The Organic Coop

Organic, healthy, fast food.  That is the market that The Organic Coop ambitiously set out to conquer, and, claims to be the first.  They have been fairly successful, with locations throughout the Bay Area, and even a few in Seattle.

"We are the 1st USDA Certified Organic fast food restaurant in America. What does that mean?  All of our food & beverages are certified organic by the USDA."

Organics aren't my highest priority, but it is never a bad thing to have some confidence in the sourcing of the ingredient that go into the food you put into your body, particularly for fast food.

I've walked by the San Francisco locations, many times, and even tried samples (when they first opened, they often were giving out samples of salads on the sidewalk), but it has taken a while for me to stop in, mostly, well, because the place specializes in ... chicken.  And you know how I feel about chicken.

Setting

When I did finally visit, I opted for the Rincon Center location, although they have/had others around downtown.

Courtyard Seating.

The storefront itself is fairly small, but high table seating (with umbrellas) is available right out front dedicated to their store, and the larger courtyard is filled with communal tables too.  On a nice day, it can be a lovely place to dine, sheltered from the SF wind by surrounding buildings.

Counter Seating.

Inside is mostly just the ordering/pickup station, but there are a couple counter seats for those who manage to score them.

Food

The menu at The Organic Coop focuses around chicken, sadly, not my thing ... at all.  But if you do eat chicken, it is organic, air chilled, yadda yadda.  

The chicken is used as the base for chicken sandwiches ( the chicken is soaked in buttermilk, coated in panko/cayenne/etc, and fried in coconut oil, or just simply grilled, served on artisan brioche buns), wraps (grilled or fried, served in healthy whole wheat/chia/oat/flax), or salads (chopped grilled chicken on top of veggies grown with no pesticides, etc).  And that ... is basically it.  They do make a veggie wrap, but, its literally just slaw in a wrap.  A token item, on the menu because they needed to?  You can get the basic salads without chicken, but no other protein sources exist.  You can opt for chicken tenders as well.

There is only one side dish available - tots!  No desserts.  

They are also open for breakfast in some locations, with a simple scrambled egg bowl topped with tots, or the same things in a wrap, and, randomly, an acai bowl.  They offer coffee, but regular only, no decaf.

Tots (+garlic) & Sauces!

"Certified organic crispy potatoes – Original or Garlic – cooked to perfection and served with your choice of sauce. So delicious they are banned in seven countries."

Since I didn't want chicken, I really had one choice: tots!  (I mean, yes, I could get a chickenless kinda sad salad, or a veggie wrap, but please).

They were handed over quickly, and came with my choice of sauce, which perhaps was the part I was most excited about.

Sauce choices were the same as the dressing they have for the salads/dipping sauce for chicken fingers/spreads for sandwiches: sesame ginger, caesar, mustard vinaigrette, ranch, spicy bbq ranch, or, ketchup.  I, of course, wanted to try more than one, which was easily accommodated.

I opted to "upgrade" my tots to garlic tots, for $0.50 more.

Tots + Garlic. $3.50 + $0.50.

"Certified organic crispy potatoes topped with garlic and served with your choice of sauce."

The tots were better than average, although not without flaws.

They were inconsistently cooked, some super crispy (yes!), but some rather mushy.  They did have good potato flavor, if that makes sense.  Real bits of potato formed the base.  Solid tots, really.

The garlic upgrade was also inconsistent.  There were 2-3 tots absolutely coated in the garlic.  So intense.  And the rest?  Some had a reasonable amount of garlic, but many were totally neglected.  The garlic was good though.  Like I said, intense when you got a lot.

I liked these, but I can't say I'd go out of my way for them again.  ***.

Caesar Dressing.

For a sauce, I first selected Caesar.  When I opted for the Caesar, I was thinking of it as a Caesar dip, the thick style, mayo forward, kind.  This explains a bit why the server said, "Tots, with ... the Ceasar?"  Instead, it was the thinner, vinaigrette style Caesar, for use as a dressing, the style that I never like with my Caesar salad, let alone my tots!

It did have a decent cheesiness from parmesan, and really a lot of ingredients ... Worchestershire & molasses, ginger puree & tamarind paste, garlic/chile pepper/onion/etc, and even buttermilk, so it had some flavor, but ... just not my thing.

**.

Spicy BBQ Ranch.

I was glad they gave me a second sauce, free of charge, and for that one, I selected one that made far more sense: Spicy BBQ Ranch.  Maybe the spicy BBQ wasn't needed to pair with the garlic, but at least this was a thicker, dipping sauce style.

It was ... well, BBQ ranch.  I think probably awesome with the chicken fingers, and best on a salad.  It kinda worked with tots, but I found it not to be the best match.  It was good, very BBQ forward, and made me wish I liked chicken fingers.

**+.

Hot Sauce.

And finally, I grabbed a hot sauce and ketchup from the condiment station, just to try them.

The hot sauce was fine, although definitely not the pairing I was looking for with the garlic tots. ***.

The ketchup turned out to be a surprise hit, or at least, a surprise pairing.  I ended up preferring it over everything else with my tots, which is funny, as I'm rarely a ketchup girl (for fries, for anything, I always go for more exciting dips).  It just ... worked well.

I'm not sure if this ketchup was anything special, it likely was just (organic) Heinz or something, but ... I liked it. ***.

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Brunch, Baked Goods, and Pie, from Lou's

Lou's is a restaurant located in the town next to where I grew up.  But it isn't just a restaurant, that isn't a fair classification.  Lou's is an institution!  It has been around since 1947, when it started as a bakery.  Now it is a classic dinner-style establishment, serving breakfast and lunch (breakfast is obviously served all day), but the bakery is still a large focus, as the meals use house made items, but also they have a retail bakery in the front.  Some of their baked goods are still the most lauded items.

Speaking of being well-known, I've known about Lou's forever.  Whenever someone mentions the best crullers, muffins, or pies in the area, Lou's is bound to come up.  Yet somehow, I grew up in my hometown, just a short 20 minute drive away, and never went to Lou's.  I'm not sure how this is possible.

Ounce I turned into uh, a bit of a foodie, it was time to change that.  How could there be a great place near my home that I hadn't been to yet?  Particularly one that makes french toast out of their famous crullers?  Yes, I said it.  Cruller french toast.  I had to visit.  And, just to give a fair review, I had to visit more than once.

First, let me explain, Lou's is not a fancy place.  It really is a diner.  The placemats are paper, the dishware simple white, the cutlery flimsy.  I think the flooring is linoleum.  Like I said, not fancy.

But even though it is no-frills, and even though it has been around forever, Lou's keeps up with the trends.  They have a Facebook page, where they post glamour shots of the weekly specials every Friday.  Even if you don't live in the area, it is worth following them, just to drool.  The specials are insane, particularly the pancakes and french toasts.  I've been tempted to hop on a plane for a surprise visit to see my family, just on account of the Lou's specials.  I'm only kinda joking.

They keep up with the trends in other ways too, like listing the purveyors for the products they use, taking pride in local sourcing.  They make all the breads in house, same with the jams.  So a diner yes, and the decor would never make you think it was a notch above any other generic diner, but, it certainly is!

Most of the menu consists of combo meals, each of which could easily feed a family.  I'm not exaggerating.  A single pancake is the size of a platter.  Not a plate, a platter.

