Long lines, slow service, but very tasty burgers – Shake Shack tops my list of cheap burgers in the city. Don’t miss the seasonal flavors of concretes (extra thick shakes) and the crisp crinkle fries.

Yes, the meat quality is much better than In-N-Out, but you would expect that at almost twice the price for the same size burger. Don’t get me wrong, I love the burgers, but I just wish they had more toppings like grilled onions (I prefer more flavors with my meat).
The Shake Shack is definitely the perfect place to grab a burger and shake and chill in the park on a nice, sunny day.

Warning: Watch out for the birds- they’ll poop on you!

Go on a rainy day, or even just a cloudy day, to skip the lines. Avoid lunch time like the plague. On one of those perfect autumn or summer days, when the sky is cloudless, and it’s not so humid you’re sweating out of your eyeballs, Shake Shack is the perfect destination.

It’s outdoors, in a park, slightly set back from the streets, and they serve beer and wine to go along with your burger.

And they even have a menu item for your dog! The Poochini ($2.50 last I checked) is peanut butter topped with a bit of custard and two doggy biscuits.

The highest praise I can give to this restaurant comes from my friend, whom I forcibly took there against his will. Particularly when he saw the one hour line. He grumbled the whole time — and then scarfed down his burger and wondered why I didn’t tell him to get two; they’re that good. And the crinkle cut fries! So crispy on the outside, so soft and hot on the inside.

On a recent trip to NY, my friend took me to this burger place. The burgers are great and expect to shell out $10-15 for a shack burger, fries and custard/concrete.
The burger was tasty and juicy but could have used some red onions.
Don’t forget the fries!!!

The lines grow ever-longer here; I guess word has been going around that the search for the Best Burger in New York really ends here. The beefy blend of ground brisket is just the right size, and-coupled with a Purple Cow and a Peanut Butter concrete- is just what the summer ordered.

And apart from their inexplicable use of lettuce, they also have the closest thing to real bona fide Chicago-style hot dogs in this city. Trust me, I’ve looked

If you can hazard the wait.

Yes, the line can often be ridiculous. And I don’t think I’d wait over 30 minutes. But the burgers here are truly excellent; every single time I’m so happy to be eating my shack burger. The custard flavors are also unique (salted caramel, mango lassi, sweet corn, etc.) and very tasty.

If you go, try to go at an off-time – a late lunch, late dinner, etc. The line at these times can often be quite manageable (for the Shack at least) and the food is completely worth 15 minutes standing in beautifully shady Madison Square Park. And dining on a nice summer night under the lights of Shake Shack with a great burger and a beer or wine is one of those things that makes me smile and happy to live in New York.

Love the burger and the ambiance! It’s a great place to enjoy a shroom burger and enjoy the city park too. The only downfall is its high price. Get ready to spend at least $20 for burgers, fries, drinks and concrete.

I love this place. The best of its kind.

It doesn’t get much better than a Shack Burger and cheese fries. When it comes to good burgers, there’s a fine line between greasy and greatness, but they get it right here everytime. Madison Square Park is a great dining room in the summer. 1 star deduction for the long line.

We arrived at the Shack on a Saturday afternoon and the line had already formed. Located in Madison Square Park we didn’t mind standing in line and enjoying the weather and take in the burger smell. It did go really slow though. We probably ended up waiting for more than a half hour, but it was well worth it.

The small shack only has 2 order windows (probably the reason for the line), but the staff was friendly enough. If you stay in the park they give you a buzzer to let you know when your food is ready. I think we might have waited an hour totally from line to table with food, but all that aside, best cheese fries EVER! The burger wasn’t bad either. The shack sauce was a little spicy (excellent) and there was just enough to add a little flavor. The burger was juicy, not overly seasoned, just really good beef. The cheese fries were crispy crinkle cut with a cheddar cheese sauce. I expected nacho cheese, you know, the kind you get from the gas station, but it was nothing like that. It was actually sort of light. Really creamy, not too salty, just the right amount of cheese flavor. Add the scenery and weather and all memories of waiting in line don’t seem to matter.

My only regret: I should have ordered more. If you’re going to wait for an hour for food stock up! Also, the food was absolutely great, probably one of the best burger meals I’ve had and I would have definitely ate more if I had it. A word of advice, be prepared to wait so don’t come hungry.

The only place in town worth standing and listening to some jackhole’s cell phone conversation for 20 minutes because it really is that good.

i waited for about 40 minutes for a shack burger and purple cow concrete. it was worth it.. love the atmosphere in the park cept for fear of bugs on my food. but its good.. well worth the wait! kind of romantic with the lights in the park at night time.. very relaxing

great burger place that paolo introduced me to today.. it shall be my hangout spot once i start work.. only 3 blocks away from ny life.. i had the double shack burger today.. basically a double cheeseburger.. but id highly recommend the shroom burger.. oh so delicioso.. thanks paolo!!

I heard about the Shake Shack via kottke.org. I don’t live in NYC, in fact I live two time zones away, but this establishment was at the top of my list of desirable destinations when I visited recently. At 2:00 pm on a cool overcast day, the line was about 20 minutes long, not too bad, considering the waiting area was more pleasant than most restaurants. I’ve waited that long at good Halal stands in midtown, but th Shake Shack’s fare was definitely several steps up from other venerable NYC street food. It certainly cost more, but the food was also of much higher quality and easier on the stomach. The Shack burger and fries were perfectly prepared and delicious, as was the Hopscotch concrete, but my favorite was probably the Vitamin Creamsicle shake. I would drink one every day if I could. My visit to the Shake Shack was well worth the wait (and expense) and I can’t wait for my next visit. I may have to figure out how to replicate the Creamsicle shake at home.

its good but it ain’t THAT good! i’d expect bigger! the chicken-dog was great though!!

Nothing new to add here, except to say that it is worth the wait. And get the thick shake. You will not regret it.

Almost as good as everyone says.

Shake Shack is great. Try the new location on 77/Columbus.

I’m in love with the cheesburgers and fries.

I was worried about the wait. It was raining that day. It was funny to see people sitting at wet tables with burgers in one hand and umbrellas with the other. Lucky for me, I got there early enough that the wait wasn’t that long. The burgers and fries were absolutely delicious!! Not to mention, the price wasn’t bad at all. I’m definitely going back!

Worth the wait. The shack burger lit up my world.

great place to eat, love the burgers, and the concretes.

Lines are always so damn long, but it’s worth it if the weather’s really nice. Good burgers and fries… you don’t feel so greasy after you eat a meal here.

Best burgers.