Shake Shack Stanford Shopping Center
Hamburger restaurant · Palo Alto ·
Lively chain serving Angus burgers, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes & beer
Lively chain serving Angus burgers, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes & beer
"The chain’s first Bay Area shop opened at Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center exactly one year before the San Mateo location, marking the start of Shake Shack’s local expansion from its origins as a New York hot dog cart in 2004." - Eve Batey
"The NY-based chain opened its first Bay Area location in Palo Alto over the weekend, drawing long lines and fiery debates over the merits of crinkle fries. Some diners lined up as early as 7 a.m., waiting hours for the 11 a.m. opening, and over 1,000 fans reportedly poured into the restaurant on opening day. Though critics question adding another burger chain to an already burger-rich region, I found it a well-done take on the genre: the 2,491-square-foot space features sleek, glassy indoor seating, a covered patio, tabletops made from reclaimed bowling-alley lanes, sustainable Uhuru furniture, and it operates completely cashless with fully automated ordering kiosks (the Bay Area rollout was noted as being influenced by higher local labor costs). The restaurant collaborated with local purveyors—beef from Cream Co., buns from Tartine, and custard concretes with ingredients from Manresa Bread, Dandelion Chocolate, and Fremont bakery Pie Dreams (five percent of Pie Dreams concrete sales go to SF food incubator La Cocina)—and its beverage list includes Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Broc Cellars, BREA Wine Co., plus beers from Fort Point, 21st Amendment, and other local brewers; locations in San Francisco and Marin are planned to follow." - Ellen Fort
"Opening on Saturday, December 15, the Palo Alto Shake Shack at the Stanford Shopping Center (180 El Camino Real, Suite #950) lets me sample established favorites like the ShackBurger with the chain’s crinkle-cut fries, flat-top hot dogs, and frozen custard concretes, plus Bay Area–specific items. The Golden State Double was developed with Oakland meat purveyor Cream Co. and features two Angus beef patties from Richards Grassfed Beef, white cheddar, McVickers bread-and-butter pickles, and is served on a Tartine Bakery sweet potato bun. Local concretes include the MB Malt (vanilla custard with Manresa Bread whole wheat chocolate chip walnut cookies and fudge), the Shack Attack (chocolate custard with fudge sauce, chocolate truffle cookie dough, Dandelion dark chocolate chunks, and chocolate sprinkles), and the Pie Oh My (vanilla custard with a slice of seasonal pie from Fremont bakery Pie Dreams) — five percent of Pie Oh My sales go to SF food incubator La Cocina. The 2,491-square-foot location offers indoor and outdoor seating on a covered patio; CounterEv Furniture built the tabletops from old bowling alley lanes, chairs are from designer Uhuru, and booths were built by Staach from sustainable lumber. The beverage list highlights Bay Area producers with wines from Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Broc Cellars, and BREA Wine Co., and beers from Fort Point and 21st Amendment. Shake Shack was spun off by Danny Meyer from Eleven Madison Park in 2004 and has expanded to more than 200 locations; Palo Alto is the chain’s first Bay Area outpost, with additional locations planned in San Francisco and Marin. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday–Saturday." - Caleb Pershan
"The chain's first Bay Area location is hiring staff and preparing to open as soon as late October in Palo Alto at 180 El Camino Real in the Stanford Shopping Center; next locations are planned for Larkspur and San Francisco. The new Bay Area restaurants will feature region-specific Shack delicacies made with local ingredients, including a chocolate-on-chocolate concrete made with Mission-based Dandelion Chocolate and a concrete using Manresa Bread's chocolate chip cookies with vanilla custard. Culinary director Mark Rosati praises Bay Area producers and local burger culture, calls Dandelion’s Mexican-style hot chocolate 'it doesn't get any more decadent than that,' and says he is developing a Bay Area–specific burger (details withheld) while trying to balance celebration of local flavors with Shake Shack's original New York DNA. Rosati also acknowledges the chain's long absence from the Bay Area and says they want to make it worth the wait." - Caleb Pershan
"A Palo Alto outpost at the Stanford Shopping Center (180 El Camino Real) is getting ready to open in the fall, marking another step in Shake Shack’s Bay Area expansion." - Caleb Pershan