Shake Shack

2000 Sansom St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 809-1742
Website

It's been a long time coming, but Shake Shack has finally arrived in Philadelphia. Known for its cult-like following in New York, as well as the extraordinary lines that this following brings, this was pretty much my most anticipated opening of 2012.

At 20th and Sansom Streets, it's close enough to grab food and head to Rittenhouse for some good, old fashioned people watching. Or if you are strapped for time, retreat back to the office to abuse your coworkers with smells. As anticipated, there was a line. Quite a long one, actually.

Luckily, the staff was ridiculously prepared, and amazingly friendly. Not to mention, you had plenty of time to pick, rethink, and change your order.

When ordering, there is a line for custard, and a line for anything/everything else.

I was tempted to buy a shirt instead of a burger, oh wait, no I wasn't. But maybe some people are?

After you place your order, you are given a Lone Star Steak House-style buzzer, and sent to fend for a place to sit. It actually didn't take too long to find a table. I am also unfairly adept at beating people to tables that are about to open. I have a lot of experience, and am somewhat neurotic, which means you probably can't out-scan and scoot me to a party about to leave.

It's funny, for as many people as there were waiting to get in, it only took 30 minutes to get food on opening day, and it was not overly packed inside. They control the flow very well. The interior is sleek and comforting. Seeing as how I rode my bike there, I figured two burgers, cheese fries, and a concrete custard should suffice. You are looking at a SmokeShack double, a ShackBurger, cheese fries, and a Liberty Shell concrete.

The SmokeShack boasted a double beef patty, topped with Niman Ranch bacon, chopped cherry peppers, and Shack Sauce. This burger is fantastic. Salty, well-seasoned, ground Angus bursting with flavor, and just enough grease. The bacon was plenty smokey and added a perfect porky crunch to this masterpiece, while the cherry peppers took care of the need for a bit of heat and some vinegar tang, and the Shack Sauce rounded out the bunch with a zippy, creamy, extra dollop of cholesterol. The bun and wax paper combo did a perfect job of keeping all of the accounts in order while I was busy trying not to bite my hand with overzealousness. Is this the perfect bacon cheeseburger? It's one of the best, no doubt.

Did I mention it was cooked to a beautiful medium? Because it was.

The ShackBurger likewise did not disappoint. A perfect example of what a fast food burger should be. Soft bun that can stand up to the task: cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce. I am trying to refrain from using more explicit language than usual, so let's just say it was freaking awesome. The meat in these burgers is the kind of thing that reaffirms the fact that vegetarians are generous for leaving all the meat for those of us who truly love to eat. Flavor, fat, and happiness are among the emotions running through my mind (arteries).

The reason why fast-food-style burgers are superior to their more eccentric restaurant brethren is that the simplicity makes them stand on their own. Simple, well prepared ingredients, and fresh vegetables are what makes a burger, a burger. Also, griddling them on a flattop doesn't hurt.

The fries are crinkle cut. Which usually would be a major negative in my book. They just don't come out crispy, most of the time. Well these little potato accordions were crispy, well salted (but not overly so) and smothered in the delicious Shack cheddar and American cheese sauce. Definitely worth a go.

Finally, as though that wasn't enough, I went for a Liberty Shell Concrete. This was comprised of dense frozen custard blended at high speeds, with mix-ins. My version started with vanilla custard, and added in Termini brothers cannoli shells, strawberry puree, and lemon ricotta. What the hell are they trying to do to me? This was another grand slam. The pieces of cannoli added a unique crunch, while the strawberry and lemon ricotta worked together to leave it fresh tasting, with some zing and not overly heavy.

As much as I didn't want to buy in to the hype, this place is damn near perfect. I absolutely loved everything I had, and can't wait to go back and drink beer next time. Yes, they serve beer and wine as well. So be willing to wait, and willing to eat, and you will have one hell of a meal.

Nifty Fifty's

1900 MacDade Blvd at Route 420
Folsom, PA 19033
610-583-1950
Website

I went here on a recommendation, and I happened to be in the mood for a good, greasy cheeseburger, and a milkshake. Well, I came to the right place. The place is covered in neon, and looks like you might have gotten there in a Delorean with Doc at the wheel. I like the throwback of the interior, and the fact that all of the (female, thankfully) waitstaff call you hun, and babe. Everyone has always raved about the milkshakes and so I had to go for my traditional favorite the malted black and white. This was the first thing to arrive and it was my favorite item of the day. The make their own icecream there, so you know they are serious. It was served in an old school metal milkshake cup, and was thick, malty and absolutely fantastic. Hands down one of the best milkshakes I have ever had.





Next came the spicy cheese fries, cheese on the side. They use name brand cheese whiz, which is a plus. The spice was even on the fries and was faintly reminiscent of Chickie and Pete's crab fries. The fries themselves, however, were great. They were freshly cut and fried, with the potato skins still on. Although they weren't ultra crispy, they were really good, addictive fries. The cheese starts to thicken quickly once it cools (a property that is unique to brand name whiz), so you must eat quickly.



Next came the spicy onion rings with ranch. They actually just give you a squeeze bottle full of ranch, so there is no running out. Another plus. The rings were good, not necessarily spicy, but tasty, however my threshold for grease was nearing maximum capacity (especially with a milkshake also in the mix).


The burger was up at the same time. I chose "The Whole Shebang" double which included two patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and relish.


Here is an upside down version because that is how it was working out for me at the time. It was a good solid flat top grilled burger. I really liked it. Just the right amount of grease, and the pickles and relish were great. Not life changing, but a solid old school burger shack style burger.


As an after thought, there were spicy nuggets involved somehow. I could hardly choke any down, as I was completely stuffed, but they were good nuggets. No processed chicken, just chunks of white meat chicken breast. These were the spicy version, but much like the onion rings, not so spicy. Still good however.


Look at how many toy and candy vending machines they had, and this was only half of them! Awesome. $1 well spent, and 4 rubber wrestlers acquired to round out the trip.


I really, really liked the bike rack out front. I think there will be a group burger and shake ride coming up this spring.


Overall, I really liked it here. I felt like I ate a cement block afterward, but it was worth it. If you want to feel as though you worked up an appetite traveling back through time making sure your parents meet, and battling Bif the local jock, than this is the place for you (please tell me you "got" the Back to the Future references).