Richard P.
Yelp
I'd been hoping to get to Shake Shack since their opening. I pondered waiting for the Fashion Mall location to open, but today I was near Fishers wrapping up some business and decided to take the opportunity to check it out.
I'll admit that I'm not fond of this location. The Fishers District offers a whole lot, but the area is just so congested and during peak hours it just drives me a bit bonkers.
However, this was before the pre-dinner rush and crowds hadn't yet descended upon this area. Shake Shack is located in a free-standing building. There's parking all around it including 2-3 accessible parking spots near the front door. They did have an area roped off right by the door (I'm guessing crowd control) that partially was blocking these spots.
I knew very little about Shake Shack prior to my arrival other than it is a burger joint with custard, crinkle-cut fries, and other options. The entryway is accessible. There was one register open for those paying with cash. The person working made it known that credit card users could use one of four computer terminals to order. I hesitated to do so since this was my first visit, but with a few people in line I opted to go ahead and do so.
These computer terminals have a nice organization to them. You essentially have a handful of possible food areas that you can easily click on. You add the items you want to your "basket," check out, pay, and they call your name when your food is ready. Kudos to one employee who saw I was in a wheelchair and offered (and remembered) to bring my food to me.
I ordered a double burger plain, an order of crinkle-cut fries, and a large iced tea. I did not try custard on this visit. My order came in at just under $15. I was pleased the terminal didn't ask me if I wanted to tip. It's a pet peeve question of mine when I'm not provided service.
They prepare the drinks. It wasn't clear if they offer refills. I couldn't find this information on the menu. This was a lacking to me since a large iced tea is $3.09. $3.09 for an iced tea that was smaller than a traditional large seemed a bit steep and I was thirsty when I left.
The double burger sort of leaned toward the Steak n' Shake/Culver's style of burgers. It's an angus burger. The fries are solid. They have a handful of outside tables. I found a smaller indoor table - a decision I would regret thanks to two of our younger children who were a bit loud the entire time I was there.
The dining room is sort of an open concept. I'm not fond of the design. It feels very busy and was definitely overly loud. I can't imagine what it's like when it's full. There are a couple wide-screen televisions, though it was music overhead that dominated.
The food was good. The burger was a highlight for sure. It's in a weird price range somewhere between fast food and fast casual.
They seemed to be straightening up the place a bit. I'll admit I expected it to be a bit more pristine since it's relatively new. My table was dirty...not gross...but definitely not clean.
This wasn't a bad experience. It wasn't really a good experience. The employee who brought my food was probably the highlight. I'm not a fan of self-serve kiosks, though in this time when finding staff is difficult I'm sure it helps. However, if I'm paying $15 for a meal a little human contact is nice.
The food is solid, though I wouldn't call it destination food. I wouldn't go out of my way to have this meal again. I would certainly stop in if in the area. I may more easily go to Fashion Mall since it's closer to my Lawrence home.
The atmosphere was the real disappointment here. After a hard work day, I want to relax and this just wasn't relaxing. If I'd sat outside, I may feel differently. If I'd known about refills (Admittedly, I didn't ask), that may have helped.
Overall, this was a middle-of-the-road experience for me. I'd probably go up to 3.5 due to the employee's helpfulness. However, the congested and loud atmosphere and dirty table have me comfortable leaving my rating at 3 stars for now. If I visit again, which I'd consider doubtful, I'll re-evaluate. However, I will be visiting the Fashion Mall location and will hopefully have a better experience.