The service is adequate, but rushed.  On one visit, my waitress did an impressive job at keeping my coffee mug full at all times, on another, I needed to constantly ask for refills.  One time, while we got seated relatively quickly, we waited an excruciatingly long time for our food.  The entire place is bustling at all times.  Even if you go even during the week, there will be a wait.  Don't even attempt to go on a weekend for brunch if you aren't patient.  Of course, you can just swing in the bakery rather than getting a hot meal, and you'll be plenty satisfied if you do that.

I'll continue returning to Lou's when I visit the area, and I of course continue to drool over their specials.  One thing they are also known for, among the cooked food, is the corned beef hash.  I haven't gotten a chance to try it yet, as I was too tempted by the decadent sweets on my first visits, but I've got it queued up for next time ...

I've consolidated all my reviews below, in reverse chronological order.

September 2021

Ok, so while Lou's may be a destination for many things (e.g. brunch, baked goods, frozen custard), it is not, normally, a destination for lunch, at least for me.  Sure, they are open at lunch time, but that is just for late brunch in my mind, although I know the menu has plenty of sandwiches, burgers, salads, and the like.  But those are never what I've sough out at Lou's, until a warm day in September, when I was out running errands in the area, and decided to stop by to grab a salad for lunch.  From Lou's.  

Sesame Salmon Salad. $15.50.

"Mixed greens, sesame-teriyaki glazed salmon, shaved carrots, radish, pickled red onion, fried rice noodles, sesame seeds, with miso ginger dressing."

I know, who goes to Lou's and gets a salad?  Let's just say, when I am in town, I am often stuffed full of my mom's baking, and way too many trips to get ice cream, and so, a lighter option was in order for lunch.  I picked this up to go.  

Unfortunately, it was missing the fried rice noodles, which I'll admit were some of the draw for me, and I didn't notice until I had already left.

The base was fine, mixed greens, crisp enough.  Same with the carrots, radish, red onion.  Average.  The salmon of course was the main attraction, and although I did like the teriyaki glaze, it was cooked far, far more than I like.  I knew not to expect mid-rare salmon, but this was very well done.  Kinda hammered, really. Not my thing at all, and I gave up after a few bites, saving it for my mom, who does like well cooked salmon, but she also did not care for it.  Shame.

The dressing was miso ginger vinaigrette, which sounded potentially ok since I like miso and ginger, and it had some slight miso flavor, some slight ginger, but it was very much a vinaigrette so also not really my thing.  I gave the dressing to my mother later, and she enjoyed it.

For $15.50 a very, very average dish.

**+.

July 2020

As you know from prior reviews, Lou's in Hanover NH is a local "institution", a well known brunch (and lunch) place, with a bakery section folks rave about, where everyone "fancy" gets a cake for a party, and home of some "famous" donuts (which of course they turn into french toast).

I've had mixed experiences in the past, and didn't grow up going there, nor getting their goodies, as my family just didn't do brunch, college towns, or not make their own cake, so it wasn't until later in life I discovered Lou's.  Maybe I missed out on the nostalgia part of it.

Anyway.  Lou's has remained on my radar, always on the list in case I wanted to give it one more try, for brunch, for pie, for donuts, but its not been high enough on the list during my limited time in the area for a few years.  Until this year.  

Why?  Because Lou's introduced frozen custard to their menu.  Oh yes.  Frozen custard.  I hadn't had frozen custard since I lived in Virginia.  Such a rare find, and as an avid ice cream / frozen treat lover, I had to visit.  And of course, if I was there, I needed to get some baked goods too ... you know, to make the trip "worth my while".

Custard

If you haven't had frozen custard before, let me first give you a quick intro: basically ... think of ice cream, but, it imagine egg in the base (rather than just cream/sugar), more of, well, a custard.  I think you can make it as hard, scoop style frozen custard, but I've only ever had it as soft serve.  It has less air mixed in.  It is denser, richer, and served warmer actually.

Lou's added a soft serve custard machine, offering up just vanilla and chocolate, and the flavors never change.  It is available in a cup or cone, with toppings or plain, or with mix-ins as a "concrete".  

Toppings are $0.50, and include some house made items, like their own strawberry jam that I adore, brownie bits made from their brownies, and rice krispie crumble from their own treats.  Standard items like sprinkles (chocolate or rainbow), nuts (walnuts, sliced almonds, pecans), and other goodies (oreo crumble, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, mini marshmallow, graham crackers), maple syrup to drizzle over, and whipped cream, round out the lineup.

Custard Samples: Vanilla & Chocolate.

The first time I stopped in, mostly there to pick up baked goods, I was curious about the custard, and asked to try a sample.  I'm not ever one to say no to getting ice cream ...  I was provided a nice size sample of each.

The vanilla I'm glad I tried first - while it was very rich, very creamy, and I loved those elements of it, it was also fairly eggy.  It *is* custard after all.  But it was eggier than I wanted, given that I was just in the mood for a soft serve vanilla cone, with sprinkles, in the sun.  I think that with strawberries (fresh), or with the jam and other mix-ins, or used in a concrete, it would be fine, but it wasn't what I wanted for a cone.

When I visited a week later, the vanilla was far less eggy, so, I'm not entirely sure what is "normal" there, as there seems to be variety.  I'd have to always ask for a sample it seems ...

It was late in the day that first visit, so I didn't want the chocolate custard, but I was still thrilled to try it.  It was *awesome*.  I immediately went home and told my mom I had found the best chocolate soft serve in the area.  It reminded me of frozen chocolate mousse, so insanely intense, but oh so good.  When she had it later, she said it was like a frozen hot chocolate, which also is a good description.  We both agreed that it was top notch.

On this day, I "settled" for baked goods, but vowed to come back, ASAP, for chocolate custard earlier in the day.

Small Chocolate Custard. $3.75.
 Whipped Cream, Brownie Bits (on the side), Strawberry Jam (on the side) + $0.50 each.

It only took a week for me to return, my mom in tow.  I adore ice cream, as you know, and, uh, it is quite clear where I get it from.  My mom will eat ice cream, any day, anywhere, any time.  Having me around is dangerous for her!

I had a grand vision - I knew the chocolate custard was too rich to just have a bowl or cone of - which my mom agreed with.  Her solution was to get the chocolate and vanilla twist.  But I had grander visions.  I was thrilled with Lou's toppings line up, with all their house made items.  I almost got a concrete, but realized I just wanted to make my own sundae.  So, annoyingly I'm sure, I asked for my bowl of chocolate custard, with whipped cream on it, and ... my other toppings on the side, so that I could mix them in as I pleased.  The person making my ice cream didn't seem annoyed, and just asked if I wanted them together or separate.  I was quite pleased with what was handed over.

The whipped cream was not housemade (boo! Its a diner style place! They usually have homemade whipped cream!), but rather Cabot from a can.  My $0.50 got me a nice portion though.

The jam was their totally amazing housemade strawberry jam, oh so fruity, loaded with big chunks of strawberry, very, very sweet.  I adored it, but I'm glad I had it on the side - it turned out, I found it too sweet and fruity for the chocolate custard.  I think it would be great with the vanilla though, or likely, used in a concrete.  I was not upset to go home with a side of their jam though!

The brownie bits were more of a brownie crumble.  I was expecting more like chunks, not bits I guess, and I thought I had seen Instagram photos with real chunks of brownie.  Slightly disappointed, as my vision included bigger chunks, but this was fine.  They actually mixed in wonderfully, and were exactly what I needed to cut the richness of the chocolate (yeah, it sounds crazy but makes sense, really!).

