(212) 889-6600

Madison Square Park
New York, NY 10010 40.7422 -73.9881

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Neighborhoods: Midtown South Central, Midtown

shakeshacknyc.com/

Price:

$

Last updated 8.15.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Outdoor Dining, Notable Chef, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Hamburgers, Traditional American, Hot Dogs, Fast Food

Smoking Permitted:

Yes

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Shake Shack

Featured Review

Katie Heffernan

Contributor

Restaurateur Danny Meyer fashioned this al fresco burger joint as a retro urban retreat. He never intended it to become a cult, with two hour lines most days. Resting beneath a leafy canopy of trees, the shiny shack's pick-up window, smiling service and "soda pop" marquee recall 1950s chic. New Yorkers of all sorts fill the spread of green fold-up tables--and spill to nearby benches. Why wait? The Shack has perfected the art of the hamburger to a near unsurpassable point: from the custom Pat La Frieda mix to the cooking program, which involves a paint scraper, to perfectly buttered buns and…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Make it even more all-American with naturally sweet, homemade lemonade or a beer (or half-bottle of wine). But be sure to keep alcohol in the restaurant's seating area.
The Extras:
Vegetarians can get greasy, too. The tasty 'shroom burger's portobello patty is muenster-stuffed and deep-fried.
Know Before You Go:
Dogs are welcomed with the "Pooch-ini," a frozen custard, peanut butter and dog biscuit dessert.
When to Go:
Shake Shack is open year-round, with a three week closure over the winter holidays.
When to Go:
Lunchtime is busiest, but business slows after work around 7pm. It's open rain or shine, and lines are shortest when it pours.
The Extras:
Vegetarians can get greasy, too. The tasty 'shroom burger's portobello patty is muenster-stuffed and deep-fried. Dogs are welcomed with the "Pooch-ini," a frozen custard, peanut butter and dog biscuit dessert.
Know Before You Go:
The restaurant's popularity means the line can sometimes stretch to the park's southeast entrance.
dessert
94.44000244140625% positive
  1. “usually don't splurge on desserts, but the ice cream ("concretes") took me by surprise--a great combination of soft serve and ice cream, with addictive add-ins.”
  2. “Shakes and daily changing ice cream flavors are amazing, you can taste that they're made fresh, and the cheese fries are great.”
  3. “great burgers, fries and ice cream.”
  4. “Highly recommend this place out doors it's great when is not too hot , also the food was very good burgers were uuuhummmmmmm , but the shakes were like any were also personaly nothing special about the shakes , ice cream was deli , go try it!”
  5. “Decent Burgers, Great Fries, Better ice cream”
  6. “couple of hints: 1) avoid going during peak lunch and dinner hours - everything is made fresh so it takes time, 2) definitely try their "Concrete" desert - my favorite is chocolate with bananas and hot fudge mixed in.”
drinks
90.0% positive
  1. “the food is consistently really really good, and where else can you get a great burger, better yet a half bottle of wine, in a beautiful park in this city?”
  2. “Other than that, everything else was great - outdoor dining and amazingly delicious burgers, fries and beer.”
  3. “except the red wine I ordered was barely drinkable and the worst I have ever had (and trust me, I like the cheap stuff!)”
  4. “Shake Shake has by the best burger in NYC, bar none.”
  5. “There are wines offered but, the wines are subpar and beers (which would make everything perfect) if the beers were cold.”
food quality
92.70999908447266% positive
  1. “The hopscotch is delicious, as well as the shack burgers and cheese fries.”
  2. “even this shake shack sauce is good.”
  3. “The shake shack had the best burgers!”
  4. “Best burger in NYC, enough said.”
  5. “I've now eaten there 3 times and the burgers are simply delicious, if not that large.”
  6. “dont know you american if you like this bread but we in italy have better bread.”
  7. “Granted it was a nice day, so waiting outdoors didn't seem so bad, but still, an hour for a burger seems a little excessive.”
  8. “Bad bread smell of yeast - Kool Aid lemonade”
  9. “Good burgers just have to come for the early lunch around 11 - 11:30 or late lunch !”
  10. “burger itself was great, the bun was good, and the lettuce was amazingly fresh.”
  11. “Enjoy the park, enjoy the scenery, and get ready for truly the best burger you've ever had.”
