In-N-Out Burger VS. Shake Shack! BEST Fast Food Burger in America

Hey what's up guys, let me just zip up here, it's a chilly day. You know last several years I've been moving around a lot from New York, then I moved to the Bay Area, then back here, so a lot of East Coast, West Coast travel. And I've been eating, of course, along the way, and I have to say, when it comes to soup dumplings, New York is the best. But when it comes to Vietnamese food or Korean BBQ, you gotta give it to Sokcho. And at least in my opinion, it's pretty clear cut. But there is one debate that is pretty intense, especially if you love burgers. Shake Shack and In-N-Out. Now of course, I've been to both places before, but I never could really compare them that well because it's not like I've ever ate at Shake Shack and then flew directly to the West Coast and ate at an In-N-Out, until now. So that's exactly what I'm gonna do in this video. I'm at the Shake Shack here in Battery Park City, my favorite Shake Shack because I love this area, I used to run around here, it's by the river, it's beautiful. And I'm gonna try all the burgers on the Shake Shack menu, then we're gonna go have some In-N-Out. That's so cold! It's supposed to be like 80 degrees this week. But I'm excited because I know there's a burger in there that's gonna warm me up. I'll show you. So Shake Shack has five beef burgers and a chicken burger and a bunch of hot dogs. The one burger that's gonna warm me up, I'm really excited about, is the Smoke Shack. And that thing has a kick to it. But today, we're gonna get them all. Can I get a Shack Burger, a Smoke Shack, a Shum Burger, a Shack Stack. You know what, actually, could I get a double Smoke Shack instead of a regular Smoke Shack? And could I get a Chicken Shack? It's always my dream to walk out of a burger place with just a tray full of burgers, every burger on the menu. It's like I won the burger lottery! This is the Smoke Stack, bacon, all that beautiful sweet and spicy red peppers, two beef patties, melty cheese. This is the Shroom Burger. So on top of the shroom, there's a beef patty. Shake Shack Burger with Shake Shack sauce, lettuce, tomatoes. This is a chicken burger. Brand new, piece of fried chicken, some lettuce. So, so excited to be surrounded by burger loves of the world. These burgers, they're so unique. Let me tell you why. First of all, the patties are just insanely awesome. I mean, they're such quality beef patties. And let me show you this. This little connective thing on the bottom of the burger, so nothing ever falls out. I call it a burger diaper. And this, from a juicy burger, at the end is the most incredible bite because the juice would have soaked into the bottom. And the burger diaper catches all that oil and juice. First thing I want to do is start with the mushroom burger. This is the vegetarian burger. They literally fry up a portobello mushroom with cheese. Oh, look at it. You guys see that melty cheese? That juice is running. That's, don't worry, let it run. That's all being caught with the burger diaper. This is one of the few veggie burgers in the world I just love so much. The beauty about this burger is that you got such a nice crunch on the outside of the mushroom and it's so juicy. Like so incredibly juicy. I mean, this might be better than meat. Okay, maybe I just said that. You hear the crunch? And usually it's just a mushroom in a burger. It's not fried at all, which is fine. I love mushrooms. But this, with that crunch, which contrasts the beautiful, tender piece of mushroom on the inside and that just massive crown of cheese. Oh, by the way, love these fries. These are always nice and crispy too. I honestly think Shake Shack fries is probably my favorite burger chain fries. Maybe it reminds me of the fries I used to get in elementary school, but I love it. I love their fries. Now, if you're not into something purely veg, there's an option for you. And it's actually my favorite burger here. Well, second favorite burger. This is the Shake Shack. It's a mushroom burger with a beef patty. And it's the best of both worlds. It's so beautiful. If there was a magazine about burgers, this should be on the cover, like every single month. It's ridiculously thick. You guys can see the nice, beautiful beef patty. Again, delightful crunch on the outside of the mushroom. And just watch the cheesy waterfall. Yeah, do not skip on the cheese. Oh, it just keeps coming. Juicy, cheesy, crunchy, beefy. That's like everything you want in a burger. So much cheese. Shake Shack, gotta get a shake. This is a marshmallow shake. No wonder they call it concrete. Ah, stick. The regular Shack burger. I mean, if you don't want anything fancy, and if you don't want any mushrooms because you're not a fun guy, get the Shack burger. I mean, it's a simple beef patty, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese. You're really just tasting that quality beef patty they put in here. And I love the way they grill this because they always make a little chart on the outside. Nice Shack sauce. Juicy patty. Just a really quality burger. Now let's try the chicken sandwich. They actually have grilled chicken, or fried chicken. And you could get this with barbecue sauce, but I just got the regular one. This is a nice, big piece of chicken. This is okay. I mean, it's a tasty chicken sandwich. The chicken patty has great flavor throughout. It's not the juiciest thing. It's a little bit on the dry side, but the flavor is good. I like the crunch from the batter and the pickles. But probably not one of my favorite burgers here in Shake Shack. Last burger, and this is my favorite. This is the smokestack. I mean, this thing is loaded. Bacon, beautiful, spicy, sweet, peppers, cheese. Double