Oh, and the custard?  Yes, just as glorious as my previous sample.  So rich.  So creamy.  Soft, melty, frozen chocolate mousse.  Insanely intense, but oh so good.  And yes, I was able to make a glorious creation (keep reading).

The small size was still a fairly large ice cream, and this is their smallest size - no kiddie size or half small available here.  As the custard is so rich, I found the portion actually to be too much, and I saw many people splitting even the small.  I would encourage Lou's to offer a smaller size.  The price is higher than a small at a soft serve stand, but, as this is larger and quality product, not just soft serve mix, it is entirely appropriate.

My Creation: Chocolate and Vanilla Custard, Whipped Cream, 
Lou's Strawberry Jam, Lou's Brownie Bits, Chocolate Sprinkles.

I added my vanilla sample to my bowl, and it provided a nice contrast to the intense chocolate.  The massive amount of whipped cream was also quite necessary to help cut the chocolate.

The brownie bits were perfect, as were the chocolate sprinkles I added (I had my own with me), and I'd leave out the jam next time, as I didn't want that sweet fruitiness with the chocolate.  I loved the textures, and it melted perfectly.

I was beyond thrilled with my final creation.  My mom concluded that her own simple vanilla/chocolate twist overtook *her* town goto, Dairy Twirl, for second place in the area (still behind Mac's Maple).

Baked Goods

I've only had cake from Lou's once before, at an event, and, well, I was most certainly *not* impressed, as you may recall.  "It was truly one of the worst cakes I've had in recent memory, and any grocery store version would likely be better."  Ooph.  Still, I didn't understand how it could be that bad given how well known Lou's is, so, I decided to give their cake another try, and got a slice to take home when I went in to get my custard.  It was really hard to walk past the pies, and Boston cream donuts, and get this instead, but, I was really craving carrot cake ...

Carrot Cake.

"Filled with carrots, pineapples, walnuts and raisins. Frosted with homemade cream cheese frosting."

At first glance, I also wasn't very impressed.  The little carrot decoration on top just looked fairly cheap to me.  Like, grocery store kinda cake quality.  Tacky almost.  But I didn't want to judge a cake by its finishes.  The cake itself looked great, loaded with nuts (as I like it!), and with great ratio of frosting to cake (I just hoped the frosting would be tasty of course).

The verdict?  It was fine.  Not bad, not great, just, fine.  A good enough execution of a basic carrot cake.

As I expected, I did really appreciate all the nuts, for crunch and texture and flavor.  The base was also nicely loaded with shredded carrots, and not too much pineapple or raisin - just enough for a touch of sweetness, nothing to overwhelm.  It was however more spiced than I prefer.

The frosting ratio was great (for me! My mom ate the cake and left all her frosting, which, was a win-win in my books.  It was sweet but not too sweet, and had decent flavor, so I was happy to take all of hers.

Overall, all was fine, good, but nothing I'd rave about.  I wouldn't get again, just because there was nothing crave-able about it.

Brunch, December 2017

Whenever I visit my family in NH, my mother and I have a tradition of going out to breakfast.  We've hit up all the local "hotspots", and have had varying success at different times.  One highlight was the pancakes at The Heartland Diner where they are bigger than a dinner plate, and totally customizable, but ... they are not always as consistently good.  Same with their biscuits.  I also had some great pancakes at 4 Aces Diner , but, less than stellar biscuits.

So on this visit, we returned to Lou's, in Hanover, NH where I have always loved the sausage and homemade jam, but, had some pretty awful pancakes on a previous visit.  I wanted to give *their* biscuits a try.

Breakfast for Two.

Lou's was busy as always when we arrived mid-week at 9:30am, but we were seated quickly.  Service was good, very friendly.

Food was ok, but not notable.  We are still on a never ending quest to find our consistently good breakfast spot.

Veggie Pesto Scramble, Home Fries. $11.95.

"A delicious combination of scrambled eggs cooked with basil pesto, baby spinach, and roasted red peppers, topped with mozzarella cheese. Served with choice of homefries, baked or black beans, and choice of toast, English muffin or a fresh muffin from our bakery, and homemade strawberry preserves."

My mom as always opted for a savory egg dish, something that never interests me.  I tried a bite, but, it was, well, scrambled eggs.  I didn't really taste pesto, and it had way too much mozzarella cheese for my taste (but perfectly melted).  She said it was fine, but didn't have enough red pepper chunks.

For her first side, she had the choice of homefries, baked, or black beans, and went for homefries.  I haven't really cared for them in the past, so I didn't bother trying.

So, overall, her food was fine but not noteworthy.  $11.95 is a bit high for a breakfast dish, but the portion was large (she said it could easily be 2-3 meals, and saved some for the next days), and did come with a choice of second, bread based, side too.

Morning Glory Muffin. $2.09.

For her bread choice, my mom could pick toast, an english muffin, or a fresh baked muffin from the bakery.  She said she was getting english muffin, but I pointed out that she could get a real muffin instead.  And since she was getting home fries with her scramble, she could save the muffin for a treat later ... wouldn't that be better than a generic english muffin she needed to eat right then?

She quickly agreed, particularly as she loves the Lou's morning glory muffins.

She did of course take a few bites right then.  It isn't served hot, and the butter just comes in packages on the side, but, she still couldn't resist.  And I don't blame her.  She also insisted I try it, even though I've had the Lou's muffins before, and never found them quite so magical.

It was a fine muffin, crispy top, moist inside, loaded up with shredded carrots, crunchy nuts, juicy raisins.  But ... just not my thing really.  She enjoyed it.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit with Strawberry Jam. $2.95.

There are two main breakfast foods I like to get at diners: pancakes and biscuits and gravy.  I've had both of these items from nearly every place we have been, but at Lou's, I'd only had the pancakes (and found them dreadful).  It was time to try the biscuits, even though I was very, very tempted by the "famous" donuts that I had to walk by as I entered, and of course, all their crazy versions of french toast.

I could have opted for the biscuits and gravy from the menu, but, that comes with two eggs, and homefries or beans.  I didn't want any of that.  I'm sure I could have asked for just a side of gravy with my biscuit, but, knowing how amazing the strawberry jam at Lou's is, I decided to just get the biscuit, and have this as a sweet item, rather than savory with gravy.

Of course, Lou's doesn't make it easy on me, one of the weekly specials also featured the biscuit, dipped in french toast batter and grilled, and filled with a sausage patty, eggs, and cheese.  The idea of the biscuit french toast was definitely appealing, but, again, I didn't want the eggs.  Could I have just gotten biscuit french toast perhaps?  With sausage patty on the side?  That I wanted!

I kept it simple, and ordered from the menu, just the biscuit with jam, from the "Extra Yummies" section.

I asked for the biscuit grilled/toasted, and was assured that is how it is always served.  A good sign.

It was quite a good looking biscuit.  Huge.  Seriously huge.  Shiny top.  Lofty.  It came split and grilled as I asked.  Not sure if they buttered it, or if it was just oily from being cooked on the grill top.

The biscuit was good, nicely flaky.  Decent buttermilk flavor.  Like the muffin, it came with hard  packets of Cabot butter on the side.

