Two burger power houses have invaded the UK from the US.
Both trying to compete for glory in the Burger War that has gripped London.
To test which burger had more strength, I needed to go to both burger joints ;]
It's a serious science.
Shake Shack
Originating from a mere hot dog cart in Manhattan, New York back in 2004, ShackShake has taken the US by storm and is now slowly trying to take over the world; one city at a time.
How did ShakeShack fare in London?
For £5.00 I went for the ShackBurger (basically a cheeseburger), plus crinkle cut fries at £2.50 and a caramel frozen custard shake for £4.50.
Armed with my Shake and my Shack Burger I was ready for my experimental testing.
Sex Appeal?
The Shack Burger is essentially a cheeseburger and was pretty damn alluring since she was presented to me half naked peeping out of her paper wrap.
Look at her.
Posing like that.
....Skank.
Burger Strength?
The burger was smaller than I had anticipated.
The bun was lightly toasted, a necessity to ensure that it keeps its integrity and helps to avoid disintegrating after the first bite.
The patty was cooked well done unfortunately, and another niggling factor was that the cheese wasn't cooked WITH the beef but was just topped on the burger afterwards; which meant one thing. It wasn't oozing all over my fingers. :(
YEAH-O-METER?
The beef lacked in any true flavour, and was on the side of being alittle too well-done for me.
Personally, I like to have burger juice dripping off my chin (uber sexy), with the right ratio of salad/pickles and sauces giving it that crunch without being too soggy.
I was alittle disappointed that ShakeShack failed to deliver that to me.
However, you could argue that she was a more refined lady of burger I suppose.
Shake Shack - 5.5/10 Yummei's - visually appealing, but unfortunately I wasn't blown away.
Five Guys
Five Guys, is Washington's reigning champion.
Founded in 1986, since then Five Guys has expanded it's empire over to 1, 000 locations in 47 states in the US and 6 Canadian Provinces.
There are allegedly 250, 000 possible combinations to order a burger here.
The menu consists of mainly of 3 items; (hotdogs will be introduced later).
The Hamburger. £6.75
The Cheeseburger. £8.00
Or the Bacon Cheeseburger. £8.50
All the toppings are free.
Word of advice, don't be shy and just go all the way ;]
I know you want to.
Fries range from £2.50 - £4.50 (depending on size)
Drinks £2.75 (unlimited soft drink refill)
Needless to say, I obviously went for the Bacon cheeseburger with ALL the toppings.
Here was the result.
Sex Appeal?
Presented in a ghetto grocery bag, with standard foil; Five Guys doesn't hide behind gimmicks and fancy presentation. The burger speaks for it self.
Unwrapped this burger stood loud and proud, with everything hanging out ;]
Ooooh baby.
Burger Strength?
The bun could have been toasted, but what it lacked in presentation it made up for with it's beef.
Two patties cooked and sealed together with cheese, then loaded with onions, tomato, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, pickles, mustard, mayo and ketchup. (Or you can mix it up, this is just what I went for.)
He was too big for me to take an equal bite from head to toe ;]
If you're looking for a dirty burger, where the cheese just oozes, and after the first bite you're covered in burger juice. Here he is in all his glory.
YEAH-O-METER?
Ohhhh yessss.
No words need to be uttered except an appreciative grunt.
My only gripe is that the restaurant looks like a glorified Macdonald's with seats designed to be uncomfortable after a short period of time, and that the chips were a tad over salted for my liking. BUT overall, I have had better burgers in London thus far. Nice try America.
Five Guys - 6.5/10 Yummei's
If you can get past the uncomfortable seating, and the cheap decor; the burgers are pretty badass. But I've had meatier/more flavoursome patties for that price.
Where?
ShakeShack
Covent Garden,
24 Market Building,
The Piazza,
London,
WC2E 8RD
Five Guys
1-3 Long Acre,
Covent Garden,
London,
WC2E 9LH
