Shake Shack was born from a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in New York City and now has store locations in several cities including Dubai, Istanbul and London.

When I heard it was opening in a prestigious Covent Garden location in July this year, it was fairly obvious the beast would have to check it out, if for no other reason than to support the seemingly increased American food chain export process. And pretty much any excuse to eat a cheeseburger is more than welcomed.

In an over-exhausted London burger market, where there seems to be places opening up faster than you can say extra cheesy, there is a lot of pressure for the burger to be phenomenal otherwise why go back? Unfortunately, Shake Shack just doesn’t cut it.

There is nothing wrong with the burgers being served in the glass-covered Covent Garden plaza; it’s just that there is nothing exceptional about them in a city teeming with burger chains.

The frozen custard is definitely the USP of this burger conglomerate. Rich, creamy, cold and soothing, the frozen custard milkshakes (available malted as well) are the savior of this chain — absolutely delicious.

 

 

When competing with gems such as Patty & Bun and Dirty Burger, it would be hard to come up with a reason why Shake Shack should come out on top — the only point of differentiation is the frozen custard. Also, like everything else in this city, the burgers are far more expensive than their New York cousins, between $11.50 and $13.80 for a double burger. You can also get a bottle of Root Beer, a quite elusive beverage in the UK, for a whopping £4.50 ($7) which is nothing short of extortion.

The beast would only go back for the frozen custard and the crinkle cut cheese fries. Next up on the American export list for testing: Five Guys.

 

Restaurant Info:

Covent Garden

24 Market Building

The Piazza

London, England WC2E 8RD

Tel: 0203 5981360