I was so excited for my jam though, the strawberry jam has always been a highlight, so much so that I've purchased jars to take home, even when my mom makes her own coveted strawberry jam.

But ... I didn't love the jam for some reason.  It didn't have the big chunks of strawberry I remembered, it wasn't as flavorful, it wasn't as sweet.  I know not all batches can possibly be the same, and maybe the berry picking that year wasn't as good, but, it was really just lackluster.

Without gravy, and without amazing jam, the biscuit was really just, a biscuit.  A decent biscuit, but nothing I wanted to rave about.

 Sausage Patties. $3.25.

I also ordered a side of sausage, since I've adored the sausage before, and was excited to eat one patty with my biscuit, and take the other home.

The sausage though wasn't what I remembered.  It wasn't very well prepared either, kinda soggy, not very crispy on the exterior.  But it also just wasn't very flavorful.  It was fine, but, not remarkable.

I did drizzle some syrup on it, as I love sausage and syrup, and that was fine, but, I still didn't adore it.

I decided to make some breakfast sandwich bites, with biscuit, jam, and sausage, which was good, but again, no reason to get it again.  Sigh.

Donuts, October 2016

Lou's is known for their donuts, particularly the "famous" crullers, which I had before, when made into french toast.

But they are also known for another type of donut, apple cider donuts, available only during the fall.  I'd heard about the apple cider donuts from Lou's for years, yet I have not been in town during the fall, so I wasn't able to try them until recently.

Donuts!

Then I visited in October to help out with a recruiting event at Dartmouth, and the host showed up with a bag of donuts.  From Lou's.  Yes.

Apple Cider Donuts. $1.05 each.

"Delicious spiced donuts. An Autumn favorite."

The donuts lived up to the hype.  Dense, hearty cake base, crispy around the edges, and totally coated in cinnamon and sugar.  The size was just right for me - not so huge I felt awful after, but certainly enough to satisfy.

I can't say I tasted apple cider, but, I really enjoyed my donut and would gladly have another.

Cake, December 2014

On a visit to see my family, I was dragged to a going away party for one of my mother's co-workers.  I went along, even though I would know no one there other than my mom.  And well, she promised cake.  Cake from Lou's.

Full Sheet Cake. $110.

"Vanilla and Chocolate Layer Cake with White Frosting. "

I was quite excited, and glad to see the huge cake (serves 80-100).  There were 20 of us at this party.  I knew I'd get to eat as much as I wanted.

Sadly, I didn't end up wanting more than a few bites.  Out of politeness, I tried to finish my slice, but it was truly one of the worst cakes I've had in recent memory, and any grocery store version would likely be better.

Inside the Cake.

The top layer was vanilla cake.  It was dry and flavorless.  "Plain" is more of an accurate description than vanilla.

The bottom layer was chocolate cake.  It was also dry.  Seriously, no moisture at all in either layer of this cake.  It was brown, but didn't taste like chocolate.  No richness, no complexity, nothing.

The frosting is always my favorite part of a cake.  This was described as "white" frosting, which, well, accurately describes it.  It tasted like nothing.  It wasn't very sweet.  It wasn't very creamy.  One person said it tasted like Crisco and nothing else.

The only redeeming things about this cake were the dark chocolate shavings on the outside and the layer of strawberries on the inside.  The strawberries weren't exactly amazing, and one person kept commenting on how the strawberries didn't go with the cake at all, but they were at least sweet and fresh enough tasting.

Breakfast, July, 2014

On this visit, the wait was not too bad, and we were seated within 15 minutes.  Service was friendly, although the server was obviously very busy.  But, the wait for our food was ... extreme.  I went through 4 coffees before the meal actually arrived.  Our waitress came to offer us a muffin even, since it was taking so long (we turned the offer down, since we all had big meals coming).

The highlight was still the whipped cream, the delicious house made jam on tables, and the sausage patty.  But otherwise, it was mediocre, so I didn't return for several years.

Decaf Iced Coffee.

The iced coffee wasn't very good.  At least for decaf, Lou's is really not excelling in this area.  At least they give unlimited refills, which I always take advantage of.

Special: Blueberry Peach Pancakes.  $11.95.

For some reason, I was seriously craving pancakes.  I had them just a few days earlier when I went to brunch with a friend in Boston at North Street Grille, and although those pancakes were excellent, it didn't end my craving.

Lou's has pancakes on the regular menu, available as plain buttermilk, or with blueberry, cranberry, or chocolate chip.  But my eye is always on the specials, which Lou's changes weekly, and always sound so decadent.  This week's specials menu included a pancake option, so, I had no choice but to order it.

The special was blueberry and peach pancakes, topped with homemade whipped cream.  Listed on the menu as a stack of two, but I'd seen Lou's pancakes before, and knew they were absolutely huge, so I asked if they were available a la carte.  "Of course!", my server cheerfully told me.  This was great to know, since I often either want a smaller portion, or want to mix and match.  (Note to self: it never hurts to ask if you can do things a la carte!)

The pancake was a monster, as I expected.  Honestly, a single one of these is easily the size of 3 normal pancakes.  I'm really not sure how anyone could eat a full stack of these.

Sadly, the pancake was not good.  It wasn't light and fluffy; it was thin, and very, very tough.  Almost gummy and rubbery.  The dough had obviously been over mixed, and it also seemed over cooked.  If it was just crispy, that would have been fine, as I love crispy things.  But it wasn't that it was crispy, it was tough, and too dark.

I do give credit for the fruit inside though.  It was loaded up with chunks of peaches and whole blueberries.  I think both types of fruit were frozen and not fresh, but inside the pancake, it didn't matter.

The best part was the whipped cream on top.  Their homemade whipped cream is just killer.  So ... cream tasting!

In the end, I'm glad I only got a single pancake. I traded half to my mom for half of her french toast, since she felt bad for me disliking mine so much.  But ... she didn't bother eat it either.  I did pick out all the fruit and eat it with whipped cream, but wow, that was a bad pancake.  If we hadn't waited nearly an hour to get our food, I certainly would have asked for a re-fire.  It has turned me off from ever trying any more of their pancakes.

Special: Native Strawberry Cheese French Toast.   $11.95.

"A French toast sandwich filled with strawberry sweetened ricotta cheese topped with lightly sweetened native strawberries & homemade whipped cream".

Lou's is known for the french toast.  Well, specifically, they are known for their crueller french toast, where they literally turn 3 whole glazed cruellers into french toast.  I had it on my first visit to Lou's, and it was as insane as you can imagine.  They also offer a regular Texas french toast as well.

But, like I said, it is the specials that always appeal, and the french toast special also sounded amazing.

My mom picked it, with a little coaxing from me, since, of course this was on my list, right behind the pancakes.  I knew she'd share with me.

Her pick was much better than mine.  The french toast itself wasn't anything special, but the ricotta stuffing inside was quite good, slightly sweetened, and it went well with the fruit.

But the fruit ... that was a letdown.  Strawberry season was in full swing during our visit.  I went strawberry picking the very next day.  So, when the menu said "lightly sweetened native strawberries", we expected fresh berries.  Sure, it didn't say that explicitly, but ... that is what we both imagined.  Instead, the fruit really seemed like it had come out of a jar, or perhaps freezer.  It was sweet fruit, and it went really well with the ricotta and cream, but, not what either of us had really wanted.

