I used to work next to a Steak 'n Shake when I was in college (east of the Mississippi) so I ate there all the time and loved it. I saw this Steak 'n Shake as I was going to the AMC Centerpoint and thought I'd take a trip down memory lane. I got the double cheeseburger with fries combo which was only about $4...cheaper than it was several years ago. That should have been a red flag that something was wrong.
I placed my order and got food within 3 minutes...way shorter than the wait used to be. This indicates to me that they prepare everything in advance (fast food style) rather than the cook to order method of the place I used to frequent. The quality of the food was not good. It had hints of the old flavors I used to enjoy so much but it was nowhere near the same. The flavors were all watered down...even the fries. It was even further away from the original taste than when you buy frozen entrees at the grocery store from real restaurants. It's almost like a former employee half-remembered the recipe and tried starting a Steak 'n Shake on his own.
If this was my first experience with Steak 'n Shake, I'd never eat at another one again. Luckily for me, I've had many other experiences and know that this restaurant is the exception and not the rule. Unfortunately I waited to look at Yelp reviews until after I ate there, but I see many of them have the same complaint as me. I will say that the place was clean when I was there (unlike other reviews stated). If you're looking to have a Steak 'n Shake burger, don't get it here...go further east.