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New Kid on the Block: Shake Shack
The best thing about the Shake Shack that opened today at the Fulton Center is the location: It’s on the top floor, which is a curved catwalk, so you feel as if you’re suspended in mid-air. There’s a fair amount of seating, almost all of which has a view, either out to the street or, even better, down into the subway station. Try to ignore the horrid pink glow that comes up now and again from the video screens.
The worst thing about the restaurant might also be the location. The entrance is extremely narrow, as is the adjacent pick-up area. The Fulton Center is planning to corral what will likely be long lines out the restaurant, down the spiral staircase, and along the floor below.
As for the menu, it’s the same, with the exception of three new concretes, described in the photo at right. (Ice cream extruded from a machine always makes me think of Rebel Wilson in Pitch Perfect 2. FiDi Fudge, indeed!) This Shake Shack is open from 7 a.m., and I’ve come around on the two-egg sandwich, even if it cost $5 and took 10 minutes. (Compare that to faster, cheaper Morgan’s Market.) I would love to see Shake Shack make serious strides toward more sustainable sourcing, including humanely raised meat and eggs. If a company this successful won’t even try, who will? One last thought: The suggestion for a vegetarian dish—order the hot dog with no meat—is pretty uninspired.
Shake Shack is on the top floor of Fulton Center, at Fulton and Broadway; shakeshack.com.
Recent New Kid on the Block / First Impressions articles:
• Hank’s Juicy Beef
• Aahar Indian Cuisine
• Pure Barre
• Kung Fu Tea
• Bluemercury
• JinSoon
• Sapar Contemporary
• Aesop
• Graffiti Earth
• Il Mattone
• Pakistan Tea House by Baluchi’s
• The Dogpound
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You can walk almost entirely underground to the other Shake Shack.
Just passed by Wichcraft @ 325 Broadway (across from Federal Building)….they are serving food and there was no charge. The food was very good, I will be back.
Really?! My coworker stopped by Wichcraft during lunch time and she said she was shocked by the prices. I haven’t checked it out myself yet….
Other topic, Polarn O. Pyret on Chambers St is having their annual sidewalk sale, ends this Sat.
The total price of a sandwich, side salad, and bottle of water was just under $20. It was pricey but today it was free so it was a good day. They also gave out a free recyclable tote bag.
If they could just figure it how to make the ‘shroom not tough and stringy, I’d be there more often.
I appreciate TC but a food and wine critic you’re not. Hope you can afford a reporter with a wider palate someday for this beat. I tried to stop by for lunch today but there was a line down the staircase. So much for not allowing that. Is there no elevator access for the disabled?
I love that this criticism comes in the context of a Shake Shack post.
He didn’t say in the article that they wouldn’t allow the line to go down the staircase. As far as handicap access..of course there is an elevator that accesses this level. Planning commission would never allow new construction like this to not have handicap access. You should ask someone on the main level where it’s located.
There are two elevators actually. One is truly public. The other is for WeWork but it works.
jfrankp, good point! The BPC Shake Shack has a weird smell and I got sick there once. I’m hoping the Fulton location is managed as well as the original, which I still frequent.