It was also topped with their homemade whipped cream.  My mom, perhaps trying to be healthy, didn't' eat all her whipped cream.  You can guess who took it all off her hands.  Seriously, love the whipped cream.

Overall, this was mediocre, sans the whip, and I wouldn't get it again.  I'd consider their other french toast choices though.

$11.95 price seemed a bit high, particularly given that it wasn't using fresh fruit.

Side of Sausage Patty. $2.95.

Last time I visited, I fell in love with the sausage patty.  Totally random, but I did.  As soon as I realized I could order a single pancake, I eagerly ordered a side of sausage as well.

I was a bit apprehensive to try it the first time.  I actually don't care for pork (besides crispy bacon), and didn't used to like sausage.  I thought that I must have just been in a really strange mood the day that I loved it.  I didn't expect to like it this time, but I had liked it so much, I couldn't resist.

I'm glad I didn't.  The sausage patty was again amazing.  Juicy and flavorful.  I particularly liked it with a little maple syrup drizzled over it.  Winning element of the meal, even better than the whipped cream :)

The sausage patties come 2 to an order, and are totally worth the $2.95.  I adore these, and will order them every time. I also discovered that they reheat pretty well later at home in the toaster oven, so, I'm tempted to always just add on an extra order, (or two!), of sausage to bring home.

Breakfast, December 23, 2013

Rachel's Favorite: Scrambled Eggs, Cobb Smoked Bacon, Home Fries, Wheat Toast.  $9.45. 

"Eggs cooked to order with choice of cob smoked bacon, sausage or local Vermont ham steak. Served with choice of homefries, baked or black beans, and choice of toast, English muffin or a fresh muffin from our bakery, and homemade strawberry preserves."

The classic breakfast meal is dubbed "Rachel's Favorite".

My cousin ordered this, and got her eggs scrambled, the bacon extra crispy, the toast wheat and buttered.  I didn't try the bacon or eggs, but she loved her meal.

She nicely shared some home fries with me.  Lou's makes their home fries extra special: cooked in bacon drippings (unless requested otherwise).  I like the seasoning on them, and particularly like them with a little maple syrup on them, a delightful mix of sweet and savory.  If ordering myself, I'd ask to get them crispier next time, as these didn't really have the crispy exterior I'm looking for in my home fries.

The toast was classic wheat toast, clearly freshly made and very fluffy, although not very toasted.  Too much butter for my liking, but this was her meal, not mine.  The toast was great with the homemade strawberry jam on the table.  That jam is worth a visit alone!  Sweet, but not too sweet, with large chunks of strawberries.  I always love it.  You can also purchase it by the jar.

Overall, a nice selection of items, a classic combo, and what my cousin orders every single time she visits.  Which, understandably, she does often.

North Pole Omelet, English Muffin.  $11.95.

"A large fluffy omelet filled with Vermont ham, onion, fresh Maple Brook Farms mozzarella & pesto. Served with choice of homefries, homemade baked beans or black beans."

My mother's pick was from the special's menu of the week, the "North Pole Omelet".

My mom mis-read the description, an thought it came with homefries and beans.  She just wanted homefries, but what she told the waitress was "leave the beans and all that off".  She was a bit sad when her omelet arrived sans home fries.

I'm not much of an eggs girl, but I tried a few bites.  It was indeed a large fluffy omelet.  It fed my mom two meals, and she said it easily could have been three.  It was fluffy, and the pesto was well distributed throughout, giving a lot of flavor.  Pockets of cheesy melted mozzarella and a very generous amount of ham completed it.  Really not my thing at all, but my mother really liked it.

Sausage Patty, Side Order, $2.95.

I really have no idea why, but I was seriously craving a sausage patty.  I couldn't tell you the last time I had sausage.  But I really, really wanted this.

And it was awesome.  The best sausage I've had ... ever.  Super flavorful.  Well cooked.  And being a fan of sweet and savory, I really enjoyed it dunked in syrup.

But about that syrup.  When the waitress brought our order, I asked for syrup.  I waited and waited.  She never came back with it.  I ate everything else.  I waited and waited.  I tried to get her attention whenever I saw her on the other side of the room.  She never looked our way.  Finally, my mom grabbed someone else and asked for some.  He promptly brought it.

I took another sausage patty home with me to eat later.  It didn't reheat quite as well, got a bit too crispy, but was enjoyable nonetheless.  Seriously good sausage.  Will certainly get again.  Want more now!

Mrs. Clause's Bread Pudding.  $11.95.

"Homemade bread pudding made with our famous glazed crullers, topped with homemade egg nog whipped cream; made with local McNamara Dairy egg nog."

As I mentioned, one thing that Lou's is known for is their glazed crullers.  Not the french style, but the New England style - fried dough, twisted up, and glazed.  Sweet, fried, decadent.  Delicious on their own with a cup of coffee.  Lou's is crazy and also makes french toast with them, which I had on my first visit.  But on the special's menu during this visit, they also used them to make bread pudding.  WHAT?  Yes.

Ok, seriously?  It was 9am.  I wasn't REALLY wanting something this over the top, the day before our Christmas feast, and several days into my trip that mostly revolved around eating my mom's homemade baked goods.  I wanted the corned beef hash.  Or perhaps just a piece of french toast.  But I absolutely adore bread pudding.  If you've read my blog long, you know I order it whenever I get the chance, although, generally for dessert.  I also do like eggnog.  I decided not to get this dish, for all the reasons listed above.  But then my mother helpfully says, "we can just get one to all share, since everyone wants a bite of it".  And quite honestly, how do you NOT order this?

So, we did.

Sadly, I did not like it.  I'm the queen of sweets, but I found it too sweet for me.  Of course I didn't add syrup or anything, as the glazed crullers provided plenty of sweet themselves.  I think I might have just really not been in the mood for so much sweet, as my mother and grandmother both enjoyed it quite a bit, and both said it wasn't too sweet.  I brought leftovers home to my father and Ojan, and they both also agreed it wasn't too sweet.  But it was for me, at that time.

It also just wasn't the style of bread pudding that I like.  I admit it though, I have VERY specific demands for my bread pudding.  I like the pieces of bread to be largeish chunks, distinct from one another.  I can't stand a homogenous bread pudding that is just soggy.  The top must be crisp, the inside incredibly custardy.  The top of this wasn't crisp. I couldn't distinguish any individual chunks of cruller.  It was however insanely moist.  It also had plump raisins inside (which made my dad unwilling to try it, until I really, really demanded).

It also was just too heavy for me.  Very oily, particularly as the eggnog whipped cream broke down, it added a pool of oil to the dish.  You can see in the photo, that isn't an additional sauce surrounding the bread pudding chunk, that is all oil.

The whipped cream was fluffy, but I didn't taste any eggnog.

So, I didn't like this, but it very gladly got consumed by everyone else I shared it with.  They all loved it.  Normally, Lou's posts photos of each of their specials every Friday, and I drool over them.  The week I visited however, their photographer was on vacation for the holidays, so I didn't see this in advance.  If I'd seen a photo, I could have easily recognized that it wasn't "my" style of bread pudding, and I wouldn't have ordered it, so I really can't fault Lou's on this.

