Throughout Smithtown there are various places to dine. One of the main options are the American burgers. Here is a review of the best burger places to try next time you’re craving a juicy burger.
SHAKE SHACK
Long Island was recently given their first Shake Shack. This was big news and everyone rushed to stand in line for food. Social media was raving about how amazing it was.
My first experience there I had high expectations, and they only kind of met them. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, for a burger joint that is. Outside there is a small eating area with tables and chairs and is lined with fairy lights. The inside has a wood and metal color combination. The chairs and table being wood with visible grain and metal. It’s really a beautiful interior.
The menu was pretty simple, but their shake options were rather extravagant. Anything that you want from a burger joint, you can basically get. So I ordered what is called a “ShackBurger,” a vanilla shake, and fries. A shackburger is either a single or double burger (I had a single) with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce™.
The service was really great. There was a decent amount of staff, the line was fast, and ordering was a pleasant experience. We were then given a buzzer and waited no longer than five minutes for our food. The waiting experience itself wasn’t bad either. We took a seat at an open table and helped ourselves to a cup of water.
We got our food to go so we were given a tray with our milkshakes and a cute bag with our food in it. Once arriving home we removed the food from the bag and were slightly disappointed. The burgers were rather small, on small, low quality, potato rolls. The burgers themselves were strangely shaped and thin. Looks clearly were not their goal, however they did taste good.
The fries were good. They were crinkle-cut fries, which are always a plus. They were a little salty, but I can’t complain.
The vanilla milkshake was a pretty good milkshake, however very thick. A thick milkshake isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however the straws are so small. If you don’t want a workout, I don’t suggest getting a milkshake.
Overall this Shake Shack adventure was a good experience, but definitely wasn’t worth all the hype.
FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES
You know that feeling, when you just want a nice juicy hamburger but don’t have the energy to cook one? Well Five Guys Burgers and Fries has always been my go to place to solve this issue. They have amazing selections, large portions and great food.
When walking through the doors the aroma of peanuts and french fries envelops
you. While waiting for food they have large buckets of peanuts for you to sit, crack open, and snack on.
Before getting to the peanuts however, you need to order your food. Now this is a little more of a difficult task than you might expect. You first need to pick whether you want a “Hamburger” or a “Little Hamburger”. The difference is a “Little Hamburger” is only one patty whereas a “Hamburger” has two.
Next you decide whether you want a hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, or a bacon cheeseburger. Once this is decided, you pick your toppings. You can have as many toppings as you like, it’s all free. Your options consist of: Mayo, Lettuce, Pickles, Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Onions, Jalapeño Peppers, Green Peppers, Barbecue Sauce, Hot Sauce, and A1 Sauce.
My order usually consists of a “Little Cheeseburger” with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and ketchup; an order of “Five Guys Style” fries; and a vanilla milkshake with salted caramel.
The Five Guys burgers are high quality burgers. The bun is a large sesame seed bun encapsulating a large, round, juicy hamburger patty. It is a picture perfect hamburger.
The meal continues to please with beautifully salted fries that are the amazing dark golden brown color and the perfect mix between soft and crunchy. I can’t think of a place with better fries.
Of course I can’t forget about the milkshake. With many different milkshake choices, it’s hard to walk out with a milkshake you don’t love. Milkshakes consist of handspun Vanilla milkshakes with or without whipped cream and with as many free mix ins as you’d like. The options consist of: Bacon, Bananas, Cherries, Chocolate, Coffee, Malted Milk, Oreo Cookie Pieces, Oreo Cream, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, and Strawberries.
My salted caramel milkshake was the perfect blend of vanilla and salted caramel. It wasn’t overly sweet as some caramel milkshakes are but it still had a wonderful flavor. The consistency, an important part of a good milkshake, was decent. It was a little melty, but not bad. It was the perfect consistency for the straws you are given. The milkshake goes right up the straw with little to no trouble. This allows you to enjoy your meal with ease.
Overall Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a high quality hamburger joint with so many options, you won’t leave unhappy.
