On a recent shopping trip to Cardiff, my family and I were looking for somewhere convenient, but tasty to eat.
I had been invited to the Shake Shack opening, which originated in New York and sees Cardiff as it's first UK opening outside of London. My sister was very excited as she LOVES anything to do with milkshakes and ice creams so we decided to give it a try.
Location
Situated right in the heart of St Davids shopping centre, you couldn't get a better venue for shoppers in Cardiff.
Ambience
The restaurant has a trendy, modern 'fast food with a conscience' vibe. You can order burgers to go, sit at high tables in the window, tables for two and there are even booths. The seating is typical of fast food restaurants in that they are all hard and easy to wipe down as opposed to quilted, but this didn't detract from the experience.
Food
I had the Shakemeister. This was topped with delicious crispy onions and was cooked a perfect 'medium' without any runny juices that can make the bun soggy. The cheese was gooey and melted with a nice cheesey tang.
My sister had the veggie 'shroom burger. This came with a welcome surprise of melted cheese in the middle. It was so impressive I HAD to have a bite.
My mum had the Shack-cago dog. This was cooked with the sausage sliced down the middle, just as we like it!
The chips were crispy crinkle cut and came with or without cheese, which added to the temptation.
We finished off with concretes, which if you aren't familiar with the Shake Shack, are basically tubs of thick ice cream mixed in with your favourite flavours. My sister made her own combination of fudge brownie and peanut butter, while I went for the Cardiff crunch-stellation. Both were very good, I loved the malt and the chocolate together it almost tasted like malteaser and daim bars all rolled into a thick ice cream, delicious.
Service
The service was as you would expect for a fast food restaurant. They have a member of staff at the doors to help you through the process, as if you aren't used to the layout it can be a little confusing. You order at the till, and can either eat in or out. They then give you a buzzer and as soon as your burger is ready it is activated. Simple, efficient and just what you want if you're out shopping but want a decent burger, fast.
Value
The price is slightly higher than you may expect for a fast food restaurant, however the quality is clear. You can expect to pay around £13 for a burger, chips and drink so in my opinion it's a middle of the road price. If you're looking for somewhere quick and convenient to eat, but want good quality at the same time and don't mind paying a little extra for it then this is the place for you.
This post is a review as the food provided was complimentary. However all views are genuine and I am under no obligation to give a positive review.
