I have been dining here periodically for the last few years. There are ALWAYS coupons in the back of magazines and flyers in the mail where I live so it's hard to ever forget about Steak-n-Shake. This establishment is open 24 hours so for late nighters Steak 'n Shake is always an option along with the happier hour 2 am to 5 am half priced shakes can really sweeten the idea of getting Steak 'n Shake. For me though, I only like to go IF I do have a coupon (Yeah, I know, I'm cheap but all you have to do is know where to look off and online or if you receive mail in Cuyahoga County and there will most likely be coupons for Steak 'n Shake.
Every time I have visited here I have to wait. Even when there were only about 5 tables being used and I ordered food to go I have waited up to 20 minutes for the Frisco Melt! I don't understand the waiting here when there is such a LARGE grilling area that the size of the stove top resembles the length of a kitchen counter so they can't find a spot on the grill for a to go order that is waiting at the counter? I don't know if they determine how many cooks based on the drive thru and dining room customers but it also seems that when they are busier my orders are received in a much more timely fashion and they operate much quicker at times during busy hours but not ALL the time. Basically, it doesn't matter how many customers are present inside or at the drive-thru it is still and always VERY difficult to determine just how long your order will take. Whether your food is made quickly or takes an awfully long time it will most definitely be greasy that you can see it (and feel it when you grab and pick up your food) seep through wrapper and onto the bag. I don't think I have to say it but Steak 'n Shake will probably never be featured in "Healthy Living" magazine anytime soon.
All of this leads up to my visit at Steak 'n Shake on an early December Saturday morning. I had just dropped my parents off at Hopkins Airport around 3:30 am because my parents always pick the early morning flights for vacation. On the way back home I decided to visit this Steak 'n Shake along the way. As I drove into the drive thru I looked inside the dining room and there was no one inside so that was a good sign. I ordered the triple steak burger meal for $3.99. I pulled up to the window and a car was in front of me waiting for their order. The time clock starts. I listened to an entire Christmas song on the radio (about 3-4 minutes) before I saw any food leave the window to be given to the customer in front of me. It took another minute to finish preparing their beverages.
Now it was my turn. I pulled up to the window, they gave me the total and I paid kind of expecting for my food to be done. It wasn't. Not only that but I continued to wait another 5 minutes after I paid for my order. After I received my food and was on my way home, I decided to try some fries along the way home. They were cold! I was just so fed up that I didn't want to head back there and deal with them and their slow service. I mean, REALLY? They made the fries FIRST and let them sit in the bag! They were definitely not fresh. Worse than the fries was the triple steak burger. The patties they used or made rather looked like what can only be described as meat in the form of Swiss cheese. Flat with holes in them. If this is how Steak 'n Shake makes their patties and it takes them a large amount of time to produce patties that come out looking like they were mutilated then it will probably be a very long time before I try Steak 'n Shake again and I hope when you order that your meat patties turn out solid and do not look like Swiss Cheese.