While ThegreatDCburgercaper went into food hibernation for much of 2011, new burger restaurants sprouted throughout the District. This fall, we'll venture out to these new-to-DC establishments. First up, Shake Shack. Born in 2004 within Manhattan's Madison Square Park, the Shake Shack franchise left home last year and has quickly spread throughout the East Coast and the Middle East. Indeed, both Kuwait and Dubai boast a Shake Shack. The DC eatery opened in Dupont Circle back in May to much fanfare.
The Burger: The traditional Shack Burger contains lettuce, tomato, American cheese and "special" Shack Sauce. Alas, bacon is not an option. The main burger is served on a toasted potato roll, which may be the best part about the sandwich. The modest-sized roll was soft, yet held together quite well and was anything but soggy. The patty itself was cooked to medium perfection. Nonetheless, it was pretty small and did not have any distinctive flavor. The cheese and sauce blended in to the point where they were hard to notice. Similar to Elevation Burger, the patties are small enough that a double burger is likely a must. In the end, there is nothing good or bad about the burger. It just is.
The Fries: Not a drop of grease was found on the golden brown crinkle cut fries. While they contained a fair amount of salt and were cooked properly, they were underwhelming and reminiscent of something you might find in the frozen food aisle of Giant - McCain/Ore-Ida.
Free Fixins: Basic of the basic - ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
Atmosphere: While not crowded at 6:00 pm on a Sunday evening, most of the tables were full at the ample-sized seating area of the burger joint. The modern industrial interior made for a laid back setting. Exposed brick and a contemporary wood theme permeated the dining space. NFL highlights were featured on the two flat screen TVs, while top 40 blared from the speakers.
Cost: $4.75 for the burger and $2.65 for the fries.
Overall: This would be the perfect location to close out a night of fun in Dupont. High class and affordable late night food? Without doubt! Amazing burger joint? Not so much.
Burger:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Fries:
The Burger Joint
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Good Stuff Eatery
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
Free Fixins:
Good Stuff Eatery
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Z Burger
Elevation Burger
The Burger Joint
Desperados
Shake Shack
Atmosphere:
The Burger Joint
Shake Shack
Good Stuff Eatery
Desperados
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Elevation Burger
Z Burger
Cost:
Elevation Burger $3.99/$2.59
Z Burger $4.38/$2.59
Shack Shake $4.75/$2.65
Desperados $9.50
Good Stuff Eatery $6.69/$3.69
The Burger Joint $8.99/$2.89
Ray's Hell Burger Too $10.50/$2.50
Overall:
The Burger Joint
Good Stuff Eatery
Elevation Burger
Ray's Hell Burger Too
Shake Shack
Z Burger
Desperados
