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| - Democrat vs. Republican. East Coast vs. West Coast Hip Hop. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Connie Francis vs. Lesley Gore. Only one side can ever be chosen among these eternal rivals--you can like and respect both, maybe even listen to or agree with the other. But you know you've chosen a side from birth, and you will forever be linked in fraternity with your chosen grouping. Thus, on my recent visit to Vegas I was thrust into the most important debate of our times: Shake Shack vs. In-N-Out.
Living in Hawaii, I do not have the luxury to regularly patronize the establishments of In-N-Out or Shake Shack. When I would visit California or Vegas in years past, it became a family tradition that the first (or one of the first) places we would eat is In-N-Out. This is due to our mutual love of their fresh vegetables and toasty buns. But when I learned we would have the opportunity to try the Empire State's favorite franchise, well, I started spreading the news to all comers and goers.
Now, unfortunately for Shake Shack there were a few intangibles that colored our experience here. One: It was about 1am having just strolled on down from the T-Mobile Arena and the #iHeartFestival and we were tired and bodies aching. Two: We were both (me at the time especially), sick with really bad throat and head colds. Three: It's dry as hell in the desert for Hawaii kids used to being moisturized by our fragrant air. So take this all with a grain of gray salt.
Being my first time, I was in full-on EYES greater than STOMACH mode and ordered The Stack Shack (a damn fried cheesy mushroom!), Shackburger with onions (to compare with In-N-Out), Chicken Stack (because we fell for its photogenic tuchus), Cheese Fries, Regular Fries, Lemonade, a 32oz Shacktoberfest beer (because I'm a sucker for a souvenir mug), a Jackpot concrete and a beer float. WHOA ALEX, did you win big at the Blackjack table? That's what my credit card asked me at any rate.
The verdict? Well, The Stack Shack is delicious. I mean, you make a mushroom patty filled with cheese, you're going to get at least my mouth's attention with that. In the head-to-head, the patty is thicker for Shake Shack, but I didn't necessarily get that out-of-body nirvana I got the first time I tried In-N-Out as a young, impressionable collegiate man. That could've been the drugs, but I'm pretty sure it was the burger. I'm sorry Chicken Stack--I don't usually prefer chicken to beef and in this case I still don't. It was okay, but nothing special. Fries were good, but I still give the nod to In-N-Out's shoestring fries. The Jackpot was damn delicious, though. It's too bad by that point we were so full, Shacksauce was leaking out of my left nostril.
The atmosphere is very nice at this location. We chose to sat outside and it was nice to quietly eat amongst the din of Strip rabblerousers under the romantic glow of neon signs.
Overall, Shake Shack is definitely delicious and I feel like I know what to order the next time around (definitely get a Stack Shack and a concrete). Is it better than In-N-Out? I'm not sure I can make that decision at this point in time, but I will defer that opinion to my wallet: "In-N-Out! In-N-Out!"
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