For what it's worth, I think this Shake Shack is better than the one in Long Beach, which I previously rated 3 stars, but my overall experience was still lacking that I can't quite give this location a 4th star.
I was planning to watch a movie at Regal Irvine Spectrum, which is conveniently next to Shake Shack. I received an email a few days prior that gave me a promo code for a free Avocado Bacon Burger with a $10+ purchase. The morning of the day I was planning my afternoon getaway to Irvine, I got another email from Shake Shack with the same deal, but a different promo code! This promo code expired earlier and was pretty generic that I'm certain it could be used a multitude of times, even by the same customer.
I hadn't been to Irvine Spectrum before, and when I parked my car in a parking garage next to Target, I realized that Shake Shack was on the opposite side of the shopping center! Not wanting to go through the trouble of finding parking again, I decided to make the ~10 minute walk across Irvine Spectrum. There are a few places that show directions to various businesses, Shake Shack being one of them, so it wasn't too difficult to find Shake Shack. I'm sure if I had made a wrong turn, a sign would have directed me to Shake Shack, or at least the nearby Regal.
Upon entering, I saw a few kiosks to the left and a pickup counter in front of me. I initially discerned that we could only order via the kiosk, and so that's what I did. With the kiosk, you can customize burgers to your liking, like adding certain toppings or utilizing a different bun.
Of course, if I was getting the Avocado Bacon Burger for free with $10+ purchase, I had to add the Avocado Bacon Burger to my order. I requested pickles, lettuce, tomato, sliced onions, and a side of ShackSauce, all at no additional charge. There was also an option for "Well Done", and I checked that even though I generally prefer "Medium Well" instead.
For the $10+ purchase, it took me a while to decide, but I settled for the Shroom Burger, which uses a fried portobello mushroom as the patty, and the mushroom contains cheese. The base price is $9.99, so I had to add an upgrade, cherry peppers for 49 cents in this case, to make $10. I didn't remember seeing options for lettuce or tomato on the Shroom burger, but I made sure to add the other complimentary toppings.
I had an e-gift card to use, but I couldn't find a way to use it. I was then trying to use a card that didn't have a chip, but I couldn't find a way to swipe it in the card reader, which I discerned could only take chip cards. So then I had to use a chip card to pay. After placing my order, I noticed a line by the pickup counter with an employee taking orders, flustering me a little because if I had known I could place my order there, I would have tried. But then again, I'm not sure they would have told me about the complimentary toppings that I had requested on the kiosk.
I was anxiously waiting for my order while trying to find an unoccupied table, either inside or in one of their two outdoor patios. It still wasn't enough to accommodate all the customers dining on this early Sunday afternoon! Actually, I did see a table open up, and I really wanted to tell them to hurry up with my order so I could eat there. Unfortunately, other customers who got their order(s) first claimed that table. Ugh!
Once I got my order after about 14 minutes of waiting, I took my takeout bag outside, but couldn't find any empty tables, except for a couple just outside the front door, but with no chairs. I legitimately would have considered taking one of those tables and just standing to eat, potentially becoming an eyesore to passersby, but I luckily saw an open table in the shaded outdoor patio! Actually, there were three open tables right next to one another that when I sat down first, another customer asked me if he and his friends could sit at the tables next to me. And then moments later, a kid asked me if he could take the chair directly across from me. I wasn't using it, but I hope he returned that promptly.
It would have helped significantly if Irvine Spectrum Center had generic tables and chairs for patrons of any eatery there.
Luckily, the burgers themselves tasted good, though I would not say $20+ good since the normal price of both would have been well over $20 with tax. The ShackSauce was so thick that I couldn't pour them out of the cups. I wanted to keep my hands clean, but it would have been hard to if I'm dipping the burgers into the sauce cups. Also, each of the two burgers had a piece of onion dangling outside the box, one even touching the table when I set the box down!
It was hard to keep the burgers in one piece, but I did like the overall flavor of both burgers, especially in conjunction with the ShackSauce. However, I probably won't return to this Shack, especially if it's usually this crowded. read more