Shake Shack UWS Madness On Tap: Let the Frozen Fries Start Flowin' in My 'Hood

Posted by Ed Levine, October 20, 2008 at 10:00 AM

Fries from Shake Shack in Madison Square Park

Although the Shake Shack on the Upper West Side was scheduled to open today, it already opened during the weekend. Its owners, Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, had been a bit coy about announcements, one assumes in the hopes of a) not giving any one journalist a jump on the story and b) generating as much excitement as possible.

The powers that be gave me a walk-through of the new Shack last week. Well before it took place, we continued our "Why do you serve frozen french fries when you know fresh are better?" debate. When I saw Danny Meyer at a book party last week he gave me his best "I'm a smoother politician than Barack Obama" answer; he said, "Because people love our french fries."

While it is true that people love just about any french fries except for the ones made with potato particles, that's not the point. The Union Square Hospitality Group would never sell frozen french fries at the Union Square Cafe. Why? Because the ultra-classy organization knows deep down in their food soul that fresh french fries are way better. They have very high standards and they know what good is, but they've obviously made a business decision I don't happen to agree with.

The debate continues at my walk-through after the jump. But even at this point I want to know: Do you agree with me that the Shake Shack french fries should be fresh and not frozen?

The Union Square Hospitality Group graciously gave me a tour of the brand spanking new Shake Shack in the old Jacque Imo's (and before that, the Museum Cafe). When I left home to walk over (the new location is four blocks from house), my wife called out to me, "So, you're going to your new home away from home in the neighborhood." Busted, as they say. Frozen french fries or not, I will be an all too frequent visitor to the UWS Shake Shack.

When I got there, Shack Shack's Randy Garutti and I continued the good-natured french fry joust. "I just left my doctor's office and the receptionist said to me, 'You're going to have those great Yukon Gold french fries at the new place, aren't you?'" When I pressed Randy on the issue he said, "I've been thinking about this a lot because I knew you were coming. I'd rather have a good consistent frozen french fry like ours than inconsistent fresh french fries that are sometimes great and sometimes not."

Who wouldn't, Randy? At that point we both started to laugh. I did feel compelled to point out that space at the new Shack Shack wasn't an issue—there was plenty room in the big kitchen to fry up french fries from scratch—but I wasn't going to win this battle either by knockout or on points. I decided to move on.

The new griddle and three-barreled custard maker.

When I finally got the tour, I immediately noticed the cool new gadgets they have equipped the new Shake Shack with:

A hamburger bun toaster that toasts a buttered hamburger bun in ten seconds (no more wasted time or griddle space given over to hamburger buns)
A hot dog bun steamer they discovered on a trip to classic Chicago hot dog joints like Superdawg
A high-tech griddle that sears the burgers to a golden brown in under two minutes
A three-barreled custard maker that allows them to make vanilla, chocolate, and the flavor of the day at the same time

I even got to have a cheeseburger and an order of fries. The cheeseburger cooked on the new griddle was magnificent, fantastically well-caramelized, juicy and beefy even though it was medium, and it had the trademark Shake Shack salty crust.

The french fries? Psst—I kind of liked them. They were golden-brown, crunchy, and crispy and golden brown on the outside, kind of tender on the inside, and again, they had plenty of the Shake Shack's not-so-secret-weapon, salt. I could be churlish and say they weren't fresh, but what's the point?

There was no custard to be had. I guess I'm going to have to wait on line with everyone else for that. Here's some news: The new non-food line is called the C-line, and unlike at the original location's B-line, here you can even get shakes on it.

My wife's right: Even with the frozen french fries, the UWS Shake Shack is going to be my new home away from home. But I'm still not giving up on the fresh french fry issue. So Danny and all you other nice, gracious folks at the Union Square Hospitality Group, beware—this isn't over. And don't be surprised if I bring my own fresh french fries from the neighborhood (Nice Matin's are excellent) to accompany my cheeseburger and custard.

Shake Shack

366 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024 (b/n 77th and 78th; map)

22 Comments

Tags: Manhattan, NYC, Shake Shack, Shake Shack UWS, UWS

22 Comments:

Life's too short to drink bad beer or eat frozen french fries, save those calories for deliciousness.

jakeyd at 10:26AM on 10/20/08

Ed -- the fries are delicious. Why are you getting worked up over this?

I'm afraid SS is going to be my home away from home as well (I'm only a block away). Though after indulging in a burger and fries yesterday at 12:30, I wasn't hungry for dinner until well after 7pm.

Dee at 10:30AM on 10/20/08

the real question is, does a frozen french fry unequivocally make it 'unserious' eats?

as if somehow freezing the pre-cut potato strips it of all it's possible deliciousness?

i agree, if they can make delicious food that's fresher and at minimal cost increase, why not do it?

i disagree about the real issue which should be... are the fries delicious or not?

foodinmouth at 10:36AM on 10/20/08

Shake Shack's fries have improved from barely acceptable (the first couple of seasons) to halfway decent, but they still fall short of the quality shown by the rest of the menu.

But the hamburgers at the new location are just as perfectly balanced and tasty as the original. The fries are a disappointment.

andrewr at 10:49AM on 10/20/08

Thank the lord for a hot dog bun steamer. They've always had funky buns and steaming them should go a long way to improving the experience.

capndesign at 11:06AM on 10/20/08

I'm with you, Ed. I think the consistency answer is a cop-out. How inconsistent are potatoes, really? Get good Yukon Golds, chuck the bad ones, make into french fries. It's always seemed strange that a place that prides itself on the freshness and quality of its burgers doesn't make even a little effort for its fries.

