“Modern day roadside burger stand” Shake Shack has launched its fourth London outlet (and fifth in the UK) at Leicester Square.
Has the all mighty burgerus americanus found its Central London zenith? Has this town’s burger craze jumped the shark?
I tagged along for a slurp and bite at the opening party. Judging from the many celebrants squeezing in for a bit of the same that night, it appears Shake Shack and burger nom-nom-nomming in general is here to stay for a long time to consider.
As for the actual outlet itself – situated at the corner of Coventry and Wardour across from M&M’s World – it’s a gigantic space with upstairs seating looking over Leicester Square.
Food’s just like that at any London Shake Shack, with a menu of American style fast food made with quality ingredients and incorporating ethically sourced British ingredients often from small local and independent suppliers. Beef is 100% Angus. Bacon is British free-range from Wiltshire. Sausages are handmade by Jimmy’s Farm using East Anglia Free Range pork.
Beers include Table Beer from Kernel Brewery, London Lager from Meantime Brewing Company and London Pilsner from Portobello Brewing Company, as well as Shack exclusives ShackMeister™ Ale and ShackMeister™ Lager, available on tap and brewed exclusively for Shake Shack by Thornbridge Brewery.
The Leicester Square menu will feature three concretes (dense frozen custard) exclusive to the location: the Leicester (Chocolate frozen custard, St John chocolate and hazelnut brownie with salted peanuts and peanut butter sauce), the London Fog (Vanilla frozen custard, earl grey fudge sauce and St John brown sugar biscuit), and the Coffee & Donuts (Vanilla custard, Workshop Coffee beans, marshmallow sauce and Dum Dum Donutterie Salted Caramel old fashioned donut). Yum.
In keeping with Shake Shack’s mission to “Stand For Something Good,” the new outlet is partnered with local charity Mousetrap Theatre Projects, with a mission is to increase young people’s access to live theatre in London with 5% of sales from each Leicester2 concrete going to the charity.
Shake Shack Leicester Square is located at 1-2 Coventry Street, W1D 6BH. Find out more at shakeshack.com.
