Shake Shack – Westfield Stratford

By contributor Mathew Lea.

Shake Shack is an American burger chain which opened its first venue in the UK in July 2013 at Covent Garden. They recently opened a second venue at the popular shopping centre Westfield in Stratford.

Burgers have seen a big increase in popularity over the last few years, with brands such as Patty and Bun, Five Guys, Hache and Byron competing for the coveted burger hall of fame. Shake Shack has thrown itself into the mix, and might have found a niche in the market with its concrete (frozen) custard, although I wasn’t convinced their burgers are quite at the same standard as other established brands.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Shake Shack is a fast food joint – you stand in a queue, order your burger at the till, pay and are given a baton which flashes and vibrates when your food is ready to collect. I ordered the double SmokeShack burger, fries with cheese sauce, a beer and a small Peanut Butter CrunchCrete.

My burger came out squashed and like someone had used a bazooka to fill it with an explosion of cheese and minced beef. There was certainly plenty of meat. I wasn’t asked how I wanted my burger cooked (it was well done), and was quite greasy having been fried and topped with copious amounts of sauce and cheese. I was convinced by the server when ordering my food to get the cheese sauce with my fries.

Fries and Cheese Sauce

It’s not something I would usually eat with fries so I asked for it on the side. The fries were crinkle cut and tasted nice enough, but the cheese sauce is not something I would order again. It reminded me of when I used to eat an out-of-the-packet cheese sauce as a poor impoverished student. Up last was the Concrete (frozen) custard which is basically ice cream. The Peanut Butter CrunchCrete tasted great and if I hadn’t already been overloaded by grease, probably could have eaten a second one. Definitely the highlight of the meal.

Peanut Butter CrunchCrete

I think Shake Shack is well suited at Westfield Stratford for the hungry shoppers seeking a quick burger fix, however it does come with a fairly hefty price tag – my bill came to £24.95. For me personally, I like a bit more time and care put into my burger, so next time I want one, I will probably go elsewhere.

Food I Fancy dined as a guest.

Shake Shack – Westfield Stratford
Westfield Stratford City
The Street
Stratford Avenue
Stratford, London E20 1EJ
Tel: 01923 555167
www.shakeshack.com