After reading this New Yorker piece on the Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian, our friends over at Eater maintain that the result of a Shake Shack/Burger Joint cage match would be "too close to call." I love both places very much (see: my Shake Shack review from just after they opened) but felt that wasn't true and decided to rank them on certain things; here are the results:
Location, Location, Location
Everyone hates Midtown, even (especially?) the people that live and work there, although Burger Joint is one of the few reasons to ever visit voluntarily. The Shake Shack is in the Flatiron District, and easily reachable by subway.
Advantage: Shake Shack
Seating & Ambience
The Shake Shack has more seats and is in a pretty enough park, but the Burger Joint booths are cozily dingy, and I appreciate how weird it is to have such a place right off the extremely austere Parker Meridien lobby. I'd bring a date or tourists to Burger Joint; I'd bring a group of friends to Shake Shack.
Advantage: Tie
Capriciousness of Weather
There are days in the spring and the fall when it's too cold or too wet to go to Shake Shack, and many days in the summer when all you want to do in the extreme heat or humidity is eat in a really cold room. And then, you know, there's that whole thing of the Shake Shack not being around at all in the winter.
Advantage: Burger Joint
Alcohol
You can drink beer indoors at Burger Joint or outdoors at Shake Shack, depends on what sort of environment you prefer. It's easier to BYOB at Shake Shack or to stagger to a neighborhood bar for harder liquor when you're done eating.
Advantage: Shake Shack
Quality of Desserts
The Burger Joint's milkshakes are tasty enough but their brownies are nasty, whereas the Shake Shack has more than a dozen delicious custards and concretes so you can polish your meal off properly.
Advantage: Shake Shack
Quality of Fries
Shake Shack's fries are good (especially with cheese! but that's true of most everything), Burger Joint's are okay but clearly an afterthought.
Advantage: Shake Shack
Quality of Service
Burger Joint lines are much shorter, but Shake Shack service far more pleasant.
Advantage: Shake Shack
Quality of Burger
I like the Shake Shack burger a lot and I appreciate the customizability very much, but for my money, the Burger Joint burger is far juicier.
Advantage: Burger Joint
Conclusion
The Shake Shack has clearly got a lot going for it, I tend to eat there thrice as often, and is clearly the better restaurant overall, but when asked where the best burger in Manhattan* is, my reply will always be: Burger Joint. It's not a close call at all.
Agree? Disagree? As always, drop me an email or let me know in the comments!
Burger Joint
Le Parker Meridien
118 W. 57th St.
(212) 708-7414
Subway: F to 57th St.
Shake Shack
Madison Square Park
Madison Ave & 23rd Street
(212) 889-6600
Subway: N, R, W, 6, F & V to 23rd St
*Want the best burger in all of New York City? Well, you'll have to go to Peter Luger in Brooklyn for that. Well worth the trip!