Shake Shack

Premium fast food outlet fails to deliver on value 27 Reviews

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Shake Shack prides itself on its self-service fast food ideals. You line up – not unlike the cattle you are about to eat – before ordering and are then left to find a table. The vibrating device that tells you to collect your meal is a nice touch, but the drab décor does nothing to explain why you have handed over more than Dhs150 for fast food. Diners are paying a premium for high-quality meat, and rightly so. But they are getting little else for their extra buck. Inadequate bread buns allow ingredients to fall out of the sandwiches, the crinkle-cut chips could have come from a supermarket freezer and the cheese looks (and tastes) like melted plastic.

By Time Out Dubai staff
Time Out Dubai, 22 March 2012

• Previous reviews
  • 14 August,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 26 April,2011- reviewed by Oliver Robinson

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Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

User reviews:

Posted by: John on 18 Jan ' 13 at 11:25

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Excellent burger but not an excellent value.

Posted by: Amna on 26 Jul ' 12 at 00:10

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Maryam on 20 Mar ' 12 at 10:33

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

fantastic

Posted by: jane on 28 Feb ' 12 at 09:23

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Edited by TimeOutDubai.com

I took one bite of this burger and gave the rest to my husband. This is the worst burger I have ever had! Even my husband struggled to eat it. I love burgers and fast food but this was awful! The buns were soggy and the burger left a horrible metalic after taste in your mouth. Even the cheese sauce that was used for the cheese fries was disgusting. Fuddrucker's is still the best Burger in the world and much better value for money!

Posted by: Dana Y. on 13 Feb ' 12 at 11:40

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

The bad reviews are silly. If you didn't like it that much fine but to down rate it as bad is unjust. If you want to rate something compare it to what exists in reality of Dubai now. It's like saying it’s as bad as burger fuel, or gourmet burger which in my opinion are disappointments that have some of the flavorless meat in their burgers I've tried and those places I'd agree deserve the bad reviews above. When judging the burger you look at all the ingredients to rate its taste.

Yes it is expensive but the taste says it all. Sometimes its worth the price to indulge. And you don't have to come to it daily if you can't afford it. Some delicacies need to be enjoyed in milestones or once in a blue moon. I disagree with it getting soggy when taken home, I also live 10 minutes away and I found the burger even when cold as good as when eating it dinning in.

The ingredients are fresh, the meat melts in your mouth, the special shake burger sauce is unique and the bun is soft. I guess people are so used to the bad quality burgers and dry tasteless buns being served that they don't know a good bun when it hits them in the face. The softness of the bun is what is being Perceived as soggy, they should get their taste buds re-tested. Those are the people that just like to argue for the sake of argueing when seeing a fuss is made on a new franchise, just to disagree.

I tried all the burgers and though the double burgers or shrom burgers do get a tad too meaty and heavy for me, a lot of people do still enjoy them. Better to always go for two single shake burgers if you’re really hungry. The French fries with melted cheese on top and after sprinkling some pepper and salt makes it even tastier.

But my advice is to go there with an empty stomach and not full or you won’t be able to enjoy and appreciate it as much. So in conclusion, I agree that this is one of the tastiest burgers I've tried in Dubai so far.

Posted by: khosrow on 20 Dec ' 11 at 16:35

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Tanya on 25 Nov ' 11 at 06:20

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

This was the best burger i have ever tasted in my life! I could feel the real taste of every single ingredient in that burger! But I would have to agree that it is expensive and sizes are relatively small. Nevertheless it's absolutely worth it!

Posted by: Vanessa on 16 Nov ' 11 at 08:28

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I bought a single cheese burger today at 12pm. When I got home (I'm only 7 minutes away from the Mall of Emirates), I opened my burger only to find that it is sooooo soggy - although no sauce were added. When they just opened I bought 2 burgers from them and waited more than 15 minutes and it wasn't even busy.

Their burgers are expensive, does not taste nice and I would definitely NOT go back again. MacDonald's burgers are fresher even!!

Worst plave to buy burgers in my opinion!!!

Posted by: Sam on 10 Nov ' 11 at 10:27

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

not cheap but oh so good. great US burger where you can taste the meat and not just the bun and sauce.