Take Out Muffins, August 2, 2013

The next time I visited my family was to help my little sister move into a new house.  As a treat for the "work crew", my mother went to Lou's to pick up muffins, to fuel us up for a long day of packing, loading up trucks, and lugging boxes around.  I somehow never had Lou's famous muffins before, although my mother assured me they were all fantastic.  I looked online to see what varieties they offered, and requested a Morning Glory or Earth muffin.  Sadly, they were all out of both of those varieties, so my mother instead got a box full of every variety that they did have.  A dozen muffins for 4 people makes total sense, right?

Assorted Muffins, $1.79 each.

I felt like something was just off this day.  While I hadn't had their muffins before, I know many people who proclaim them to be amazing.  These were good, but not anything I'd really go out of my way for again.  Perhaps I just had them wrong (gobbling them down in the midst of moving is very different from having them warm with butter or jam), and they didn't have the flavors I wanted.

• Apple Streusel: This was a bit dried out, didn't have much flavor, wasn't that spiced, and the topping wasn’t really streusel-y.  It did have good chunks of apple.
• Blueberry: Fairly boring base, but insanely moist from plentiful blueberries.  Seriously loaded with berries.  But just not great for some reason.
• Corn:  I love the top of a muffin, particularly the overhang.  The corn did not have as large as a top as the others, but it did have a nice crispy exterior and a good grit.  It was fairly dry.  I think I'd like it warmed up and served with butter and jam, but room temperature on its own it was a bit lacking.
• Cranberry Orange: This had huge chunks of orange, lots of orange flavor, lots of cranberries.  Not my thing though, since I don’t like orange.  If I did, I think this would be a winner.
• Raisin Bran: Very dense, loaded with raisins.  I'm pretty sure that if I had it warm with butter, I’d love it.  There was a good heartiness from the bran, and a nice texture.  It wasn't too sweet, the sweetness came from raisins mostly.  The raisins were very juicy and plump.  I'd like to try this again, and this time, serve it warm and loaded with butter.  Or their amazing jam.

Breakfast (and Pie), December 18, 2012

Very Berry Cruller French Toast.  $8.99.

 "Three of our delicious glazed crullers dipped in French toast batter, grilled ’til golden and topped with blueberries, sliced cranberries & whipped cream."

As I mentioned, Lou's makes amazing glazed crullers.  And they make french toast from them.  We HAD to try this.

My mom's comment after taking a bite: "Who on earth thought of this?  Who takes donuts and turns them into french toast?"

I don't know the answer, but whoever it was, he or she is a genius.  This was a very sweet, very decadent meal.  It was downright amazing.

When the server asked us if we wanted to upgrade to real maple syrup instead of the table syrup, I kinda laughed.  How could we possibly want syrup at all, when the french toast was made from GLAZED donuts, was covered in fruit, and served with whipped cream?  But my mom quickly ordered the real syrup.  When you order real syrup, you get your own little custom branded Lou's jar, and can take the rest home with you.  It was good syrup.  And, it turns out, while the french toast was amazing without the syrup, it was even better with.  The french toast was just a tiny bit too dry for my liking on its own, which just made me want to add more syrup to moisten it up.  But, wow, so much sugar.

I also really liked adding jam to the french toast.  On each table is a jar of homemade jam, sweet, with large chunks of berries.  I'm sure most people use it for toast or english muffins, but I thought it was really delicious spread on the french toast.  As if I needed more sugar.

The blueberries and cranberries weren't very remarkable, but blueberries are not in season in December, so I wouldn't really expect them to be good.  The whipped cream was served in a little paper container, but it also wasn't very remarkable, no particular flavor to it.

And yes, a single order of this was THREE WHOLE CRULLERS turned into french toast.  ZOMG.  No one would ever sit down and eat three crullers in a single sitting, and this was even more insane.  At least there was some fruit included?

This was very good, and I'm really glad I tried it, but I'm not sure I'd order it again.  Sure, I'd love another few bites of it, and I'd encourage someone else to get it to give me a bite, but I'm over the novelty of a full order.  Plus, their menu has way too many other amazing sounding dishes to explore!

[ Not Pictured ]

Side of Home Fries, $3.99.

The french toast was good, but the best part of our meal was the side of home fries we also ordered.  They were super crispy, cooked in bacon fat.  Decent seasoning.  Good with either ketchup or syrup.

[ Not Pictured ]

Mile High Apple Pie.  Multiberry Pie.

We were completely stuffed, but Lou's has a genius setup.  You have to pay your check at the front counter, rather than at the table.  The same front counter where all the baked goods are displayed and purchased.  So, while you wait in line to pay, all the baked goods stare up at you.  Sure, you can't imagine eating another bite.  So maybe you can resist the breakfast goods like muffins, scones, and donuts.  But ... there are cookies and brownies.  They'd be good to take home later, right?  And then ... there are the pies and cakes.  Available whole or by the slice.  They all look insanely good.  We had to take a few slices home for after dinner.  Or ... perhaps just later that afternoon, when we recovered from sugar coma.

My mom selected two slices of pie: the "Mile High" apple pie and the multiberry pie.  Both had a decent crust.  The apple looked amazing, seriously loaded up with apples.  They were cooked well, not to soft nor too crisp, but apple pie is never my thing.  My dad liked it.

The multiberry was a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  Very sweet, but good filling.  None of these fruits are in season in December, but it was more flavorful than I expected.  Both good pies, clearly well made, but I didn't love either.

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Shake Shack

Update Review, August 2021

While I've never really loved Shake Shack custard (the egg really is just too strong for me!), it was a hot day, and a soft serve cone with sprinkles sounded perfect.  The nearest place I could meet my craving was Shake Shack, so I gave it yet another chance.

The whole experience let me down more than usual.  It took 20 minutes just to order, a huge line, moving at a snail's pace, with single cashier. 12:45pm on a Friday, how did they not have more staffing?

And then ... they were out of cones.  They were out of sprinkles.  My dreams of a soft serve cone, in the sun, with sprinkles were dashed. Ugh.

I nearly left, and went elsewhere, even McDonald's soft serve seemed better than this, but after a 20 min investment I just went for it. I did ask what other toppings they had, and was told I could add chocolate chips or Oreo.  Chips it was, they are just like ... big sprinkles?

And then I waited. And waited.  Another 20 minutes, just to get a single dish of ice cream.  Oooph.  I think their ordering system doesn't start on order until the others before it are processed, but if you are just getting ice cream, shouldn't that enter the ice cream station queue faster? 

Vanilla Custard, Single.
w/ Chocolate Chips.

Anyway.  The custard.  I felt the same way about it as always.  Great texture. So creamy.  But ... ugh, it tastes too eggy for me.  I like richness, but this just isn't for me.

The mini chocolate chips were great to mix in though, dark chocolate, seemingly decent quality. And, uh, some little buttery hunks of chocolate chip cookie somehow wound up on it too.  I'm not complaining.

*+ for the custard, *** for toppings.

Update Review, Summer 2019

After many lackluster attempts at the vanilla frozen custard at Shake Shake (see previous reviews), I gave the only other option a try, chocolate, even though I don't really care for chocolate ice cream generally.

Chocolate Custard. Single.

It was ... ok.

It was super rich, super creamy, and melted beautifully.  Thicker than traditional soft serve, no question, but then somehow it melted so very fast, like all the other times I have tried their custard.  The flavor was intensely chocolate mousse like, which I did enjoy.

But ... it was just soft rich chocolate ice cream.  I desperately wanted it to have chocolate topping of some kind (fudge, crunch, chips, anything), and whipped cream, and a cherry ... and you can't get toppings there, besides sprinkles.

