| rev:text
| - The burgers are tasty, with fresh ingredients. The shakes here are decent, and a good deal for the price. The atmosphere though... well... that's another story. I've been to several Steak 'n Shakes in the Midwest, and this one is more like a "Steak 'n Shake Express." I guess that's what makes this "Steak 'n Shake Signature" restaurant different, but in ways that make me miss the original versions of the chain. This isn't a diner- it's more like eating at an In N Out or a Fatburger. There's just a small seating area, you order and pick up at the counter, and it is not open 24/7. The menu is very limited as well, with less to offer than the diner versions.
The general feel of the place is more modern, and more hip. Top 40 music plays on the speakers, the interior and even the font signage out front has a contemporary feel. They even have one of the new Coke soda fountains that allow you to pick various flavor combinations. Back when I used to live in the Midwest, I had many memories of having late night eats at various Steak 'n Shakes with friends, indulging in greasy burgers and fries on white plates, and lusciously thick shakes in glass milkshake cups. Eating at this Steak 'n Shake makes me long for the actual diner, although the food itself still tastes the same. For me, some of that magic is lost for this particular restaurant when I am eating in a small area with a large crowd of people, getting my order at the counter, and eating my burger, fries, and shake in a fast-food type manner.
We went here on a Sunday around noon. We got in before the big rush, since a few minutes after we ordered, there was a line out the door, winding around the block! Our order took maybe 10-15 minutes to be made, and seating was limited.
I ordered the Royale, partially because it conjured images of Samuel L. Jackson talking about a Royale with Cheese in Pulp Fiction, and partially because the addition of bacon and egg to a burger sounded delicious. The order came with fries, and I also had some of a banana milkshake. The Royale was indeed delicious, with juicy, flavorful ground beef, fresh tomato, crisp lettuce (Green leaf, not the cheapo iceberg lettuce!), melted cheese, a smoky salty flavor from the bacon, and a nice rich, creamy texture and taste from the fried egg. The bun was soft and held up well with the other ingredients. The shake was OK. It tasted more like imitation banana flavored syrup rather than fresh banana mixed in with ice cream, but at $3, hey what do I expect?
The fries were thin, and slightly crispy. They were decent, but the real star of the meal was the burger.
I will be waiting the day that perhaps a full service Steak 'n Shake can open in the Phoenix area. Until then, this express version will have to do!
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)