the patty, please. This thing is just a burger monstrosity here. It's like the Godzilla of burgers. This is the burger no other burger wants to run into in a dark alley. Because if they do, next morning, they might find a puddle of ketchup. Ain't nothing wrong with that bite. Look at that juicy burger patty. Love the smokiness from the bacon. What I like most about this burger, besides just the immense beefy flavor of it, I love the pepper. Because it actually brings some heat. It's a little sweet, a little sour. Definitely spicy. I just got some crunchy bits of bacon. And I love it because not only does it bring a textural contrast to the burger, the spicy peppers also cuts into the beef and the cheese and the fat and the bacon. And it just highlights the awesome beefiness of the burger itself. This and the shrimp burger, my all-time favorites here. Honestly, I think if they add these little peppers to the shrimp burger, that would just be insane. Because the shrimp burger is so great, but it's incredibly cheesy and fatty. So I think with some of these little peppers, it would elevate it a lot. This thing is so cheesy, it's favorite movies are rom-coms. Just like me. To sum up, having lived in New York for a long time, I've been to Shake Shack quite a few times. I absolutely love the burger here. I think the buns itself is also sort of an ensemble hero. I mean, it has that beautiful burger diaper, which I think all burgers should because nobody likes a leaky burger. It's also so incredibly buttery. I mean, I think that's one trick to how good Shake Shack burgers are because they really butter these things up. The only thing I don't like about Shake Shack, yes, there are things I don't like, is how expensive the burgers are. Just a normal Shack burger is like $5.70 with tax. That's like $6.50 for a small burger, and that's not gonna fill you up. So you're definitely gonna need at least two of them. You get a Shack Stacks over $10 for, I mean, it's a good-sized burger at that point, but it's still like, that's a pricey burger. So in conclusion, love the burgers here. Slightly pricey. Also, I think what's really great about these burgers, the beef patties itself. I mean, these are really quality beef patties. You can tell they're quality with every bite because you're gonna get that magnificent beefy taste. And like I mentioned before, this place does not skimp on cheese. So you're gonna end up with a delicious, beefy, really cheesy, very buttery burger. And I feel like that's what makes Shake Shack awesome. And of course, these fries. Love these fries. Alright, I'm gonna finish this up. Finish my fries, which, you know what? It's cold, but it's still crunchy. So, not the greatest, but not the worst. Anyway, I'm gonna finish this and then let's go to SoCal. Get out of this dreary weather. Hey, so this is a big change. It's about 100 degrees outside, literally. I'm at an In-N-Out burger in Palm Springs, California. Now, I know a lot of you guys are gonna bring up that there are Shake Shacks in SoCal, so I could've just reviewed both places here, but I thought it'd just be a fun experience, you know, eating at a Shake Shack where it originated in New York and then coming to the West Coast for some In-N-Out burger. By the way, it's really not fair. You guys in California, you get Shake Shack and you get In-N-Out, and we only get one. What's up with that? But anyway, it's hot and I really need some breakfast, so let's go get a burger. Or maybe several burgers. Burger for breakfast? I tell ya. That's just the greatest feeling. A few notable differences between In-N-Out burger and Shake Shack right away is the fact that the menu seems simpler at In-N-Out. But really, the menu here at In-N-Out is super extensive. Of course, I think everybody knows about the secret menu at In-N-Out. For example, I got two Double Doubles, one mustard grilled, where they grill the mustard onto the beef patties, and the other one I got animal style. And of course, I opted for the animal fries, because come on, anytime a food item has the word animal in there, I'm in. This is typically what I get at In-N-Out burger, and sometimes, like, if I'm really hungry, I'll go for three Double Doubles. One time, I did five. But I do have a nice lunch coming, so I'm just gonna opt for this. Another thing I really love about this place is that they give you these really spicy peppers, which goes absolutely perfect with these burgers. And actually, I feel like it helps you eat more burgers, because it balances out all that savoriness, cheesiness, fattiness of the burgers so well. That's why I got like nine of them. And I might have to go back for more. So, let's get started. First thing I wanna do is take a bite into my mustard grilled burger. The buns, I love In-N-Out burger buns. This thing is just buttered and toasted to perfection. And every layer of patty inside, you can see the cheese. And again, mustard is grilled into these patties as well. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, pickles. Alright, I can't even handle this anymore. Whenever I bite into one of these, that's when I truly know I'm in California. Or Phoenix. Just, I'm out West. Those buns, oh my god. Hang on a second. I need another bite to wake myself up. I cannot believe this is like a burger from a chain restaurant. Mmm. All that burger juice is just flowing everywhere. I think a few words I would describe this burger after one bite is beefy, fresh, and buttery. I mean, I cannot say enough great things about this burger bun. It is so toasty and crunchy. There's so much butter on that. That's like the essence of these buns right here. Like, complete butter buns. And I love that every bite you take. It's almost like a really light burger. Because it's refreshing with all the extremely crispy lettuce and tomatoes and pickles, and just sitting on top of some radish and dressing. It's a unique experience biting into an In-N-Out burger. Beautifully beefy, slightly charred patties. Then it's like your taste buds are being splashed by this slightly sweet mist. It refreshes it, and it's ready for another bite. I have a strategy. When this burger is dripping, I hold it over the other burger. This way it captures the drip. So you don't want to waste the drip. The drip is valuable. I love taking a bite of the burger, and then taking a bite. Mmm. That's like the Yin and Yang, the great McDreamy of food right there. I love how this thing has such a huge kick to it. Burger one, done. That was so good, I didn't want it to end. Luckily, that's why you always get two burgers. At least. Now I want to talk a little bit about the fries at In-N-Out. I feel like the fries is one thing that Shake Shack does so much better. I love the In-N-Out sauce, but the fries, the actual fries by Shake Shack, I absolutely adore. The fries here, it's good, it's okay. It's got a nice fresh potato flavor, but it does get soggy really quickly. Second burger, Animal Style. Now if you don't know what Animal Style is, it's this extra sauce you see here with the chopped grilled onions mixed in with your cheese. It kind of gives your burgers and fries an extra, I don't know, beastly flair. A little more oomph, but it does make your fries and burgers more aromatic, makes the flavors deeper. So you gotta go Animal Style. When I first came to In-N-Out and I ordered an Animal Style burger, I thought this thing was gonna actually bite me. Which it kind of did, with its beautiful flavor. This is my favorite type of burger at In-N-Out. Ridiculous. Again, huge beefy flavor, the Animal Style sauce, I could dump that over anything. And I just gotta say, I mean the buns, bravo. I love that fantastic buttery crunch every single bite. Is it sad that these buns are better than mine? It's like the perfect prologue to just a magnificent burger symphony. Happiness beyond words right now. Wish I can say the same about my fries, which has turned into like a clump. Again, I think Animal Sauce on Shake Shack fries, best of both worlds. Burger's done. You know what? I can't. I can't let that be the end. This thing is so good, it deserves an encore. One more freshly cooked, double-double Animal Style, but this time as for chopped pepper inside. And I think this one is a lot fresher than the other two they gave me. I don't know, maybe the other two burgers are waiting for the fries, but this one, you see how juicy this thing is? Oh my gosh, I cannot wait. This encore might be better than the initial burger symphony. I mean, just look at this. Beautifully crispy buns. Nice charred burger. Oh, yes. I hate this word, but look how moist that is. Oh, that pickle even looks so picture perfect. This is better than the first two burgers. I don't know why. First two burgers was not as freshly cooked as this one. Maybe because this time I just ordered a burger, nothing else. And this burger, you can see chopped pepper on the inside, so you don't want to risk a pepper spray on your whole face. Look at that beautifully juicy beef. That bun is still killing me. This was such a good decision. I mean, you know what they say, right? One good burger deserves another. Or was it turn? No, that was burger. Pretty sure it was burger. One good burger deserves... That sounds right. Oh my god. Love that crispy bun. Jeez, buns on In-N-Out burgers are better than any sports model in the world. Look it up. It's true. I don't even care about lunch anymore. So let's talk about these two burger places for a second here. Like I said already, I love the fries way more at Shake Shack. I think actually Shake Shack fries might be one of my favorite fries at any burger joint. When it comes to buns, I love the diaper bun concept at Shake Shack, but I gotta admit, the crispy buttery buns at In-N-Out is out of this world. I also feel that In-N-Out burger is a lighter burger. I think maybe it's because of the crispy lettuce, the really fresh tomatoes, the crispier pickles. It feels lighter in my stomach than a Shake Shack burger. When it comes to the pure flavor of the patties, at least for me, I like Shake Shacks more. To me, it's a more flavorful burger. And I think comparing both of these places, my favorite burger would have to be the mushroom burger at Shake Shack. The mushroom and the cheese and the crispy and the crunchy outer shell. That's my favorite burger out of both places. But here's the thing. The burgers and fries at In-N-Out is so much more economical than Shake Shack or Five Guys or any other burger joint out there. It's borderline insanity. I mean, a hamburger here costs like $2. A Double Double that I just got is $4. So a freshly cooked Double Double here costs less than a Big Mac. Why is anybody still going to McDonald's in California? I don't understand. Of course, this is just a personal opinion, and you guys can feel free to disagree. Just purely based on cravings, I crave Shake Shack more than In-N-Out. I don't know if that's because I'm from New York. Maybe it's nostalgic. Maybe it's that beautiful mushroom burger that I see in my dreams every single night. Maybe it's the fries. I don't know, but I do crave Shake Shack a lot. But with that said, I don't think you can get a burger at this price point anywhere as good as an In-N-Out. And I don't think this bae will ever have a winner. So let me know what you guys think in the comments below. Are you Team In-N-Out, or are you Team Shake Shack? Alright, thank you all so much for watching this video, and until we eat again, see you later.