I think I need to just bring my own toppings.  And likely go back for vanilla, unless I really feel the chocolate urge.

Update Review, Summer 2017

Shake Shack is most known for their burgers of course, but, they do also offer a few desserts, all of the frozen variety. The desserts center around frozen custard, which can come as a cone/cup, a milkshake (classic burger pairing), or a "Concrete" with mix-ins, several of which I've tried before (like the Lobstah Shell on my first visit, where I liked the custard but not the mix-ins, and the Blueberry Pie Oh My on my second, where I felt about the same, and vowed to get just a cone next time).

Frozen Custard.

This time, I went for just the cone. Well, with sprinkles of course. Because, sprinkles.

Newbury Street Location.

I visited a different location this time, in Boston proper (Back Bay) on Newbury Street.

It was rather adorable. If you didn't know there was a Shake Shack here, you'd never guess this was a big chain location.

Since the floorplate is small, inside is two levels, with ordering, kitchen, and some seating upstairs, bathrooms and additional seating downstairs. They also had seating on the sidewalk out front.

Really, the most adorable chain restaurant I've been to!

Frozen Custard, Cone, Single Dip, with Rainbow Sprinkles.

"Our dense, rich and creamy frozen custard is the real deal – spun fresh daily at the Shack!  Our vanilla and chocolate recipes use only real sugar, no corn syrup, and milk from dairy farmers who pledge not to use artificial growth hormones. "

I opted to just get a cone.

My choices were limited to vanilla or chocolate. Shake Shake used to offer a flavor of the week, but they did away with that, and have moved to monthly special shake flavors instead. This makes me sad, as I was there for the simple custard, but, alas, the custard is mostly used as a base for the other treats. Good vanilla (usually soft serve), in a cone, with sprinkles though is a nostalgic summer time treat for me, so, I just re-created that.

My options were cup or cone (only one type), single or double scoop.

I ordered a cone, and this is how it was served. I have no idea if this is normal or not. I gave a look when I went to pick it up, as I certainly expected to be handed a cone that I could lick. Why was it face planted into the cup? Was it made as a cone, and then just stuck in a bowl? Or was it made in a bowl, and then had the cone placed on top? Very strange.

The cone was a fairly classic sugar cone, sweet, crispy. I haven't had a sugar cone in ages, but it almost seemed longer than I remember? This is the only type of cone offered.

I also asked for rainbow sprinkles, since I knew they had them for Concretes (they actually have tons of mix-ins, and I'm surprised they don't offer sundaes or toppings on bowls of custard), and I love my ice cream in a cone with sprinkles. My server didn't really know how to ring up sprinkles on a non-Concrete, so she gave them for free. The sprinkles were standard, fine.

I also ordered a single. This seemed fairly large to me, but, maybe this is a single? Not sure what a double would be.

Cone: Salvaged.

Anyway, like I said, I wanted to re-create my childhood summer ice cream stand classic order: vanilla, in a cone, with rainbow sprinkles. While not soft serve, frozen custard is softer than traditional hard ice cream, so I knew it would be similar.

I grabbed a spoon, scooped the custard onto the cone, and went out into the sun to enjoy my treat. It was 90 degrees out, *perfect* ice cream weather!

The custard was very creamy. It was quite soft, certainly more like soft serve, but it actually melted way too fast. I licked and licked and licked, but honestly couldn't keep up with how fast it was melting.

However ... I didn't really like the custard. It was very plain, without any real flavor. I couldn't detect "vanilla". Just plain. And it was too rich. I know custard is all about that richness from the added egg yolks, and I love rich things and custards in general, so I was surprised to feel this way. But, it was just too rich, perhaps just for the weather?

Overall, just very meh, and I'm not sure I'd get another. Maybe I'd try it in a dish with a fun topping?

Update Review, Summer 2016

As always with update reviews, I encourage you to go read my original posting first, as it contains all the details on the establishment.  This post just contains specifics on the items I tried on my recent visit.

 Shack-cago Dog. $4.25.

"Dragged through the garden with Rick's Picks Shack relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato,
sport pepper, celery salt, mustard."

I was craving a hot dog when we visited Shake Shack.  And, since Shake Shack was originally a hot dog stand (did you know that?), I figured it was worth giving the hot dog a try.

I could have tried the standard hot dog of course, but, instead, went for the "Shack-cago Dog" (heh, get it?)

The hot dog was good.  I appreciated the bun, soft and fluffy, but, grilled.  The hot dog was split and seared, so, a bit crunchy with more surface area than usual, which I really liked.

The toppings really did mask the hot dog itself though.  They were good, but, actually, I felt it was a bit much.

Next time, I'd get the plain hot dog.  Maybe I'd add cheese or Shack Sauce.  But, I actually just want less toppings, so I can enjoy the dog itself more.  I know, for once, Julie doesn't want all the toppings!

Crinkle Cut Cheese Fries. $3.99.

On this visit, our group got several orders of fries to share.  I knew I didn't like the fries at all last time, and suggested this time that we try an order of cheese fries too.

They were much, much better.  The fries were still the same crinkle cut fries that reminded me of oven baked frozen fries.  I didn't like the fries.

But the cheese sauce was good.  The consistency was just right, smooth, almost runny, but not too watery.  Not too thick.  It was like a thinner version of Cheese Wiz almost.  Or liquid american cheese slices.  Really a thing of wonder in how well it coated and stuck on the fries.

Still, I wish the base fries were better, but I enjoyed my cheese fries, and I'd gladly share them again.

Blueberry Pie Oh My Concrete, Single, $4.59.

"Rich and creamy vanilla frozen custard blended with a slice of Four & Twenty Blackbirds blueberry pie and topped with whipped cream."

On my previous visit, I got a concrete, and didn't love it due to the soggy nature of the lobster tail shell.  This time, I was prepared to make my own concrete out of ingredients I like, as I'm convinced I would like concretes (I mean, frozen custard and quality mix-ins, what is not to like?).  And then I saw the summer special, the Blueberry Pie Oh My.  I still nearly got the concrete I wanted originally, but, at last minute, I changed my mind.

This was better than the Lobstah Shell Concrete I had last time but, I still didn't love it.

The base vanilla custard was good, creamy, sweet.  It melted nicely.  So, that part was good.

The pie however was really sweet, loaded with blueberry pie filling.  It made the entire thing actually just a bit too sweet.  There were also chunks of pie crust, which, like the lobster tail shell, wound up soggy, an aspect I didn't care for.

The whipped cream on top was just standard whipped cream, I believe from a can.

So, overall, fine, but too sweet, and still not the textures I was looking for.  While blending a full slice of pie into ice cream sounded great in theory, it just didn't work out that well in practice.  I like to eat pie and ice cream together, but, turns out, not blended together.

Next time, maybe I'll just get a custard cone, not a concrete?

(Oh, in case you are wondering, Four & Twenty Blackbirds is a famous pie shop in Brooklyn.)

Original Review, Summer 2014

Time for something a bit different.  A chain restaurant.  And not just a chain, a casual burger joint!

You've probably heard of Shake Shack, even though there are no locations on the West Coast.  Shake Shack started in New York as a hot dog cart, but now has locations in a few different East Coast states, and several international locations too.  The menu is pretty simple: hot dogs, burgers, fries, and frozen custard based desserts.

