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Shake Shack, all over the place Before I go into specifics about The Shack, let me address the elephant in the room: the In-N-Out vs. Shake Shack controversy. Shake Shack is supposedly a “west coast style” burger with a New York twist, so the comparison is inevitable. The In-N-Out aficionados of the west (such as myself) famously rant and rave about their beloved burger. The always competitive east think they finally have their hands on something that will make the westies eat their words. And yadda yadda… The two are not comparable. They belong in two separate genres of food experience. Sure they’re both burgers, but a chihuahua and a pitbull are both dogs, and you wouldn’t put them in the same ring because that would be just plain cruel. (Not that I would find dog fighting of any sort to not becruel). For one, The Shack burger is more than double the price of an In-N-Out cheeseburger ($4.75 for Shack, $2-something for In-N-Out). In-N-Out burger patties are much thinner than Shake Shack burgers, which to me is not a downside, but merely a difference, much like how Chicago deep-dish differs from New York thin crust. In-N-Out is a fast food joint. Shake Shack is a casual restaurant - complete with buzzers and everything (at In-N-Out they just holler when your food is ready). In-N-Out deserves to be compared to McD’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and other fast food chains that are price-comparable and provide a similar experience. In that arena, In-N-Out reigns supreme with its exceptional freshness and quality of ingredients. This is why it’s a Southern California institution, and why it just tastes so damn good. I think a fairer comparison for Shake Shack would be a burger of a similar price range and girth, like Five Guys, or Washington DC’s Good Stuff Eatery - though Good Stuff burgers are fancier and double the price of Shake Shack, so it might be more appropriate to compare those to more upscale, gourmet burgers. (Frankly, it’s been too long since I’ve had Five Guys to fairly comment on how it stacks up against Shake Shack.) The beauty of it is I never have to pick between Shake Shack or In-N-Out. Since there will never be both within a reachable vicinity, I will never have the immediate dilemma of deciding between the two. They never have to compete with each other. Unless I decide to base where I live on which one I want to be near…but that’s just crazy talk. (Right?) Though the Angeleno in me always will have a special place in my heart for In-N-Out, I think it’s safe to say that I love Shake Shack. I can have a burger love on each coast. They don’t have to know about each other. For this reason and all the aforementioned, I say this burger battle is invalid, and I would love to put it to rest, allowing both to exist happily in their vastly different worlds. Now that that’s out of the way, I can talk about how delicious the Shack Burger was. The patty was thick and juicy, though a little more cooked than I would have liked, and the bread was soft. The fries were not spectacular (they lack the obvious freshness of In-N-Out’s fries, which taste like they were a whole potato just a moment ago) but I appreciated their presence as a burger companion. I haven’t had a shake from there yet, which seems blasphemous, but the burger always has been my priority. It has yet to disappoint me. So far, the long lines have been worth it. But I am one to argue that wait time improves your impression of a food, because doesn’t it just make you hungrier?

Shake Shack, all over the place

Before I go into specifics about The Shack, let me address the elephant in the room: the In-N-Out vs. Shake Shack controversy. Shake Shack is supposedly a “west coast style” burger with a New York twist, so the comparison is inevitable. The In-N-Out aficionados of the west (such as myself) famously rant and rave about their beloved burger. The always competitive east think they finally have their hands on something that will make the westies eat their words. And yadda yadda…

The two are not comparable. They belong in two separate genres of food experience. Sure they’re both burgers, but a chihuahua and a pitbull are both dogs, and you wouldn’t put them in the same ring because that would be just plain cruel. (Not that I would find dog fighting of any sort to not becruel).

For one, The Shack burger is more than double the price of an In-N-Out cheeseburger ($4.75 for Shack, $2-something for In-N-Out). In-N-Out burger patties are much thinner than Shake Shack burgers, which to me is not a downside, but merely a difference, much like how Chicago deep-dish differs from New York thin crust. In-N-Out is a fast food joint. Shake Shack is a casual restaurant - complete with buzzers and everything (at In-N-Out they just holler when your food is ready). In-N-Out deserves to be compared to McD’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and other fast food chains that are price-comparable and provide a similar experience. In that arena, In-N-Out reigns supreme with its exceptional freshness and quality of ingredients. This is why it’s a Southern California institution, and why it just tastes so damn good. I think a fairer comparison for Shake Shack would be a burger of a similar price range and girth, like Five Guys, or Washington DC’s Good Stuff Eatery - though Good Stuff burgers are fancier and double the price of Shake Shack, so it might be more appropriate to compare those to more upscale, gourmet burgers. (Frankly, it’s been too long since I’ve had Five Guys to fairly comment on how it stacks up against Shake Shack.)