  12. “Not a big burger, so you may need a few or order the double or triple burgers.”
  13. “Shake Shake has by the best burger in NYC, bar none.”
  14. “Taste wise I thought the burger was fantastic.”
  15. “Other than that, everything else was great - outdoor dining and amazingly delicious burgers, fries and beer.”
  16. “Again, the burger is delicious as well as the fries, but I'm not sure I'd spend my entire lunch break standing in line.”
  17. “I'd pay more for a meal than I do, but the decent price makes this place that much more right.”
  18. “The burger is good, but on the small side, and definitely not good enough to justify waiting in a long line.”
  19. “Long story short, the burger was good and cheap ($4-$7 depending on double), but not worth the wait and fight for seating.”
  20. “fresh lettuce and tomato !”
  21. “The burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes were all very good - like a suburban drive-in.”
  22. “The shakes and fries are also pretty good and the service is as efficient and friendly as can be under the circumstances.”
  23. “Decent food and fair prices, but the wasted time in line outweighs the overall value of the experience.”
  24. “These burgers had no grease and were tightly packed with amazing flavor.”
  25. “Really good burger would go again, this was my first time so I really did not mind the line it moved pretty well.”
  26. “The fries, however, were just mediocre.”
  27. “love the food!”
  28. “like how it is not an overwhelming portion of food too, and you can order booze.”
  29. “The fries were also very good and we definitely had an excellent experience.”
  30. “great food.”
  31. “Fantastic burger!”
  32. “One of the best burgers in NYC”
  33. “couple of hints: 1) avoid going during peak lunch and dinner hours - everything is made fresh so it takes time, 2) definitely try their "Concrete" desert - my favorite is chocolate with bananas and hot fudge mixed in.”
  34. “All in all, very good food and yes, I would wait again, maybe for the Shackburger, or a double burger.”
  35. “and the fries aren't very good either -- they're oily crinkle-cut fries that you could get in any grocery freezer.”
  36. “The burgers are perfect size not falling all over the place.”
  37. “we enjoyed our food & time in the park but it's not really worth the wait on a frequent basis unless you have all that time to burn.”
  38. “great burgers with fresh ground beef.”
  39. “The meat was plump and moist, and the toppings were fresh and colorful.”
  40. “juicy burger”
  41. “Make sure you get a milk shake to compliment your burger and get ready for your taste buds to explode.”
  42. “The burgers tasted really fresh and I topped it off with some frozen custard.”
  43. “love the 'shroom burger, although the first time I had it was the best one yet, and the curly fries were great too.”
  44. “The burgers did not disappoint.”
  45. “I'd recommend Island Burger (larger in height of burger, so they can cook it rare) and Chelsea Grill (all around best, because it's taller and wider burger) and Les Meridian Parker Hotel (back to small burger (thin) but has ultimate coolness factor, with ”
  46. “the food is consistently really really good, and where else can you get a great burger, better yet a half bottle of wine, in a beautiful park in this city?”
  47. “Awesome food”
  48. “This is the best burger in NYC.”
  49. “yummy burgers”
  50. “shake sauce was delicious.”
  51. “I'd recommend this place to anyone for a burger, but don't spend the extra money on one of there shakes.”
  52. “My whole suite travels from Columbia Univ. to Madison Square Park just for the burgers there-- so good and the staff is super sweet!”
  53. “All told, we spent over a hour waiting for basically an above-average burger and decent fries.”
  54. “The burgers (got both the regular burger and the Shack burger) were the best I've had in awhile and the strawberry milk shake alone would have almost warranted the long wait.”
  55. “burgers come well-done for everyone, but theyre so well-seasoned and juicy that there should be no complaints (shack burger with their special sauce is highly recommended).”
  56. “got a shake (it was good but I'm not a shake expert), and burger was good but small and only cooked well done (partially b/c it was so small- they don't even ask).”
  57. “The line was ridiculous when I went, but I took this as a reassuring testament to the power of the Shake Shack burger.”
  58. “The wait is usually long, and coming here for your first time I can easily see why people would be disappointed-the prices aren't the cheapest, and the food is excellent but it's not transcendental.”
