Shake Shack River North

"It was only a matter time before we chimed in on all the ruckus and hullabaloo surrounding Shake Shack. Danny Meyer has scaled his restaurant concept more aggressively than Mark Cuban looks to grow any Shark Tank contestant's product, and when you're opening new locations on the reg, there's always the question of sustaining quality. Taking into account Shake Shack's recent IPO, we've been carefully weighing whether to BUY! BUY! BUY! or SELL! SELL! SELL! Well the verdict is in, and we are doubling down on buying a whole lot of Shake Shack's cheeseburgers. The thin 100% Angus burger with crispy edges is as good as they come, and the buttered bun that acts as a loading dock is great too. The only question is: do you order a single, which can be a little underwhelming, or a double, which might push you over the edge? These are good problems to have though, so we aren't complaining. Aside from the burgers, we aren't sold on the rest of the food. Crinkle cut fries are good even though we don't think great, and the hot dogs don't do it for us. Shake Shack has a ways to go to catch up with some of the great Chicago hot dog staples in town. Shake Shack deserves credit for making the Chicago location uniquely its own. Rather than feeling like a "New York" chain, Shake Shack Chicago has made the effort to partner up with places like Publican Quality Meats, Bang Bang Pie Shop, and Glazed & Infused to bring some local cred. The Ohio and Rush location will forever be a bit of a tourist destination, but Shake Shack's burgers live up to the hype. It should always be in the burger discussion when you want a casual and delicious bite. Food Rundown Shackburger It's a damn good burger, and now we know why people all over New York go crazy for it. Single or Double is the only question, and often times it feels like right in the middle is where you ideally need to be. 'Shroom Burger A fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese. You don't need to be a vegetarian to give this a try, but it makes Shake Shack a worthy destination if you aren't into the meats. Shack Stack Shackburger + 'Shroom Burger = Yup, this. The added cheesiness of the 'shroom burger makes it all a little too much for us at times, but it no doubt takes your regular burger to the next level. Shack-cago Dog This Chicago style hot dog may be top notch for customers in New York, but for these parts it's decent at best. You are going to Shake Shack for the burgers and milkshakes, so skip out on the dogs - there are too many other great hot dog joints around. Crinkle Cut Fries We don't love the fries here, but that doesn't mean they are bad. You still want them, and probably the cheddar sauce too. Shakes and Concretes It's always hard for us not to get a little ice cream when here. The basic shakes are all well done, or splurge for the concretes that are fun and interesting mixes with local dessert favorites. The Da S'mores concrete teams up with Bang Bang Pie Shop, while the Salted Carame'L' is loaded with Glazed & Infused donuts." - Sam Faye

"If all else fails, there’s always the Shake Shack at the bottom of the Chicago Athletic Association. Sure, the line goes out the door at peak times, but it’s worth it for crinkle-cut fries and a consistently great cheeseburger." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru

"Selling out" will always be a hotly debated topic. Growing up, my friends and I would spend hours arguing about whether or not our favorite bands were sellouts. Green Day, Rancid, Bad Religion, all bands that were supposed to be so punk, yet signed on with a major label at one point in their careers. Were they sellouts? To a 16 year old, absolutely. But looking back, can you really blame them for trying to make some money? After all, music is a business just like everything else. Is LeBron James a sellout? Hell yes. Sure, he took less money to play in Miami, but LeBron's selling out doesn't have to do with the green stuff. Not only did he sell out the city of Cleveland, he sold out his own legacy and all the fans he fooled into believing he had the make up and desire to be one of the greatest players of all time and lead his own team to a championship. Now on to restaurants. Is Danny Meyer a sellout for popping out Shake Shacks faster than The Duggars pop out Mormon children? Nope, he's just an opportunistic businessman, flippin' burgers in a silly hat, Reel Big Fish style. Shacks are multiplying at record speed, across NYC and beyond. Meyer just opened a Miami Beach Shake Shack, and has plans for Washington DC, Saratoga Springs, Boston, and Dubai. We're happy to report that this increase in quantity has had no ill effects on the quality. In fact, the Double Shack Burger I recently took down at the Times Square location was hands down the best Shack Burger I've ever had in my life. Be aware going in, Shake Shack Times Square is quite the tourist attraction. As you might expect, that means insane lines, loud music and all kinds humans everywhere. But at least now all those tourists who fail to make it out of Times Square on their trip can actually get one small taste of what this city is all about. Food Rundown Shack Burger About as good as a hamburger gets. A Pat LaFrieda sirloin and brisket patty with crispy edges on a soft bun. The Shack Sauce is buttery heaven. The only downside here is that the single Shack Burger can leave you wanting more, while the double can put a hurtin' on you. A single and a half would be about perfect. Fries Decent crinkle fries to accompany your burger. If you are really going for it, the cheese fries are pretty damn tasty too. Shack-cago Dog While the burger is fantastic, the dogs at Shake Shack deserve some recognition of their own. This is a true Chicago-style dog, steamed poppy seed bun and all. New York Dog A Vienna beef dog topped with some high end kraut on a potato roll. Not exactly a dirty water dog, but it's tasty." - Andrew Steinthal

"Shake Shack announced that it’s launching the Veggie Shack, a true-to-form veggie burger made with mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, farro, and quinoa." - Bettina Makalintal

"Unlike your seventh birthday party, Shake Shack will never let you down. Because it’s never a bad time for a consistently great cheeseburger and crinkly cut fries. Make sure to get some frozen custard, too." - adrian kane