BOBBY’S BURGER PALACE
If you’re craving a burger you need to be sure you pick the right burger joint and one inspired by an amazing chef, such as Bobby Flay, seems like the perfect one. Bobby’s Burger Palace surprised me in both positive and negative ways.
I ordered an ordinary cheeseburger, a side of fries, and a vanilla bean milkshake.
To start, the milkshake was spectacular. It was very thick and was served with both a large straw and a spoon. Not only was the taste and texture good, the spoon and straw made drinking it a pleasant experience.
The appearance of the burger was nothing exceptional but it was not bad. The bun was a toasted sesame seed bun, which for my personal preference had too many sesame seeds. The burger came with a pickle on the side which made me very happy, and added to the whole experience.
While eating the burger I found it was overly greasy and I was rather displeased. The burger itself was good but nothing amazing.
Something that made Bobby’s Burger Palace different from other burger joints was the condiment options. On the table there was a choice of chipotle ketchup, burger sauce, yellow mustard, jalapeno hot sauce, or ordinary ketchup. I opted for the chipotle ketchup and did not regret that decision. It added nice flavor to the burger rather than your typical ketchup.
Eating my side of fries was very enjoyable. They were a beautiful, dark, golden color with a good crunch and a lot of flavor. They were seasoned very well and were a lot more than your standard french fry.
I did very much enjoy my adventure to Bobby’s Burger Palace because the wait was very short and the portion size was good. I was able to eat most of my food and not leave feeling sick or with bags of leftovers.
I didn’t appreciate the service however, or lack thereof. There were no waiters around to refill my glass of water and even if I wanted to ask someone there wasn’t anyone. When I finally was able to get someone’s attention to get me more water they were very unhappy about it.
Overall Bobby’s Burger Palace was an alright restaurant, the food was good but nothing amazing and the service was terrible. So yes, Bobby Flay is an amazing chef, but maybe burger joints aren’t his thing.
AMERICAN ROADSIDE
In Smithtown there are not a lot of things to do. Many teenagers spend their time on main street eating, hanging out, and bowling. One of these restaurants is American Roadside, a popular food chain known for their hamburgers.
I ordered a “Your Way” single cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup along with a side of fries and a vanilla milkshake.
Before the food even came I was already happy with my experience, the service is quick and easy. While deciding what you want, you stand on line waiting to order. Once you place your order you pay right there and pick your own table. On every table there is not only your usual condiments, but also a roll of paper towels. This is much more useful than a small napkin holder, since burgers can get messy. When eating a good juicy burger you don’t want to be using napkins so thin you can almost see through them.
Upon my food arriving at my table, I was overjoyed. My milkshake was perfectly topped (upon request) with whipped cream and a cherry, my hamburger bun was a beautiful color and the perfect size, and my fries were not only the perfect shape but also the perfect color.
The vanilla milkshake was very good. It had a beautiful consistency. I didn’t feel like I was just drinking melted ice cream but it also wasn’t so think that you feel like you’re trying to drink straight up ice cream. The serving size was perfect as well. By the time I finished my burger and fries I had about two sips left. My only complaint about it was the size of the straw. Though, it wasn’t impossible to drink, a slightly thicker straw would have made the experience even better.
Once I actually picked up my hamburger and bit into it, I was pretty happy. The burger was juicy but not too juicy that it’s running down your hand. The full, dark colored, perfectly round bun made the meal. The hamburger itself was really good too. Though not perfectly round, it was the perfect size and fit the bun nicely. However upon my second bite into this perfect burger I was taken aback. Surprisingly, a bitterness danced across my taste buds. I was rather confused about why this burger was paired with a bitter taste and quickly discovered it was the lettuce. Though unsure of what kind of lettuce this was, it was unappealing.
My side of french fries was just the thing to complete this meal. The serving size is large enough to share but not too large that you can’t eat them on your own. Every french fry had a beautiful crunch to it. The outside was crispy and the inside was soft and melted in your mouth. The combination of both textures was something you only dream of fries having.
Overall my dining experience was a pleasure. If you want a bitter-free burger I suggest avoiding the lettuce.