Shake Shack

Many burger chains have legions of loyal fans.  I know my friends from California were ecstatic when In-N-Out Burger expanded to Texas and Texans tend to love their Whataburger.  Shake Shack, which originated in New York, also has fans that swear their burgers, fries, and shakes are the best in the country.  The first Texas location of Shake Shack recently opened in Austin, so I couldn't wait to see what all the fuss was about.

ShackBurger with Bacon

I heard horror stories of long lines and waits up to one hour, so I arrived right at their 11:00 a.m. opening.  There were only a few people in front of me, but I did have plenty of time to look over the wall menu.  I finally decided  to order the ShackBurger with bacon, fries, and a strawberry milkshake.  In addition to the bacon, the ShackBurger came topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce.  The burger was extremely tasty with a slightly charred exterior and a bun that was somewhat sweet.  The bacon was excellent as well and the special sauce gave it a somewhat spicy taste.  I felt this was a really good burger, but I was extremely disappointed in the size.  I could have easily eaten this burger in about four bites and I immediately wished I would have ordered the double meat version or just ordered two burgers.

Strawberry Milkshake and Fries

Although the burger was very good, I thought the crinkle cut fries were fairly ordinary.  They were light and crispy, but were far from exceptional and somewhat bland.  The strawberry shake was very thick, but I could only taste a slight hint of strawberries.  Despite being small, the burgers here were certainly above average in the taste department, but I could have cared less for the fries and shake I ordered.  I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again, but I will  try out the Plano location when it opens because it will be just a few minutes down the road from my casa. 

Shake Shack
https://www.shakeshack.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Health Camp

Whenever I am passing through Waco around lunch or dinner, there are a couple of restaurants that I like to visit that are favorites of mine.  One is George's, and the other is Health Camp.  Health Camp is a classic restaurant that has been serving up burgers and shakes for close to seventy years.  The food is always solid and the shakes are great.

On a recent trip through Waco, I stopped and grabbed a quick bite to eat at Health Camp.  On this visit, I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a peach milk shake.  My shake came out first, so I got to enjoy some dessert prior to my meal.  When the burger arrived, I immediately dug in.  The burger had great flavor and the fries were tasty too.  As great as the burger and fries were, the peach milkshake was even better.  It is hard to find restaurants that serve peach milkshakes, but Health Camp has close to thirty different milkshake flavors to choose from.  They also have great onion rings, although I didn't order them on this visit.

Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries

The meal was just the right size to fill me up, but not so filling that I felt the need to take a nap while driving to Austin.  Health Camp is just a short distance of Interstate 35, so it is easy to exit and grab a bite to eat here.  I was in and out in less than 20 minutes, which was good because I was wanting to get to Austin before the afternoon traffic got bad.  If you haven't been to Health Camp, stop by next time you are passing through Waco.

Peach Milkshake

Health Camp

http://www.health-camp-waco.com/index.html

Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Culver's

My oldest daughter was in the mood for a milkshake one day and I had a hankering for a burger, so I decided to take her to eat lunch and get a milkshake.  Culver's is just a couple of miles down the road from our house in McKinney, but we have never bothered to eat there.  I have passed by Culver's hundreds of times, so I thought today would be a good day to grab lunch at this location.  Culver's is a national chain and has two other DFW locations. 

At Culver's, you order at the counter, take a number, and have a seat while you wait for your order to be delivered.  I saw a sign that said the beef was fresh and never frozen, which gave me high hopes for this joint.  I had not eaten breakfast, so I ordered the Triple Meat Cheddar ButterBurger with Bacon, fries, and a drink.  My daughter ordered the kid's chicken strips, fries, and chocolate shake.

Chocolate Milkshake

While waiting for our meals to arrive, I had to give my daughter a lesson on sharing because she did not originally want to give me a sip of her chocolate milkshake.  After laying a small guilt trip on her, she reluctantly said I could have "one sip."  She absolutely loved it, but I thought it was a below average shake that needed to be blended more than it was.

Triple Meat Cheddar ButterBurger with Bacon and Fries

My burger arrived and it was a lot smaller than expected for a triple meat burger.  The patties were small and the burger was very greasy.  I usually love greasy burgers, but this particular one was too greasy for my tastes.  Besides the taste of grease, the burger was flavorless.  The cheese and bacon did not stand out on this burger either.  About half of the crinkle-cut fries were overcooked and they were below average in the taste department too.  My daughter did not think her chicken strips were good and only ate one of the two that were in her kid's meal.  She seemed content with her shake and fries.

Chicken Strip Kid's Meal

My visit to Culver's was the worst dining experience I have had in several months.  I did not think the food was very good, but some people must really like it because the place was packed and it is highly rated on several sites.  There will not be a return visit to Culver's for me unless I am put in a straight jacket and drug in by large captors.

Culver's

http://www.culvers.com/restaurants/mckinney/

Livin the Good Life Rating=1