Shake Shack
We went for John Lewis, we stayed for mid-tier fast food
In the food court of Brent Cross shopping centre sits an unassuming Shake Shack serving underwhelming fast food. It felt like the bleakness of the mall and taste of the food had merged together in happy harmony to provide what we need to live on but nothing more. Shopping centres look the same though wherever you are in Britain, and comparing to the ones I’ve been to in America and China, they’re the same in different countries too. Bland - tick - boring - tick - monochrome - tick - characterless - tick. The one exception is Battersea Power Station which has retained its history and character throughout, and you’re always conscious of the industrial heritage as you walk under huge rusting metal hooks dangling from the cavernous ceiling.
I’d never been to Shake Shack before, but I feel like I’m working my way around the American fast food chains that have conquered the Atlantic and set up shop in the UK’s major cities. Many are great, some are okay and, to be fair to the Americans, I haven’t been to one I’ve actively disliked.
Shake Shack is firmly in the okay category, with an open, plain and simple restaurant vibe, decent service, and good burgers. I added bacon to my cheeseburger of ale-marinated shallots and their own signature burger sauce which, together, tasted nice but didn’t blow me away. Usually with a good burger, I sit back and stare at the stars after first bite, rolling my eyes and letting out a marbled “gwarr”, but with the ShackMeister I just found myself nodding along with the taste of beef, onion and bacon smushed together in a satisfyingly flat burger.
Mrs B. felt the same way about her chicken burger which was overflowing with sliced lettuce but clearly not with taste.
We pushed the boat out with the chips -crinkle cut with chillies and a chipotle sauce- which were actually quite nice but, again weren’t as good as you’d expect from a “loaded” chip dish. Even Five Guys’ simple but effective cajun fries have more punch than these chipotle fries.
All in all, it lived up to the unremarkable setting in which it was housed, and for anyone tossing and turning over which burger joint to visit, Shake Shack is good, but not great.
Food 5/10
Service 6/10
Vibe 3/10
Overall 5/10