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Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am from Southern California: home of In-N-Out enthusiasts who fill with pride when defending our famous burger chain. However, I tried my best to set aside all personal prejudice for the sake of determining the truth of which burger chain reigns supreme: In-N-Out or Shake Shack.

In high school, In-N-Out was the go-to hang out spot after football games. It's filled with memories of late nights and old friends. However, since coming to NYU, Shake Shack has taken over that role- something I'm almost ashamed to admit. As my new go-to fast food place, Shake Shack comes with mental images of new friends and finding community in eating our way through stressful finals weeks.

When faced with the decision of choosing the better establishment, I knew I had to dig deeper, beyond personal experience and geographical preference in order to come to a valid conclusion. The main factors to take into consideration when choosing between the two burger chains are menu options, history, secret menus and taste.

In comparison to Shake Shack, In-N-Out's menu is limited. For the main meal, they offer variations of a hamburger paired with fries. The only gluten free option is a burger served "protein style," which substitutes the bun with a lettuce wrap. The only vegetarian option is a grilled cheese. Shake Shack takes the cake when it comes to menu selection, offering gluten-free buns, a vegetarian portobello mushroom burger and hot dogs. For drinks, Shake Shack offers unique milkshake flavors as well as a seasonal flavor, along with the standard fountain drink options. In-N-Out only offers strawberry, chocolate or vanilla milkshakes.

As a Californian, it pains me to admit that Shake Shack's menu is superior. However, the history of the two chains must be taken into account. In-N-Out was established in 1948 with Shake Shack starting their business in 2001. Considering that In-N-Out is older, their limited menu might come from a desire to stick to tradition. Unfortunately, this argument doesn't really cut it. Times are changing, and more people are adopting restricted eating patterns - I'm talking about all of the blossoming vegans, vegetarians and gluten-free people out there - and In-N-Out has not adapted its menu to cater to this surge of careful eaters.

Both In-N-Out and Shake Shack have secret menus, and I was surprised to discover that these menus offer essentially the same things: burgers with four patties, lettuce wraps instead of buns, grilled cheeses and more. For all you Californians reading this, I'm sorry to burst your bubble - In-N-Out's not-so-secret menu is not one of a kind. However, did Shake Shack derive some of their secret menu options from In-N-Out's previously established example? Maybe. Something to ponder.

Don't get me wrong, this article is not meant to be a diss towards In-N-Out. In my personal opinion, when it comes down to taste, In-N-Out is the best. Blame it on my Californian roots or nostalgia for my high school and hometown, but I always look forward to my In-N-Out burger when visiting from school.

However, when taking all other things into consideration, with menu selection really tipping the scale, Shake Shack seems to be the more modern and accommodating establishment.
A version of this article appears in the Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, print edition. Email Calais Watkins at [email protected]

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Battle of the Burgers: Shake Shack vs. In-N-Out

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Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am from Southern California: home of In-N-Out enthusiasts who fill with pride when defending our famous burger chain.

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8 reasons why

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Shake Shack is too often compared to fast-food burger joints. While it was inspired by roadside burger stands, Shake Shack has admirable fine-dining roots. Therefore, there is no comparison. Here are 8 reasons why Shack Shack is better than everyone else:

Reason #1: Fine Dining Mentality

The biggest reason Shake Shack stands out from everyone else is its fine dining mentality. All the company leaders have fine dining roots. The company continues to have a deliberate strive for excellence. The result is sophistication in taste, looks, and feel of the whole Shake Shack experience.

Reason #2: Fine Casual

Shake Shack's fine dining mentality categorizes the restaurants as fine casual. Fine casual means it has all the quality and cultural priorities of fine dining without the service (of reservations, servers, white tablecloths, etc). That also means it has 100% the same food sources as the best fine dining restaurants at a fraction of the cost.

Reason #3: Hospitality

Shake Shack stems from the genius of Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group. While the Shake Shack company is now public, it still holds tight to its roots and mission to serve everyone with thoughtful hospitality. While there are no servers in Shake Shack, the staff has been carefully selected to uphold this sense of hospitality in how they interact with guests in taking orders, giving food and helping to clean up.

Reason #4: Quality Ingredients

Shake Shack prides itself on sourcing the same high-quality ingredients from the best local purveyors that they have in the restaurant group's New York fine dining establishments, like Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Maialino, etc.

Every single ingredient to create all the dishes must meet fine dining standards. For instance, the beef source must never be raised with hormones or antibiotics. Shake Shack grinds the burgers fresh every night from the best cuts of beef which comes from the muscles and never the trimmings. As a result, you are receiving the premium quality food which soars pedestals above fast food establishments.

Reason #5: Made to Order

While fast-food restaurants cook up frozen pre-cooked food or assemble to order, Shack Shack actually makes each ticket to order. That means, they cook the fresh and never frozen food as it is ordered at the register and not cooked in anticipation of a mass volume of orders.

Reason #6: Beer & Wine Pairing

In some cases, fast food burger joints are the place to go after having a few too many drinks late at night. You have that unhealthy nagging craving for greasy junk food to sop up the alcohol in your stomach.

In the case of Shake Shack, you go there well before that state to drink the high quality and specifically selected beers and wines. In fact, their house beer and wines were crafted with the ShackBurger in mind for that perfect food pairing experience.

The Shack Red and Shack White are produced by Frogs Leap winery from Napa Valley where they have been growing organic grapes for decades. The Shake White brightens the meal while the Shack Red rounds the flavors together.

Reason #7: Celebrity Chef Collaborations

With Shake Shack's fine-dining background, comes it's fine dining network. The leaders of Shake Shack have made respected friends with the world's best chefs. That friendship has led to some delicious limited edition creations of burgers from April Bloomfield, Daniel Boulud, David Chang, Massimo Bottura and so many more. Plus they have pop-up events with reputable restaurants like Canlis in Seattle and DEN in Tokyo.

It's not just the limited edition burgers and pop-up events, there are also permanent fixtures with collaborative frozen custards from locally sourced companies and chefs. In San Francisco, you can look forward to Dandelion Chocolate and Manresa cookies swirled in the frozen custard. In New York and Tokyo, Dominique Ansel contributes delicious baked goods and more into those frozen custards.

Reason #8: Architecture & Atmosphere

While more casual than a full-service restaurant, Shake Shack's architecture in each location elevates the experience for a true fine-casual experience. The locations' designs differ to respect the area's atmosphere. At the same time, they all have beautiful glass and natural lighting as well as a park or outdoor dining element in most locations.

More Reading for Shake Shack Fans

For Shake Shack fans, you can read more details about the Shake Shake history, philosophy, and even a few recipes to make at home in the official Shake Shack book!
Shake Shack: Recipes & Stories

And if you're a Danny Meyer fan, like myself, I highly recommend his book about his upbringing and path to becoming one the world's best restaurateurs and most respectable businessman. This is also a great book if you are in the hospitality industry.
Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Disclaimer: This article contains Amazon affiliate links which help me earn a commission on any of your Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you. Thank you! Sign up for my newsletter on the sidebar for blog updates and my travel insider tips!

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8 Reasons Why Shake Shack is Better Than Everyone Else - FOODICLES

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Shake Shack is too often compared to fast-food burger joints. While it was inspired by roadside burger stands, Shake Shack has admirable fine-dining roots. Therefore, there is no comparison. Here are 8 reasons why Shack Shack is better than everyone else: The biggest reason Shake Shack stands out from everyone else is its fine dining mentality.