Posted by: Durteger on 24 Sep ' 11 at 18:16

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FoodAmbienceValue

It happens every year a new franchise arrives and it is greeted with a frenzy which soon wears off. For some reason – from Chillis to Fuddruckers franchises here get lost in translation and the experience is rarely as good as the original.

Service- the initial excitement and enthusiasm of the crew seems to have worn off and we arrived at the counter on a busy Friday afternoon the staff member was yawning and clearly didn’t want to be there.

Taste- for $10 burger I was expecting something more substantial. Instead I got what appeared to be a soggy local bakery white bun and patty that could have come out of a Birds Eye or Al Kabeer packet. It may be organic, antibiotic free, grain fed, Angus beef but ultimately the taste was indistinguishable from the crowd of other (cheaper) fast food restaurants.
Admittedly I didn’t get a chance to check out the famous Shakes or hop beverages but we wont be going back for burgers. This was a once in a lifetime experience

Posted by: Aditya Rajaram on 14 Aug ' 11 at 08:22

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Shake Shack is big in NYC. Danny Meyer is, to many foodies, a genius and his burger enterprise, Shake Shack is no exception. I have lived in the states for 10 years and my last year in New York. I have to be honest though, I never once went to a Shake Shack and ironically, I came back to Dubai only to try my first Shack burger here. Reading the above negative reviews I am surprised. I do wonder what these people actually consider a good burger then? To me, this was the first time I did not feel guilty, ill, or even gross after having a big burger. Why? Because the ingredients are fresh! It was as if I was eating a healthy burger (if there is such a thing).

I highly recommend Shake Shack especially for their custards and ofcourse, the Arnold Palmer. The burger are good and fresh. One point to note...it is not cheap. For three people we ordered three meals if you will totalling Dhs 180. Although, for a fresh, well-made burger along with great service, yeah, I would pay a premium.

Posted by: Andrew on 04 Jul ' 11 at 06:35

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

This is the worst burger I have ever tasted, greasy and not even moulded properly. When you bite into the grease just pours out.
I agree with people earlier about Mcdonalds and Burger king, even though they are rubbish also at least you know what you are getting for the money. This is just cheap garbage that is just so massively over priced, after I ate the burger I just felt cheated because of the price.
For me Johnny rockets or Fat Burger offers a proper burger at value, you pay a bit more but you get more. Shake Shak im sorry but you are one greasy, no entising burger chain I wont be going back to, yuk

Posted by: R D on 02 Jul ' 11 at 10:06

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I came here with my family and we were expecting alot after seeing the crowds during the opening week and hearing all the radio campaigns. For sure it was not worth the wait or anything for that matter. Our meal was expensive and tiny. Within 3 bites my 40 Dh burger was over. The McDonald's cheese burger is bigger than any of their burgers. My wife and I were not feeling well after our meal from SS. What absolute rubbish.If anyone thinks that this is a good restaurant or is considering trying it out PLEASE THINK AGAIN. Its a waste of time and money. It costs a leg and an arm to eat there and Im sure that my leg and arm would taste better. The meal was not even tasty. Ive had better burgers in the tiny and less famous joints. Please I seriously recommend anyone not going there. Even if they lowered their prices it still would not satisfy a burger lover. It just doesnt taste good. And to all the readers criticizing TimeOut staff's review he's telling the truth. He is doing his job honestly irrespective of his verdict. The food and experience are disappointing and way too expensive

Posted by: Shack Stack on 24 Jun ' 11 at 22:24

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Very good quality of meat! I would pay a ticket to go all the way from Doha to Dubai just for Shake Shack. You people probably don't appreciate a good quality burger. If you're seeking a low priced "okay" burger you can find it everywhere! Thumbs up Shake Shack!!

Posted by: Zee on 19 May ' 11 at 07:12

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

not impressed..........especilly with allthat hype thats been created!

Posted by: Farrukh on 14 May ' 11 at 10:06

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

The worst burger I have ever tasted in Dubai!! Once I tasted Al Barsha cafeteria beef burger and that was awful, however it was better than the double shack burger which is very fat and costs you almost 10$!!

