Mike L.
Yelp
Dang...two and a half stars? Shake Shack, who did you hurt?? Or were all of those problems that I had heard about during those first few months just that bad? Oof.
In all seriousness, while I never would have expected to see such a low rating for a Shake Shack, I can't say that I'm entirely shocked either. It kind of makes sense that there would be service issues, especially when they first opened, and that aspects of the place are starting to feel a little worn given all of the foot traffic that comes and goes here. However, criticism about uncleanliness and having only two kiosks for self-ordering? Yeah, that feels warranted (not to mention self-inflicted).
Despite the poor rating, though, I couldn't not eventually make my way here, considering my love for Shake Shack and how dangerously convenient their newest SF outpost is. For the most part, just about everything looked and felt the same, with the exception of the menu, which included a few things I'd never seen before (specifically the Truffle Burger and Bourbon Bacon Jam Burger). I'm not sure if they are new additions everywhere or just location specific, but as tempting as they looked, I already knew before I walked in that I was going to be getting my go-to favorite.
-- SHACK STACK - Cheeseburger Topped with a 'Shroom Burger, Lettuce, Tomato, and ShackSauce...$12.09
(https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shake-shack-san-francisco-9?select=BWQsphsUnFN7AWr15Il4dA)
Still one of my favorite burgers around. The fried mushroom was just as crispy and cheesy as ever, the bun was just as soft, and the patty was just as juicy. A bit more veggies would've been nice, but this was still delicious as is.
-- CHICKEN BITES - Crispy Whole White-Meat Bites...$5.39 (6 pcs)
(https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shake-shack-san-francisco-9?select=KwR9DubRc1UylUXTqtiwrQ)
On the one hand, these are done decently well - crispy on the outside, not overly battered, and moist on the inside. However, are these "bites" meant for children? Honestly, might as well spend $3 more for the Chicken Shack...
-- COOKIES & CREAM SHAKE...$5.99
(https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shake-shack-san-francisco-9?select=2-7aoItOSQDnQRMPiZdfAg)
My first time trying one of Shake Shack's shakes or concretes and it didn't disappoint! The consistency was a little thick, but it wasn't terrible and I liked how there were still some bits of Oreos blended in.
As far as how service went for me, I actually thought everything was perfectly fine. Granted, ordering at the kiosk kept my interactions with the staff to a minimum, but my order came out relatively quick, my burger looked the same as how it has in the past, and everything seemed relatively clean. Plus, the two workers that I did end up talking to were both really friendly, so no problems there.
If anything, the one thing that did give me pause was seeing how Shake Shack is starting to creep up in price. Obviously It's SF and inflation, believe it or not, is a thing, but $25+ for a burger, shake, and those chicken bites isn't an insignificant amount. Inevitably, though, I have little doubt I'll be back on more than a few occasions in the future. At the end of the day, my affinity for Shake Shack is still just as strong, the Shack Stack is still just as good, and the shake didn't let me down (*ahem*, chicken bites). It also doesn't hurt that they're open relatively late too, which isn't that common on this side of SF.
All in all, THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now (if not for those bites...).