You just don’t expect Shake Shack to be as good as it is. A genuine burger superchain, with well over 100 outlets across the world, by rights the food at this Leicester Square branch should be generic at best. Or just yummy in an empty, sugary fast food way. Actually though, it’s completely excellent.
Let’s start with the biggest surprise. The best thing on this meaty multinational conglomerate’s menu is the veggie burger. Hell, Shake Shack might just do the best veggie burger in London. The crisp fried portobello ’Shroom Burger topped with soft muenster cheese and tucked into a lovely sweet bun, is a rich, umami slap in the face to all those bland chickpea patties vegetarians have had to suffer. And in its quality and simplicity lies the secret of Shake Shack’s success: this is a fast-food joint that actually cares about its ingredients. You can tell from the crispy marinated shallots sprinkled on the cheeseburger, the cumberland sausage in the ShackMeister Sausage hot dog and the freaking St John bakery biscuit blended into the creamy frozen custard ‘concrete’. This is a must-order, by the way, along with the crinkle-cut fries, which come served with an ace synthetic-but-scrumptious dipping cheese.
This branch looks good, too. Set in the tourist honey-trap that is Leicester Square, downstairs it’s a crowded counter-service affair, but there’s a sun-dappled space upstairs with old wooden beams and other original features. There’s also a neat buzzer system so you can nab a spot here while you wait for your food. All the efficiency of a fast-food chain but with none of the shit, then. What’s not to love?