I heard that the Shake Shack has finally reached my beloved country, Japan. I can’t wait to go visit when I travel to Japan the next time. In a meanwhile, I got to visit one of there NJ locations. They are located right by a rather large shopping mall, called the Bridgewater Commons. They have an area called “The Village at Bridgewater Commons” where several shops and eateries are located, across from the shopping mall. This Shake Shack is in that Village area, so they are not a food court inside a mall. Instead, they are their own standing restaurant. What a relief (I am not a fan of food court at a mall). And, they even had a small outdoor seating area, and a super cute (and very considerate) pet “parking” with water filled for them. And to complete the parking, you can buy dog treats here as well, so you can enjoy your yummy food with your pet!
The inside is similar to most other locations, with ordering counter (and line) right at front, and pick up counter right next to it. The condiments and plastic-wears were right by the pick up counter, along with nice, ice-cold water for free. They really are considerate when it comes to providing extra service, like the dog treats and water. I try to drink a lot of water each day, so I like to have water with my food, instead of soda or juice. So, I appreciate them having water for customers at no cost!
The seating area was nice and large, mostly wood so that it gives the sense of warm, cozy feeling They had a couple of TV screens, and nice, soft music so that people can enjoy conversation with each other. The tables are made specifically for Shake Shack as always, in Brooklyn. They used to be a bowling alley floor, great way to recycle!
I visited this location during lunch on a weekday with couple of my colleagues. Since one of them have never been to any shake shack, he was excited to try them out, and I was excited for him! We each got a burger/sandwich, shake, and we decided to share fries (non of us were a big eater). Way to share some calories, right?
One thing that I like the most about Shake Shack is that each location has their own special burger, that you can NOT get anywhere else! At this location, they had a burger called Bacon Cheddar Shack ($6.89/single). We of course when with the special burger. It is topped with all-natural smoked Niman Ranch bacon and Wisconsin aged cheddar cheese sauce. It looked good and it tasted even better! The patty was as juicy and flavorful as always, the buns are soft, and cheese was gooey goodness… The bacon was really good too, it was very flavorful without fighting against the patty. The cheddar sauce could go wild if you are not careful, as they are runny, but really great, silky smooth cheese heaven. I am so glad I tried this one. The colleague who never been to Shake Shack also got this one, and he absolutely loved it too! Another one of my colleague had the Chick’n Shack ($6.29), which I must confess, I still have not tried myself. Next time I go to Shake Shack, I should really try it. It has crispy chicken breast with lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo. She said it was good but a bit too salty for her taste.
I also got their Shake of the week, which was Cherry Streusel ($5.59). It tasted like a cherry pie in a cup! it also had some bits of cherries, which was a nice touch. I really liked it (as if I ever found any shake that I didn’t like from Shake Shack…). And, the Crinkle Cut Fries with Cheese ($3.99), with 560 calories… When you share it among three people, you get about 186 calories per person (from the fries), so that is not too bad. The cheese fries are really addictive, I always like having them as a side. For as long as I have someone to share it with.
Overall, another restaurant out of NYC (http://www.foodlovergirl.com/shake-shack-dumbo/ and http://www.foodlovergirl.com/shake-shack-uws/), with the benefit of larger space, less people, and no wait time. I would like to visit different Shake Shack location to see what kind of special burger each location offers. That might be a fun trip. The one I would be most interested in would be, of course, the brand new location in Japan. I hope to visit the location one day soon…
Shake Shack – 610 Commons Way #4320, Bridgewater, NJ 08807