up to my high expectations. Judging by the steady stream of customers into the modern Third Ward restaurant, it seems many agree. I was worried about an outsider like Shack Shake competing with our beloved local institutions, but I think Milwaukeeans will always be able to make room in their hearts and stomachs for more delicious burgers and custard.
