Born and raised in California we don't have shake shack, we have In-N-out so we wanted to see what the hype was all about.
First off, I don't think these two place are comparable at all. Don't get me wrong, they are both very good but in their own ways. For example how can you compare fresh cut fries to the frozen crinkled cut? It's obvious the frozen will be a lot more crispier and light as opposed to the fresh cut. There is also a HUGE difference in price. A double double at In-N-out runs less than $3.50 and a Shack Shack burger is $9.49...that's 3x more!
We spent over $80 for a family of 4 which included the shack shack, shroom burger, shack burger, shackmeister dog, cheese fries, plain fries and three shakes. The food was fresh and a delicious and their bread was nice and soft but a little too soft for my preference. Had they toasted it a little would have been perfect. My family didn't think their cheese fries was anything special but their regular fries were nice and crispy.
You will also be waiting awhile to order as the line starts from the outside of the restaurant. The staff are friendly, there are plenty of condiments to choose from and offer free refills on soda. There is indoor and outdoor seating available.