PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SHACK
The Shack
The Shack is a breakfast and lunch restaurant chain that started in St. Louis and has made its way across the border to south Johnson County.
The menu is expansive with entrée names that are comedy cute. There’s the “Cease N’ Desist” hamburger, the “Make a Grown Man Cry” breakfast burrito and “Why the French Hate Us” toasted croissant sandwich, to name a few.
The serving sizes are as jumbo as the menu. I had a pancake literally larger than my head. In a pinch, I could have used it as a pillow. The culinary ethos is as if the Cheesecake Factory and the Waffle House mated (and I have no problem with that).
As for the vibe, it’s “kitschy cool.” The big draw seems to be that unlike say, First Watch or the Big Biscuit, you can order alcohol with your side of bacon.
There’s spiked coffee drinks, mimosas, screw drivers, Bloody Mary’s and “boozie” shakes because who doesn’t want to double down on their nautical commanders with a Cap’n Crunch/Captain Morgan inspired breakfast smoothie.
The Shack is a playful place to carb load for breakfast or lunch. The food is reasonably priced and if you love a little vodka or tequila in the a.m. this could be your morning jam.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAKESHACK/FACEBOOK
Shake Shack
I’m going to start with a warning.
If you’re not the kind of person who will wait in a line for at least 30 minutes for a hamburger, then avoid the Shake Shack on the Plaza till the newness wears off. When the crowd settles down it’s time for you to settle in for a terrific burger experience.
Shake Shack loyalists will tell you if you want to have THE complete Shake Shack experience go with the “Shroom” burger. It’s a little bit magical. The crispy fried portobello mushroom stuffed with melted muenster and, wait for it, cheddar cheese and then blessed with ShackSauce was one of my top 10 burger moments.
Another win are the shakes. Being a purist I got a chocolate shake and it stood on its own merits without needing the addition of various pies or candies to up the yum factor. Although, if that is the way you roll you can get a “Pie Oh My” which features vanilla custard with a slice of pie from Ashleigh’s Bake Shop.
The interior of the Shake Shack has a hipster farm mojo, but for now it is too small to handle the crowds. So use their app and pre-order your food.
Yumminess awaits.