  59. “thought we have great burgers in Cali, but this place really matches up!”
  60. “The burgers are great!”
  61. “One of the best burgers I have ever had”
  62. “great burgers, fries and ice cream.”
  63. “Shakes, fries and your standard diner food are all really good.”
  64. “great burgers”
  65. “The burger was delicious, just like everyone says, but I am unsure as to what separates their shakes from a shake from any other place.”
  66. “My burger was mighty tasty, but a wee too greasy for my personal taste.”
  67. “Highly recommend this place out doors it's great when is not too hot , also the food was very good burgers were uuuhummmmmmm , but the shakes were like any were also personaly nothing special about the shakes , ice cream was deli , go try it!”
  68. “Affordable tasty grilled burgers and wonderful custard shakes.”
  69. “The Shack Burger is always perfectly seasoned and has the perfect bun to meat ratio (get two burgers instead of a double if you're really hungry).”
  70. “the shackburger was very tasty but don't expect girth here in your patty.”
  71. “Cheese fries were crispy, Chicago Dog was excellent also.”
  72. “The burgers are amazing, and the rest of the food is fairly great.”
  73. “Beverage was good (fresh ingredients really stand out here), and points to the staff for not overloading the cups with ice, a personal pet peeve.”
  74. “Shake shack probably couldn't help but be overrated, but that's no reason to get all negative -- the burgers are still very good.”
  75. “The doubleshack burger was amazing, cooked just right with all the fixings, and the custard was delicious.”
  76. “The burgers weren't bad but the fries were awful, they tasted like bad frozen ore-ida fries.”
  77. “Great burger, perfect summer spot”
  78. “The Shrooms burger was decent.”
  79. “our favorite burger in NYC”
  80. “The meat is so smooth and has the perfect blend of being slightly crisp on the outside and being soft and juicy on the inside.”
  81. “Shake Shack is a great burger joint for the summer.”
  82. “Fresh ground sirloin beef, delicious bakery potato buns topped with Roma tomatoes.”
  83. “personally find the meat to be a bit too oniony and "seasoned" tasting to get the highest marks, but it's still a great place to get a burger fix.”
  84. “Shakes and daily changing ice cream flavors are amazing, you can taste that they're made fresh, and the cheese fries are great.”
  85. “How could a burger be this good ?”
  86. “remember the summer of 2004, when Danny Meyer opened this modern, architecturally sleek designed burger shack in the middle of Madison Square Park, I had visions of easily rolling up on the Shack and sampling their tasty burgers on a daily basis, howeve”
  87. “The burger is the best I've had in NYC oozing with juice, the special sauce and a great cut of meat.”
  88. “Enjoying this beautiful October weather, the Shake Shack is a great choice for a delicious for an alfresco dinner in the heart of NYC.”
  89. “I've tried the other common "finalists" for best burger (Corner Bistro, Burger Joint etc) and while those are good, this one has them beat by a mile.”
  90. “the concretes/shakes/custards are good but i always feel too full when i stray from just the burger.”
  91. “The burger was delicious, but the rush was over too fast.”
  92. “You can tell that the burgers are fresh and not frozen.”
  93. “If you want a big nasty sloppy burger go to Jackson Hole, but if you want the real deal quality burger go to Shake Shack!”
  94. “Good burger, if you have the time”
  95. “It is still a decent burger but to say its the best?”
  96. “Sit under a canopy of trees while digging into that delicious juicy thang and its crispy crinkle-cut fries.”
  97. “It was delicious, great meat quality and natural taste.”
  98. “cheap eats, good food!”
  99. “great place to enjoy a summer evening eating delicious burgers, cheese fries and their yummy shakes!”
  100. “Not the best burger we've ever had, but certainly up there!”
  101. “The buns are soft, but hold the contents of the burger, the vegetable toppings were fresh, and the meat was seasoned nicely to really make this burger stand out among the competition.”
  102. “The shroomburger is also good, interesting concept and very tasty.”
  103. “The Cago Dog was very unique, but the blend of fresh flavors just did not do it for me.”
  104. “The food is awesome and if you are waiting in line and someone asks you if the food is good enough to wait 45 minutes for.”
  105. “wonder why some people and some magazines could consider this burger good”
  106. “know people who really enjoy a GREASY burger, but I prefer a lil' less on mine.”
