[NYC - Upper West Side] Shake Shack - Single Shack Burger, Fries, and Shack Stack

If you have ever been to New York, I'm sure you recognize this scene! That's right! It's Shake Shack! Single ShackBurger + Fries + Coke.

What's your favorite Shake Shack menu item?


Can you believe that I had been living in New York for more than one year before having my first ShackBurger? I had been to Shake Shack on multiple occasions, but usually just opted for fries and a custard shake.

So, there are three really popular and crowded locations of Shake Shack in New York City. The iconic Madison Square Park location (Madison Ave. and E. 23rd St.), the Times Square location (8th Ave and W. 44th), and the Grand Central Terminal location. Each location has its own charm and each has a unique menu. This review is about the location near the Museum of Natural History (Columbus Ave. and W. 77th St.). I like this location since it's pretty convenient to get here from Columbia. It's also located near Central Park and the Museum. Another great feature of this location is the seating. There is indoor seating on two levels - you can reserve the bottom level for parties or large gatherings. Even still, it is semi-difficult to get seats, but not impossible. I have always succeeded at getting seats by the time my food has been ready.

They will give you the option of "for here" or "to-go" and I recommend saying "to-go" even if you plan on eating in. They'll give you your food in a carry-out bag and box combo and then, if you fail to get chairs, you can bring your meal to have a cute little picnic in the park.

They'll give you a buzzer and you generally have to wait around 5 minutes for your order to be ready.

This location also has different French fries ($2.85), which I enjoy. Some people were upset about it, so just a warning about that. Unlike the other locations that serve the crinkle fries, this one serves straight, thinner fries. I did see the crinkle fries when people ordered cheese fries, but since I am semi-lactose sensitive and don't like crinkle fries or thick fries, I have never ordered those.

So, the ShackBurger ($4.75) was great for my first ShakeShack burger. It met my high expectations. (Seriously, my friends around the world rave about this burger...) It was not dry, as I had feared because that happens a lot at burger places, and the lettuce was still crisp and tomatoes were fresh, so I knew the burger was made-to-order. The bun was also not dry and seemed relatively fresh.

Last week, my friend came to NYC. She has been to New York on multiple occasions, but had never tried ShakeShack before. Since we went to Rita's for the free Italian ice on the first day of spring and were in the area, we made a dinner stop at Shake Shack near the Museum.


She went all out with her order. She didn't get the ShackBurger, but got the ShackStack ($8.95). She doesn't care for cheese, so she got the burger minus the cheese, so if you order it, it would be a cheeseburger. The burger is topped with a 'Shroom burger. She had it as ordered, she said they explained that they couldn't serve it minus the cheese since the mushroom is stuffed with cheese. When she bit into the burger, the cheese oozed out of the mushroom. She said she enjoyed the burger and the cheese in the mushroom was not overly cheese-flavored.

Concretes: (Single $4.75)
A great thing about Shake Shack is that each location has a unique set of Concretes. These are kind of like shakes, but have more components mixed into them, making them a thicker than shakes.

Sorry, no picture for the shakes, but they kinda just look like a cup.
These are way too big for me to finish by myself, so consider sharing or else be prepared to either waste it or eat it as a leftover...or have a tummyache.

At the UWS / Museum location - I had the "Upper West Side" concrete. This is vanilla custard with strawberry, banana, and cheesecake.

At the Madison Square Park location - I have tried the "Hopscotch" concrete - vanilla custard, caramel, toffee, and dark chocolate.

At the Times Square location - I have tried the "Great White Way" concrete - vanilla custard, marshmallow, and chocolate crispies. Also, if you purchase this one, some of the proceeds go to Broadway Cares.

*FTC Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through the links provided and make a purchase.*

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