When Shake Shack recently opened up their first West Coast location in Los Angeles, it was instantly mobbed, with wait times as long as 2 hours.  We recently visited Shake Shack, and it was a 5-10 minute wait, tops. However, we were all the way in New York, which might be a little far to go in order to avoid a long wait.

Shake Shack is New York’s equivalent of California’s In-N-Out chain – burgers made to order, using fresh ingredients.  Their beef is 100% natural, hormone and antibiotic-free.  The signature ShackBurger is a good, quality burger, a bargain for the price, and comes with cheese, lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce.

One of Shake Shack’s big plusses over In-N-Out is that they actually offer a vegetarian burger option. The ‘Shroom Burger features a deep-fried portobello mushroom,  filled with muenster and cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and Shack sauce. The cheese-filled mushroom oozes cheese once you bite into it. It’s a completely decadent vegetarian burger that could even convince me to order it instead of a traditional beef burger.

Two other ways that Shake Shack is superior to In-N-Out? Shake Shack’s crinkle cut fries are way better than the sad limp excuses for fries that In-N-Out makes. You can even get them topped with cheese. The last way it’s better?  Shake Shack serves beer and wine at their locations.

I’ve yet to try any of their famous shakes and custards, mostly because I feel guilty enough eating burgers and fries and don’t want to overdo it. One day…

Are their burgers better than In-N-Out? Difficult to say, since I have fond memories of going to In-N-Out while growing up. Overall though, I’m giving Shake Shack the lead. Shake Shack, welcome to LA.

Location Throughout New York, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachussetts, Minesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington D.C., Virginia and internationally. Recently opened in Los Angeles.
Website – https://www.shakeshack.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Pesco-Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegetarian – Yes
Vegan Friendly – Do fries count?
Gluten-Free Options – Shake Shack doesn’t have gluten-free buns but can accommodate gluten-free requests.