The beauty of it is I never have to pick between Shake Shack or In-N-Out. Since there will never be both within a reachable vicinity, I will never have the immediate dilemma of deciding between the two. They never have to compete with each other. Unless I decide to base where I live on which one I want to be near…but that’s just crazy talk. (Right?) Though the Angeleno in me always will have a special place in my heart for In-N-Out, I think it’s safe to say that I love Shake Shack. I can have a burger love on each coast. They don’t have to know about each other. For this reason and all the aforementioned, I say this burger battle is invalid, and I would love to put it to rest, allowing both to exist happily in their vastly different worlds.

Now that that’s out of the way, I can talk about how delicious the Shack Burger was. The patty was thick and juicy, though a little more cooked than I would have liked, and the bread was soft. The fries were not spectacular (they lack the obvious freshness of In-N-Out’s fries, which taste like they were a whole potato just a moment ago) but I appreciated their presence as a burger companion. I haven’t had a shake from there yet, which seems blasphemous, but the burger always has been my priority. It has yet to disappoint me. So far, the long lines have been worth it. But I am one to argue that wait time improves your impression of a food, because doesn’t it just make you hungrier?

Umami Burger, Los Feliz, Hollywood Have you ever had a special person in your life that you haven’t seen in a long time, so you don’t remember their face or what they look like exactly, but somehow you remember how they made you feel? I haven’t. But I have had a burger like this. It was the day after Christmas. It had been a couple years since my very first taste of an Umami Burger. A total case of absence making the heart grow fonder. It had been long enough for me to forget the sensation, the flavors and textures…but the rush of pure bliss still lingered in my memory. I asked my cousin Ryan, who has been about 25 times, what’s good. “Everything,” he says. “Some better than others, but nothing is not good.” When asked what his favorite burger is, he offers an unnarrow-downable list of seven burgers out of the only 10-or-so that are on the menu. He orders sides for the table. One of each: thick cut fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and off-the-menu cheesy potato poppers. They each come with a fancy condiment: truffle aioli, truffle ketchup, jalapeño ranch. We also ordered a pitcher of pale ale for the table. Beer, burger, sides, and family. You don’t need anything else. I order the truffle burger because … when has a truffle ever let me down? Medium rare, because the juicier and bloodier, the better. It arrived. Small. Neat. On a white, rectangular plate. Simple. The picture does it no justice. I am almost embarrassed by how and dark and lonely the photo depicts the burger, because it really is a glorious little thing. I took a first bite, and my facial muscles began to contort uncontrollably. I wondered “What is happening to my face?” I soon realized I was smiling. Ear to ear. I couldn’t help it. It might be the best burger I’ve had in my life.

Umami Burger, Los Feliz, Hollywood

Have you ever had a special person in your life that you haven’t seen in a long time, so you don’t remember their face or what they look like exactly, but somehow you remember how they made you feel? I haven’t. But I have had a burger like this.

It was the day after Christmas. It had been a couple years since my very first taste of an Umami Burger. A total case of absence making the heart grow fonder. It had been long enough for me to forget the sensation, the flavors and textures…but the rush of pure bliss still lingered in my memory.

I asked my cousin Ryan, who has been about 25 times, what’s good. “Everything,” he says. “Some better than others, but nothing is not good.” When asked what his favorite burger is, he offers an unnarrow-downable list of seven burgers out of the only 10-or-so that are on the menu. He orders sides for the table. One of each: thick cut fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and off-the-menu cheesy potato poppers. They each come with a fancy condiment: truffle aioli, truffle ketchup, jalapeño ranch. We also ordered a pitcher of pale ale for the table. Beer, burger, sides, and family. You don’t need anything else.

I order the truffle burger because … when has a truffle ever let me down? Medium rare, because the juicier and bloodier, the better.

It arrived. Small. Neat. On a white, rectangular plate. Simple. The picture does it no justice. I am almost embarrassed by how and dark and lonely the photo depicts the burger, because it really is a glorious little thing.

I took a first bite, and my facial muscles began to contort uncontrollably. I wondered “What is happening to my face?” I soon realized I was smiling. Ear to ear. I couldn’t help it. It might be the best burger I’ve had in my life.

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