  107. “the burgers are amazing, you can taste the two different meats in the burger.”
  108. “good burger can be so satisfying.”
  109. “Also the fries are very good too.”
  110. “Crinkle cut, salty, crispy, delicious.”
  111. “The "Shack Burger" has a great taste to it and the fries are thin and crispy.”
  112. “Great food AND reasonable prices.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Shake Shack is a great place to hang out in the summer months.”
  2. “great place to enjoy a summer evening eating delicious burgers, cheese fries and their yummy shakes!”
  3. “good place to eat on a sunny day”
  4. “personally find the meat to be a bit too oniony and "seasoned" tasting to get the highest marks, but it's still a great place to get a burger fix.”
  5. “thought we have great burgers in Cali, but this place really matches up!”
service
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “staff is friendly”
  2. “Beverage was good (fresh ingredients really stand out here), and points to the staff for not overloading the cups with ice, a personal pet peeve.”
  3. “The gentleman who took our order was friendly & offered xtras to the cheeseburger I ordered.”
  4. “My whole suite travels from Columbia Univ. to Madison Square Park just for the burgers there-- so good and the staff is super sweet!”
  5. “Once you're up there ordering, the staff is friendly & efficient (plus there's a bit of pleasure looking back at the long line you're at the front of!)”
  6. “The "restaurant" was also very clean and family friendly.”
  7. “The wait is usually long, and coming here for your first time I can easily see why people would be disappointed-the prices aren't the cheapest, and the food is excellent but it's not transcendental.”
  8. “Friendly service, good value.”
  9. “The staff were very slow taking orders despite the long line.”
  10. “The shakes and fries are also pretty good and the service is as efficient and friendly as can be under the circumstances.”
  11. “know people who really enjoy a GREASY burger, but I prefer a lil' less on mine.”
  12. “wonder why some people and some magazines could consider this burger good”
value
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “except the red wine I ordered was barely drinkable and the worst I have ever had (and trust me, I like the cheap stuff!)”
  2. “I'd pay more for a meal than I do, but the decent price makes this place that much more right.”
  3. “I'd recommend this place to anyone for a burger, but don't spend the extra money on one of there shakes.”
  4. “braved the blustery weather and the chances of a huge line, but luckily there was no line (probably because we went right before it closed for the night) and the cold might've kept everyone away.”
  5. “Great food AND reasonable prices.”
  6. “Friendly service, good value.”
  7. “The wait is usually long, and coming here for your first time I can easily see why people would be disappointed-the prices aren't the cheapest, and the food is excellent but it's not transcendental.”
  8. “we enjoyed our food & time in the park but it's not really worth the wait on a frequent basis unless you have all that time to burn.”
  9. “Decent food and fair prices, but the wasted time in line outweighs the overall value of the experience.”
  10. “Long story short, the burger was good and cheap ($4-$7 depending on double), but not worth the wait and fight for seating.”
  11. “cheap eats, good food!”
  12. “Not worth the ridiculous wait or fighting for a chair”
wait time
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “The staff were very slow taking orders despite the long line.”
  2. “The wait is usually long, and coming here for your first time I can easily see why people would be disappointed-the prices aren't the cheapest, and the food is excellent but it's not transcendental.”
  3. “The burgers (got both the regular burger and the Shack burger) were the best I've had in awhile and the strawberry milk shake alone would have almost warranted the long wait.”
  4. “The burger is good, but on the small side, and definitely not good enough to justify waiting in a long line.”
  5. “Go when you've got some time to burn, the experience is more enjoyable when you're not freaking out about how long the lines takes.”
  6. “Once you're up there ordering, the staff is friendly & efficient (plus there's a bit of pleasure looking back at the long line you're at the front of!)”
  7. “The food is awesome and if you are waiting in line and someone asks you if the food is good enough to wait 45 minutes for.”
2 Star Rating: Below Average