Perhaps the reason you have heard of Shake Shack is that (gasp!) Michelle Obama went there and ate a burger, fries, and a shake!  OMG, serious newsworthy item there.  Or maybe you have friends in New York who are crazy about the place.  I really don't recall how I first heard about Shake Shack, but, I've certainly known about it for a few years.

Burgers are the big draw, but I was most excited for the desserts, as I'm a bit of a dessert-o-holic.  But, I did also want to try the burgers.  From time to time, I'm known to enjoy a burger.  I don't always need fancy burgers, although the burger from Alexander's is still my number one burger of all time, and I did appreciate the infamous Spruce Burger.  I was far less impressed with the West Coast's trendy burger joint, Umami Burger.

But back to the Shake Shack.

They take ingredient quality seriously.  Burgers are made from fresh ground, 100% natural Angus, no hormones or antibiotics.  Hot dogs are hormone, antibiotic, and nitrate free.  Fries are trans fat free and cooked in soybean oil.  And of course, the ice cream is made with real sugar, no corn syrup, and no artificial growth hormones.

The location I visited was near the Chestnut Hill mall in Chestnut Hill, MA.  The lines were long, and the place was packed.  The lines were smartly broken into two however, one for people just getting drinks and ice cream, the other for everyone else.  Once you ordered, you were given a pager.

The wait for our burgers and fries wasn't too long, enough time to find a seat (inside or out, we went for outside since we were there enjoying the amazing east coast summer), fill up some containers with ketchup, and get ourselves ready for a feast.  However, I went back to order dessert later on, and, apparently the computers broke down, so orders were lost, and things got very, very backed up.  I waited about 30 minutes for my ice cream, only to find that my order was among the ones that was lost.  I wasn't alone, many others had their orders lost, and were being given free fries to make up for it.

Overall, I'm quite glad I got to try Shake Shack, and I'd return if I was craving a simple burger, and I'd definitely return for the frozen custard!

Hand Cut Fries. $2.85.

You can't go to a burger joint and not get fries right?  Plus, I heard that Shake Shack makes decent fries, from real potatoes, not frozen mush.

The fries did look like they came from real potatoes, with skin still on.  But, that was their only redeeming quality.  The fries were soggy, limp, and totally unseasoned.  Mediocre doesn't even describe these fries.

The only other option for sides is the same fries, topped with cheese sauce for $1 more.  There were no non-fried options, nor even onion rings.  Very weak selection for sides.

Even though there aren't any other sides, I'd still skip these in the future.  They just weren't good. Fries are also offered only in one size, which was certainly large enough that two people should share.

Single ShackBurger.  $4.85.

For the main attraction, your choices are burgers or hot dogs.  The hot dogs are split and griddled, available in chicken or classic beef.  Burgers are available in only beef (or, a vegetarian portabello mushroom "burger").  Standard toppings of lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and bacon are offered.

I went for the namesake ShackBurger, a "cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce."  (A standard cheeseburger has pickles and onions in addition, but no ShackSauce, for $0.50 less).

As you may notice from the photo, the lettuce was perhaps the most significant part of the burger.  It was a huge leaf, very fresh and crispy, unlike any lettuce I've ever seen at a fast food or fast casual establishment before.  The other vegetable inside was tomato, 2 slices, fairly fresh, smaller sized, perhaps from a roma tomato.  Again, much higher quality than I expect from a fast food chain.

The cheese was impressively perfectly melted, but there was a bit too much for my taste, it somewhat overwhelmed everything else.  I wonder if it is possible to order half cheese?  The "ShackSauce" was classic special sauce, creamy, likely a combination of mayonnaise and ketchup.

Now, for the main components.  The bun was soft and fluffy, griddled on the inside.  It was fine, but not particularly remarkable.  Like the lettuce and cheese, it seemed to overwhelm the rest of the burger, as there was far more bun than burger.  I ended up using only one half the bun, doubling up the burger.  )Of course, you can also order a double burger in the first place, rather than a single, but I didn't want a bigger burger, I just wanted to be able to taste the one I had!)

And finally, the burger.  It was cooked medium-well, but was still a bit juicy.  The plentiful cheese and ShackSauce also helped make it not seem dried out.  The beef was quite good, very well seasoned, and, well, beefy.  It wasn't a high end burger, it was cooked more than I'd normally order, but, it was very very good for what it was.

So, overall, certainly the best fast food, or fast casual, burger I've ever had.  The produce was remarkably fresh, the cheese perfectly melted, and the beef tasty.  Not something I crave often, but, there is a time and a place for a casual burger, and this was a good one.  $4.85 price was incredibly reasonable for the quality.

Lobstah Shell Concrete. Single.  $4.25.

And, the part of the meal I was most looking forward to: frozen custard!  You know I like ice cream, but custard is leagues above ice cream, and such a rare find.  And, I always prefer soft serve versions of frozen dairy treats, and, the custard at Shake Shack is soft serve.

Now, I was pretty full from my burger and fries, and already had ice cream earlier that afternoon, but there was no way I could resist trying the custard.  Available in vanilla or chocolate, plus a special flavor that changes every day.  I absolutely love soft serve custard, and I really don't understand why more places don't offer it.  (Well, I guess I do, froyo is the trend these days, and, nutritionally, custard is just about as far from froyo as it gets.  But ... it is so much more delicious!)

The custard is available as a simple dish or cone, or can be made into a shake or float, or, into a "concrete", described as "dense frozen custard ice cream blended at high speed with mix-ins."  When I did my research, everyone recommended the concretes.  Plus, how do you resist mix-ins?

For concretes, there are 3 predesigned options, or you can make your own.  The predesigned options are all location specific, and generally feature ingredients made locally.

The first custom one at this location was the "Shack Attack", made from chocolate custard with fudge, chocolate truffle cookie dough, and Mast Brothers Shake Shack dark chocolate chunks, topped with chocolate sprinkles.  Since I avoid chocolate in the evenings, that one was out.  Next was "Revere's Tracks", made from vanilla custard, with cheesecake blondies, peanut butter, and chocolate sprinkles.  This sounded good, but the final option is the one that really caught my attention: the "Lobstah Shell", made from vanilla custard, lobster tail pastry shell from Boston's North End, strawberry puree, and ricotta cream.  It sounded like the most special and unique to the location.

Of course, I also had the option to make my own, picking vanilla or chocolate for the base, plus any mix-ins I wanted.  However, the pricing made no sense to do so.  The base concrete was $3.25, plus $0.60 for each mix-in vs $4.25 for a pre-designed one.  So if I wanted just two mix-ins, the price was already higher than one of their designed ones.  Plus, I figured they knew what ingredients worked well together.

The custard was pretty much perfect.  Soft, creamy, rich.  So good.  Unfortunately, I didn't like the mix-ins.  The lobster tail pastry was soggy and a bit off-putting.  It reminded me of the also soggy waffle cone pieces in Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream.  I like crunchy mix-ins.  The strawberry puree was too sweet.  And honestly, I never tasted anything ricotta-like, not sure how I'd distinguish it from the custard itself.

Even though I didn't like my mix-ins, I liked the custard itself so much that I devoured this in seconds.  I'd love to try another type of custom concrete, or, more likely, I'd just like it in a cone ... with sprinkles of course.

$4.25 was a bit pricey compared to the food options, but not that much higher than other ice cream or frozen yogurt shops.