Carey Jones at 11:25AM on 10/20/08

Once again, you're back with this obsession with SS fries. I think this is a bit of a straw man. Who on earth cares about the fries at the Shake Shack when it's the burgers and frozen custard treats that you should be spending your calorie budget on? This is like going to the French Laundry and complaining about the after-dinner mints.

Adam Kuban at 12:12PM on 10/20/08

Potatoes are serious business, it took us a solid 18 months before we found the right potato, right sugar, right temps and cook times, don't even get me started on oil v lard v type of oil v duck fat. That being said, if people love their fries, then great, keep em coming.

gerald tritt at 12:22PM on 10/20/08

I kind of like their fries, especially with the cheese sauce on top. So I have to say as much as I love fresh fries, I still like their frozen ones. I generally concentrate on the burgers, anyway.

Laurel E at 12:37PM on 10/20/08

I'm with Mr. Kuban. These fries are mediocre on their best days. Spend your calories elsewhere.

capndesign at 12:51PM on 10/20/08

Talk to us about that 'High tech Griddle"??

burgerboy at 12:56PM on 10/20/08

Shake Shack fries are mediocre, but I wouldn't place the blame on being frozen. McDonald's fries are frozen and they're something I've seen devout vegans rave over even as they pillory the company as whole. I thoroughly enjoy the Burger Joint's McDonald'sesque fries and they too are undeniably the frozen variety.
I like the idea of fresh fries more than I ever enjoy the outcome because I think fresh cut fries are hard to do well. The exception being double fried Belgian frites or their American offshoot, the Boardwalk fries of the Mid-Atlantic. The double frying seems key in making a fresh spud a great fry. That and peanut oil as the frying medium.
Regardless, Shake Shack could make a great frozen fry or great fresh fry, they just choose not to.

EazyB at 1:28PM on 10/20/08

@Carey Jones

Yukon Golds make lousy fries.

EazyB at 1:30PM on 10/20/08

I think the fries are good, not great. If it keeps the price down on the burgers and shakes, then i am all for the "business decision."

I absolutely love McDonald's fries (the only thing i will eat at that place), so maybe i don't mind frozen fries. I have had plenty of terrible fresh fries as well.

burgerluver at 1:33PM on 10/20/08

Not necessary to make it an exercise in futility, it is quite simple.....there is no substitute for quality, and that goes for fresh french fries as opposed to frozen. Let's face it, fries aren't quite the same as dinner mints, they enhance the total burger and shake experience.

I was in the restaurant business for over 35 years, and one of my most popular restaurants was known for burgers, and we had one person doing fresh fries all day long regardless of the cost over frozen. My grandson said: "these are frozen fries, let's take the burgers home and make some fresh fries".

esg101 at 4:22PM on 10/20/08

What EazyB said @ 1:28 p.m. Perfectly put. I don't know if I've ever found a fry I like more than a perfectly fried McD's fry. And that's frozen as hell. If the Shack went to those fries, I'd actually order them.

Adam Kuban at 4:59PM on 10/20/08

Well, Thomas Keller uses frozen fries at his restaurants, and he's arguably the best chef in the country, so... I'd say it's probably not that big of a deal.

MichaelN at 7:15PM on 10/20/08

I think the real issue with french fries - whether they go into the fryer frozen or fresh - is when did they come OUT of the fryer? I've had plenty of fresh hand-cut fries that were unsatisfying because they'd gotten cold or overcooked.

But the frozen ones I had at the UWS Shake Shack Monday night were perfect - hot, crispy, and delicious. The last couple orders I got at the original SS weren't good, but it was because they'd gotten cold. The same goes for McDonald's, actually. Hot ones are good, cold ones are bad. To me, fries are always a gamble. Get two burgers or an extra scoop of custard instead!

Also? Shake Shack opening one block from my apartment has made my life complete.

CandyBean at 3:02PM on 10/22/08

(goes on an offtopic rant)

It's a sad day. I am reading Serious Eats and I just found out that some people here, of all places, like the things they sell as french fries at McDonald's.

Perfectly symmetrical fries... that's just wrong.

Blip at 10:15AM on 11/12/08

Worst fries ever. I suppose they're marginally edible if you coat them in the cheese sauce that invariably becomes congealed by the end of your meal. Interestingly enough, In-N-Out's fries are similarly sub-par compared to the rest of their menu's offerings. But at least their fries are fresh and made to your preferred done-ness. Honestly, I don't care if they're fresh...but they should at least taste good. At nearly $3 for the fries (after the Shack's latest price increase) you'd think they'd be able spring for a bit more quality, you know?

Ganjack at 11:10AM on 11/12/08

i just ate at the UWS Shake Shack today on an adventure with some friends, and it was the best and most soul-satisfying lunch I've ever had. The burgers were juicy and well-sized, the concretes are beyond belief, and the fries were salty and great. The cheese sauce was also delish, and I'm NOT one for cheese sauce. We should give the argument over frozen fries a rest - the Shack serves great food that's meant to comfort, not impress.

teenagefoodie at 11:13PM on 11/25/08

I agree fresh fries can be miles better. But with one big caveat:

It's pretty cramped in the original shack. If adding fresh fries took up more space from the other goodness I say no way.

BTW, hit the Shack in the park today. Saturday afternoon and I just strolled up to the window and ordered. Hey-heeyyy! Of course, it was like freaking zero and dark out. I sat under the new outdoor heaters and imagined they were working, along with a handful of other desperate burger freaks. I'm sure we were all thinking the same thing: "Shack burgers - no wait! Awesome! Hey, I can't feel my nose, but this burger is great!"

I loved every perfect, frozen, painful, beefy second of it.

MikeNYC at 9:07PM on 01/17/09

Add a comment:

Previewing your comment:

HTML Hints

Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>

Comment Guidelines

Post whatever you want, just keep it pleasant. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.

A Hamburger Today- aht.seriouseats.com