04/30/12

It's Okay

by Melissa2287

I went here for a quick bite to eat. I've heard so much about this place and decided this was the perfect time to try it. Honestly... I thought it was okay. The service was pretty fast. I did not get a burger. I got a shake and the Chicago hot dog. Maybe I need to try the burgers. I thought the hot dog was average and I've tasted better shakes. I probably wouldn't go back there again since everything was just okay for me but I might reconsider a visit one day.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/01/12

The best

by joewheel

My partner and I take our daughter here every Sunday.

Amazing food and a great chill location.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/25/12

Amazing burgers

by makoy731

This has become my go to place for some good juicy burgers. The meat's perfectly cooked and whatever sauce they put on it is a sure winner. I always get a double because a single just isn't enough...and it's a cruel joke because you'll end getting in line again for another one. So save yourself the trouble and make sure you get a double. The fries I don't think is all that special but the burger is the star when I come here. I've also tried their chocolate shake and I liked it but I liked the root beer float a lot better. This location has some thieving squirrels so be prepared. They're so brazen that they will literally get on your table and steal the fries right out of your basket. The 1st time I came here I was pretty shocked. We had to get up and leave our table and watch those thieves steal our condiments and even our forks. Oh and the line...I've waited about 45 min. the last time I was there but their burger's worth the wait I think. It's a beautiful location especially when the weather is nice.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/07/11

Love the Shack!

by coastalvr

Food is so good here & love that it's in the Park. Worth the wait

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/30/11

best ever

by DarWallace

You can go to the Shake Shack for a shake but in reality it’s the burgers and fries you should be taking a look at, because their amazing, while also trying to ignore the line that seems to be present from the time the Shake Shack opens until just about closing time. There’s no avoiding it, but the good news is that the line moves fast, and I actually made a couple friends while online during my lunch hour.

Lots of times with burgers these days you can’t taste the beef, and maybe they don’t want you too, but with Shake Shack burgers you can, and it’s delicious. So the burgers are amazing but I have to say that the Shake Shack burger sauce is my new crack-I even ask for a side order to make a nice dip for my fries. The shakes are also really good, as are the corn dogs. All in all a trip to the shake shack is definitely worth it, and then some.

The Details on Shake Shack

Place Categories:

  • best doubleshack burger
  • delicious cheese fries
  • good standard diner food
  • great place
  • good shakes
  • small sloppy burger
  • friendly staff
  • too bad line
  • all very good hot dogs
  • pretty park
  • very tasty shroomburger
  • recommend frozen custard
  • more enjoyable experience
  • not very good frozen oreida fries
  • fresh vegetable toppings
  • not like shake shack
  • good bun
  • enjoy scenery
  • amazing flavor
  • favorite summer spot
  • nice warm nest
  • cool everything
  • juicy filling
  • perfect size
  • hate hamburger

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