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Eat It Or Leave It: Is Steak N’ Shake’s Expensive Counterpart Worth It?

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“I thought the presentation was great, I think it’s cool how they put the burger in a little sack all cooked great. It was cooked to my liking and [my family] got burgers, fries, and shakes, and they were all delicious,” said Beck. A Single Shack Burger, regular fries, and no drink is the cheapest meal you could get at Shake Shack.
Cold weather, long lines, and crowded atmosphere. That’s what the average St.Louisan has to go through to get their hands on a burger from the famous fast-food chain, Shake Shack. The new restaurant in Central West End opened Dec. 11 of last year, after years of founder and St.Louis native Danny Meyer perfecting the restaurant for his hometown. While the restaurant has caused a lot of hype and the food is tasty, it is not worth the wait or the price.

Before getting into the restaurant, there’s a struggle to find a parking spot since it is located on crowded North Euclid Avenue. Once you get there, a long line wraps outside the restaurant which leads to a 30-40 minute wait just to get to order and another 20 minutes to get your food.

“My initial thoughts [walking in] was that I was a little overwhelmed because it was so crowded. I saw the line and I did not want to wait but my fiance made me,” said resource teacher Kari Longenecker.

Walking in, a big black menu sits upon the wall filled with items such as the Single Shack Burger or Cheese Fries. A Single Shack Burger with regular fries and no drink cost $8.90.

“I knew the price might be higher than other fast food restaurants. I also know that they use high quality products and organic things. I was okay with paying a little more for good quality products,” said English teacher David Beck.

After the 20 minute wait, a server will hand you your food on a metal plate with a fresh meal in sacks. “I thought [the food] was good. I got their mushroom burger because I’m vegetarian and it was pretty good. The cheese fries were also really good,” said junior Anna Osborn.

For the size in portions for the food, the amount of calories are also a little high. A single milkshake is 650 calories, while the single shackburger is 550 calories with 14 grams of saturated fat (70% of a person’s recommended daily intake).

“It was a good burger, and it looked okay. It was a little tiny. I got a single, and I was like oh shoot, should I have gotten a double,” said Longenecker.

The signature burger has drawn many comparisons to other restaurants who also specialize in well-fried steakburgers.

“It was similar to like a Steak N’ Shake burger, and when got it I was like ‘this is what I’m paying 10 dollars for?” said Longenecker.

Overall, the restaurant has many people hooked although the price and process of getting the food have made people wary. Despite those factors, business is still booming for the restaurant.

“I would definitely recommend it to people. I would say prepare to wait in a line for a little while, but for the most part, my family, my kids loved it, and for us it was definitely worth the wait” said Beck.

After my experience I would give the restaurant a 6/10. The restaurant itself is nice as an aesthetic if you want a nice meal after a long day on Central West End. But, enduring what I did, I can get the same type a food closer to where I live for half price. Leave it.

by Ijeoma Nkenchor, Assistant Editor-in-Chief