Shake Shack Opens Today in Austin!

Austin fans of the Shake Shack, rejoice! Austin's first Shake Shack opens today at Lamar Union. I got to attend a preview party at the new location to sample some of their offerings. Here are a few of the delicious treats we tasted:

The Smoke Shack, a cheeseburger topped with griddled Kreuz Market jalapeno cheese sausage, ShackSauce, and pickles. I really love that they incorporated some local products into their Austin offerings, and thought the spicy sausage was a surprisingly nice complement to the cheeseburger. The super thick-cut pickles added a hearty crunch and kept the burger from being overwhelmingly meaty.

Crinkle-cut fries are usually too mealy and soft for me, but these Yukons were super crispy on the outside and very potato-y on the inside. The experience was almost tater tot-like - and who doesn't like tater tots?!? 

Apologies to Shake Shack for comparing their products to the competition, but I know most people will relate when I say that the Uchi-Koncrete is about the texture of a DQ Blizzard. Made in collaboration with the folks at local favorites Uchi/Uchiko, this dish combined vanilla custard, chunks of Uchi & Uchiko miso hazelnut blondie, and huckleberry jam. So sweet and impossibly creamy that I would have been hard pressed to eat more than the little cup they gave me...but I did eat every bite of that little cup! I saw on the menu that 5% of sales from the Uchi-Koncrete support Austin Pets Alive, which is another great excuse to indulge.

The decor at the Austin Shake Shack puts all other fast food burger joints to shame. Cool bubble lights are mixed with interesting bubble planters, with a backdrop of a huge living wall.

I am very much looking forward to checking out some of their other menu items, especially their version of a Chicago dog. Welcome to Austin, Shake Shack!

Shake Shack
1100 South Lamar Blvd, Ste 2100
Austin, TX 78704
512-717-0430
Their website

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Food Photo(s) Friday - Hopdoddy Heaven

Hello, Lover.

It may not be winning any awards for healthiest meal, but daaaaaaamn, it's worth it. Hopdoddy's burgers are my favorites in town, hands down. So juicy, so thick, so meaty, so de-luscious. And their fries aren't too shabby, either. They grind their own beef and cut their own fries from Kennebec potatoes. Everything is just so fresh and amazing.

I usually get the Greek burger. Lamb, feta cheese, arugula, pickled red onions, and tzatziki sauce. In other words, heaven in a perfect house-made bun.



Speaking of their house-made buns, they also offer house-made puns.



Be sure to grab a beer to go with your meal. Hopdoddy's is always served ice-cold in huge, frosty mugs. A perfect way to wash it all down.

Is it lunchtime, yet?

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