Shake Shack Fries Review: Crinkled to Perfection?

Shake Shack started as a humble hot dog cart in NYC's Madison Square Park in 2004. Today, it has over 600 locations globally and are known for their delicious hand-spun shakes and juicy burgers. And underneath the green neon logo, they boast a crinkled and crisp fries with a unique silhouette that stands out from the competition. Will Shake Shack's creative fry shape shake off its competition? Or will it fall victim to being any old fry?

Shake Shack at Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, CA.

Texture (6/10)

Intriguingly, Shake Shack makes crinkled fries. This shape, however, does not affect the overall texture of the fry. We were surprised because we thought perhaps the larger surface area may affect the exterior texture in some way. The fries have a good crunch on the outside, but the inside is a bit too mushy, transforming the guts of the potato into a form of what could be called a puree. This throws off the balance and drags down the crunchiness of the exterior. Quite disappointing.

The picture doesn't do justice to the puree inside.

Flavor (4/10)

The fries are lightly to barely seasoned just with salt. The fact alone, mixed with the puree innards, makes the fries bland and they cannot be consumed without ketchup. They're also quite dry in your mouth, which exemplifies their blandness. All of this adds up to the fries being drab and forgettable.

Shape (6/10)

The crinkled fries are interesting and are decent in shape, but what surprised us was its floppiness. They had a hard time keeping themselves in a presentable shape once picked up. Due to the heavy puree innards, and perhaps the structural integrity of the exterior compromised due to crinkles, any decently long stick droops lethargically. Also, the consistency of each stick has been overlooked as the fries can range from being as long as your finger, to a stub as tall as your fingernail.

Despite an interesting shape, the lengths are inconsistent.

Presentation (7/10)

The presentation of the fries was pretty basic. It was your average carton, shaped like a boat, nothing really special about it. However, we believe the horizontally spread boat was intentional as if served in a vertical carton for easy picking (like McDonald's), the crinkles would get caught with another and more than a single stick may fall out.

Look at the boat of crinkled fries!

Experience (5/10)

Although the fries themselves didn't stack up too well against competition, they do complement their burgers and shakes really well. Their deep flavored patty definitely needs a resolve, and their highly airy potato buns may not be enough. However, keep in mind that these fries are expensive! Yes, Shake Shack is definitely at a higher price range than McDonald's, but can they really justify such mediocre fries with small portions at $6.29?

Texture	6
Flavor	4
Shape	6
Presentation	7
Experience	5
Overall	5.6 / 10

Conclusion

Shake Shack tries to differentiate itself from the regular fast-food chains with amazing burgers and shakes. However, their crinkled fries do not rise to the occasion and disappoints, especially given the price point. Shake Shack's crinkled fries had potential, but the fries on their own are better off remaining a sidekick than being the hero.

The green neon burger shines on...