Shake Shack Madison Square Park — Restaurant in New York

Burgers: 5 stars Service: 3 stars

what can anyone write more about Shake Shack in Madison Square Park? it’s the OG location, the burgers, fries & more are consistently very good; and it’s a great place for low-key casual al fresco dining day or night.

use the Shake Shack app to order. headed to the pickup window after waiting past my pickup time and asked about my order. the pickup window person said it was probably not ready, but went back to some screen to see if my order was ready. she returned and then looked at some of the orders that had been sitting there and said “here’s your order” and handed me my bag. looked at the order sticker on my bag and it had been sitting there for 15ish minutes. burger was lukewarm-ish not hot. still tasted very good. never received the “pickup your order” text which you’re supposed to get right before your pickup time. it also seemed like no one was in charge at the order window bc it seemed like different people were calling orders to pickup. i still don’t get why the Shake Shack app doesn’t just have a countdown to your order being ready like other food ordering apps. why isn’t there some sort of big digital screen at the Shake Shack showing what orders are up and in-progress and you just show your receipt or phone screen to get your order? so many other casual and fast food places just use digital screens and the app to show order status. tbh, depending on different staffers in a fast-moving kitchen to call out orders to customers waiting outside is antiquated. if this was some mom-n-pop place I’d understand the lack of innovation but Shack Shack is a legit global chain and this is a iconic location.

my Single Shack Burgers tasted very good albeit not very hot. cheese melted. the bun soaked up the burger flavors. the patties were well-seasoned and everything else in the burger else comes together nicely for one satisfying eating experience.

the outside trash can was overflowing. gross. not sure if the park is responsible for the trash removal or Shake Shack is but maybe use more trash cans OR have someone empty them...

Shake Shack really is the business in burgers & as NYC rookie, where else to sink your teeth into a burger but at Shake Shack's original location at Madison Square Park. The burgers here are glorious. They're big, fresh & jam packed full of flavour. It doesn't get much more New York than this.

One of the great things about this particular location is Madison Square Park itself. A gorgeous location to sit among the ironic skyscrapers of NYC & watch the world go while you get some burger in you. The crinkle cut fries, at $2.99, are an institution here & the perfect accompaniment to any burger. I personally ordered the Shake Stack (Cheeseburger & Shroom Burger w/ lettuce, tomato & Shack Sauce) at a cool $9.59. Having eaten at In-N-Out Burger umpteenth times on the West Coast, I can honestly say that Shake Shack has stolen my heart in the burger stakes.

The line to order might seem daunting here, but it moves quickly as it winds around the park. I might even go as far to say that the anticipation from standing in line, ultimately makes having that burger in yours hands taste even better.

Since eating here last year, I've heard pretty stellar reports coming in about the Chick'n Shack Burger. As a result, on my trip back this October, grabbing one of these is definitely high on my NYC priority list....

Ah, the birthplace of the ShackBurger. A shrine to hype. A temple of queues. And yet, somehow, a graveyard for flavor.

Let’s start with the kitchen: twelve people in branded t-shirts, bustling like extras in a food-themed sitcom. Only two appeared to be working. The rest? Pacing, chatting, possibly auditioning for a reboot of Waiting for Godot. Meanwhile, your burger dreams die slowly in the fryer fumes.

The food? A soggy, lukewarm betrayal. Fries that taste like they were prepped during the Bush administration. Buns with the texture of damp cardboard. Cheese that whispers “I used to be milk but now I’m just plastic” before vanishing into the ether.

And the seating, oh, the seating. A gladiatorial contest of elbows and passive-aggressive hovering. If you do snag a spot, you’re rewarded with the only redeeming feature: summer people-watching. Tourists marveling at squirrels, locals pretending this is still cool, and pigeons plotting unionization.

Come winter, the charm freezes over. You’re left with overpriced sadness and the haunting suspicion that Danny Meyer weeps softly into a crinkle-cut fry every time someone calls this “iconic.”

Save your money. Save your dignity. Go to literally any bodega and get a sandwich made by...