Shake Shack: UWS vs Madison Square Park

[JulesTei]

Is there a difference between the two locations in terms of the burgers? Is one significantly better?

If the burger is essentially the same at both, it seems like the UWS is the better option because the lines appear to be shorter. Or would I be cheating myself out of some magical Shake Shack experience if I skipped out on MSP?

Also, is the Shack Stack worth getting?

Thanks!

[UWStoSONO]

Doesn't get better than the Shake Shack at Citi Field...

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/03/c...

[Miss Needle]

I think the only thing that Citi Field's location has on the other locations is that you can watch the Mets game while chomping on their burgers. Citi Field's Shake Shack has a limited menu and prepares all of their burgers and fries in advance. They will make your stuff to order if you have a special request, but will tell you that you have to wait at least 10 more minutes -- kind of tough if you've already waited for quite some time and want to watch the game.

[travpard]

the wait is part of the charm. you just have to go at the right time and plan ahead accounting for the wait.

[Wilfrid]

It would be less fun if you got served in ten minutes?

[travpard]

of course not, but its not the worst thing in the world to have to wait.

[kathryn]

UWS has shorter lines but if there is a line, the majority of the line is still outdoors and wraps around the corner. By the time you get to the front door, you're very very close to the registers. But I really dislike the weirdly cramped ordering and waiting area, because people trying to go up and down the stairs to the basement need to go through the people still in line to order.

MSP has tons more seating and you can sit on the grass or on a bench. It's simply more fun to be eating in a park, with kids and dogs running around. At UWS, the options are a basement or one of the few tables, or the tiny counter.

[Cpalms]

Kathryn, keep in mind there are benches across the street on 77th that are part of museum that are quite peaceful and not to mention Central Park a block away. However, I do agree that MSP/ SS certainly has a unique charm to it (but the wait, ugh!) The UWS line rarely bends are the corner, other than peak weekend times the wait is less than 5 minutes to order. No more or less than you would find at any fast food place....yes the waiting area sucks, although they are making small changes and it is getting better....

[Cpalms]

The food is Identical, meaning both are great. The wait at the UWS location meaningful shorter....the line looked tolerable when I walked by at 2pm on sunday...looked maybe 20 minutes, I can only imagine what the line at the MSP location was at that point. Most of the time, it is five of less.However, the MSP is beautiful but the line is torture...evrything on the menu is worth getting, the hot dogs being the least desirable...

[pizzajunkie]

Are the hot dogs really that bad? I am not a vegetarian but I don't like burgers - was planning to eat at SS in MSP with my burger-loving SO on my upcoming NYC trip and I figured I'd eat the chicago style hot dog, but if it's horrible....

[LNG212]

I've never had the hot dog there so can't comment on that. But you can always get the 'Shroom Burger -- it's a portabello mushroom stuffed with cheese and deep fried, served on the same bun with lettuce/etc. like a burger. It's fantastic.

[pizzajunkie]

stuffed with cheese and deep fried?? I'm in!! That sounds awesome, thanks!

[Cpalms]

the hot dogs are not bad at all, they just do not measure up on the deliciousness scale that the burgers do....get the shroom burger for sure or better yet the double stack (shroom burger + cheeseburger)...i'd leave the chicago dogs to chicago, the best burgers in the world are in nyc however...