Posted by: Simon Davidson on 08 May ' 11 at 08:28

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I am very disappointed to read that other customers felt that in some instance MacDonald's and Burger King provide a better burger. Anyone who knows burgers and appreciates them will experience quite possibly the best burger they have eaten at Shake Shack. I have been to 3 of them in New York and I can honestly say that the burger served up in Dubai is just as impressive as you would get if you queued along with the hundreds of people waiting over an hour and a half in Madison Square Park on any given weekend to get these great burgers, hotdogs, shakes, concrete's and fries. The reviewer really should have tried a concrete, they are amazing.

Shake Shack is not "fast food', it is a stunning, new, funky brand that serves very fast high quality products that are organic and transfat free, can anyone else claim produce something with such qualities that taste's so good for the same price?

The decor and ambience of the "Shack" is awesome, they truly have created the burger joint for the 21st Century that everyone has been waiting for.

Congratulations on a job very well done!

Posted by: suhail on 07 May ' 11 at 09:58

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I have no idea what the fuss is all about! the quality of the food was similar as we get in macdonalds or hardeez, very pricey, greasy fries .. its all about the branding and the marketing in this restaurant not about the quality of food.

Posted by: Karim on 04 May ' 11 at 18:51

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Its very expensive for fast food. I don't think its worth the price for such a small burger and hotdog. I ordered one burger and one hotdog with 2 drinks and it cost almost AED100. I would much prefer McD or Burger King if I wanted fast food.

Posted by: shabbir hussain on 04 May ' 11 at 13:24

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I would like to invite all the critics of this restaurant to try out other on par burger joints in town,i.e; Fuddruckers, Fat burger, Wafi gourmet burger and or Johnny Rockets( to say the least) and then make up their minds about Shake shack. The food quantity/quality is found in Fuddruckers in Garhoud, but we need more variety to go out to.. I would love to have more international brands here in Dubai

Posted by: Mickey on 03 May ' 11 at 06:49

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Way too expensive, especially if you order at the register and have to pick up your food.
McDonald's offers a much better value for money, with better food.

Posted by: shabbir hussain on 02 May ' 11 at 21:00

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

They seriously need to think about the price. The food is of good quality and keep in mind that they are serving organic food, no transfat in their meals and the frozen custurd is awesome.

Posted by: Yasser on 02 May ' 11 at 15:24

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

An average burger and an average overall experience with a terrible value-for-money. Maybe a notch up from McDonald's but even Burger King serves a better burger, let alone the much superior burger at Fatburger... and that's just the fast food jointsand not the more gourmet burger places. The fries are run-of-the-mill frosen crinkle fries you get in any supermarket freezer.

Posted by: Jonny on 02 May ' 11 at 10:51

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

The first time I went to Shake Shack in the MoE was out of curiosity and a cunning marketing campaign. And because I like a burger. I took along some friends after going to the cinema and was overwhelmed with the food. Unfortunately for me, my friends were expecting fine-dining experience and this clouded their enjoyment of the main event - the food itself. It is the best burger I have tried so far in Dubai and in London by a reasonable margin (only Byron in London comes anywhere near for me) and I have been back several times since, each one a special trip to the Mall specifically for Shake Shack. The best part of the experience is definitely the food, the way the burger is not drowned out by the sauces. You can actually taste top quality beef there. I'll admit the review Time Out posted was lacklustre - if you need a new restaurant critic please look no further!

Posted by: Mark on 01 May ' 11 at 08:22

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Bit pricey for fast food.

Posted by: Farhan Hasan on 01 May ' 11 at 07:33

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FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

This is quite possibly the most banal review i have ever come across. Considering that Time Out is a 'go-to' guide that happens to also issue best burger lists for the city - to review an iconic burger joint such as this so listlessly is irresponsible to say the least.

Posted by: Bronwyn on 01 May ' 11 at 03:56

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Burgers are above average for fast food, but the fries are dreadful. The price is so expesive for fast food that I will not be going back. Absolute waste of money. McDonalds makes a better value for money meal. If I want to spend 100 AED on fast food for me and my partner I will go to a more upmarket place.