Ever since Shake Shack opened in Dupont Circle last month, the story has been less about the burger joint's food than about its absurdly long lines. What makes this NYC-based mini-chain so appealing? Well, that it's from NYC, of course. Oh, and also because it's something new, which, in D.C., automatically means it will become overexposed and, consequently, overcrowded.

Continue reading

What about the food, though? Is it any good? I suppose anything's tasty after you've convinced yourself it's worth waiting in the searing heat for. But I demand objectivity! So let's turn to Tom Sietsema, the Post's food critic, who reviewed the Shack today:

I’m partial to burgers that taste as if they came off the griddle of a diner, and by that measure, Shake Shack’s sandwiches deliver. The nicely pink, sufficiently juicy patty tucked into the lightly crisped bun is (fairly) fast food that pays a compliment to the genre.

Sietsema, who gave the restaurant two stars (out of four), says it took 15 minutes to place his order, "at which point I waited some more." I wonder what time he went there, because here's what the line looked like at 9 p.m. last night, according to @JGallo02.

That doesn't look like just a 15-minute wait to me. And now that Sietsema has weighed in, the line just might grow in the coming days.

But we don't need to listen to him! Everyone's a critic in this glorious digital revolution. DCist's Martin Austermuhle, for instance, recently Tweeted, "Shake Shack is not worth what I paid. Fancy Burger Capitalists, 1; Martin, 0." Another local cyber-voice, Joe Flood, calls the burgers "as good as advertised."

Can't decide whether it's worth it? My recommendation: Get one at Nationals Park, where there are never lines! Or just make your own.