I have quickly discovered after moving to the East Coast that easterners have their own fast food place which counters my West Coast fantasizing of animal fries with: Shake Shack.
At first I refused to try it, maybe in denial that anything could come close to the glorious In-N-Out. A classmate offended me slightly the other day by saying that In-N-Out’s cheese fries weren’t anything special, referring to the simplicity of a slice of American cheese melted over plain old French fries. So the other day, while walking through Madison Square Park with a friend from back home, we were compelled to compare the two.
My usual order at In-N-Out consists of a cheeseburger and animal fries so I proceeded to order a “ShackBurger” and cheese fries. The burger didn’t look like anything special, unlike the cheesy goodness that is an In-N-Out burger. The crinkle-cut fries themselves looked delicious but the cheese was creamy looking, a blend of cheddar and American. I’m used to In-N-Out’s simple salty fries with a slice of American cheese on top, melted just enough. However, a bite of the fries was enough to change my biased mind.
The Shake Shack non-GMO “potato roll” is sweeter and softer than In-N-Out’s “old-fashioned, slow-rising sponge dough” bun. It tasted better but it also caused the burger to fall apart easier. The Shake Shack burger is also smaller altogether, but from my experience it was just as filling. The grass-fed beef patty crumbled and was juicy, not like In-N-Out’s standard 100% beef patty that is fresh but just not as tasty as Shake Shack’s. As far as the toppings, I think the two are pretty even on the spectrum of freshness.
The only things that Shake Shack was missing was the signature In-N-Out spread and the option to have anything “animal style”: with spread, cheese, and grilled onions.
As much as I hate to admit it, I think 7 times out of 10 I personally would prefer Shake Shack to In-N-Out due to the tastier bun, patty, and fries. However In-N-Out has their flavor palette down pat with their secret sauce and grilled onions.
The two are almost incomparable due to their differences in flavors. In-N-Out is very much savory in comparison to Shake Shake’s subtle sweetness. I found the lack of dryness to be appealing in Shake Shake’s burger but it lacked that extra “oomph” that In-N-Out’s sauce provides.
Similar to how the East and West Coasts are appealing for different reasons, the two fast food chains are unique in their own ways and therefore stick to their own territories and completely own them.
I think we should call this one a draw.
