My boyfriend and I decided to take a walk with the dog down to SquareBurger from South Philly to check it out after work. We arrived around 7:40 and got in the line of 1 other person. When we got up to the counter, before I could order the woman at the register told me they were closed, no exceptions. There were no patrons behind us in line and it wasn't event 8 pm yet. I was pretty disappointed by the service, and probably won't venture back to try the food. bummer. :( read more

Ever since catching one of this season's episodes of "How I Met Your Mother," I've been mindful of finding and treasuring great burgers. A recent Inquirer review sent me to SquareBurger with high hopes, which weren't entirely met but came close enough that I would go back and also highly recommend to others. The Classic Cheeseburger is very juicy and has a nice blend of mustard and ketchup to it, and the potato roll was fine. It does have one drawback -- too darn small! It's more akin to a classy version of a fast food-size burger than a substantial one at a joint like Copa. I was sort of impatient with how long it took to get off the grill, though I am willing to concede that it was high-quality, and that's worth waiting for, I guess. The "Cake Shake", with blended-in Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets icing-flavored syrup), was thick and yummy. The problem here was, it came WAY before the burger was ready. I had to let it sit -- and melt a bit -- so I'd have enough to enjoy with my sandwich. So, the serving of burger and shake could be coordinated better. Finally, price -- It cost $9.50 for burger and shake (no fries, which I'd read were frozen and only so-so). So, the price needs to either decrease a bit, or better, the burger needs to increase in size. And again, they need to be served more closely together. But overall, I enjoyed the meal, and the park setting, with the fountain and lit carousel, were wonderful. I'll go back! read more

i think the reason i'm giving tihs place 3 stars instead of 2 stars is because the shakes and the extra wide straws were the best i've tasted! perfectly blended. yum. i also really appreciate this place just being where it is. it's great to have this has a food option in such a cute and quaint park. rittenhouse should take notes. the real deal: my friends ordered burgers and i went with a veggie burger. for being called "square burger" you'd think the burgers would be a bit larger than they were. i'm talking white castle size. they had to order another one because they were still hungry. points for laying on all the fixins. and i totally appreciate the potato roll. but the veggie burger? yuck. when i order a veggie burger at a quality joint, i expect it to be, well, a veggie burger. meaning a compressed patty of veggies, grains, etc. this was basically an oversized morning star version of god-knows-what packed into a firm dogfood disc that far exceeded the limits of the potato roll. i ate it bc i was starving, but i'm not sure if i would have otherwise. also, for there being only 4 orders in line, it took a considerable amount of time to pump out our orders. i think we stood around for a good 15 to 20 mins waiting. i also asked for no cheese on my burger and my friend asked for no onions. i got cheese and she got extra onions. i know mistakes happen so no big. but maybe it was opposite day? read more

so i have yet to actually have a burger (well...the veggie burger since i don't eat meat) but i will say the one thing i know: that cake shake is damn good. I've heard lots of good stuff about this place, but it was hot as dickens so i was revved up for a good milkshake. and butterscoth krimpets in it? yes please! it was everything i could have wanted. you could taste the pieces of the icing and krimpet in it. i felt overjoyed. new favorite guilty pleasure food. i'm going to come back and try some more stuff. the shake alone has me hooked. read more

Stephen Starr's answer to Five Guys. Made fresh and delicious. The fries weren't anything great, I wish they'd been fresh cut, not out of a box. But at least they weren't expensive. Next time I'll definitely try a shake. A woman walked by with what I believe was a Peanut Butter TastyKake shake and almost got mugged for it ... Looked yummy! A great addition to Franklin Square. read more

This place is a really cool place to go on a nice day! Sit by the fountain at the park at one of tables or bring a towel and have a picnic on the grass! The burgers were good, but slightly over cooked for my taste. (all brown throughout, I like a little pink) The fries were awesome though and the milkshake was amazing, too! There was a long line on the nice spring day when we went, but it was worth the wait. read more

Pretty bad experience here the other day with my kids. They shared a grilled cheese ($5) which was barely toasted. My "square burger" ($7) was disgustingly undercooked. I've never ordered a rare burger before (and I didn't this time either), but I have to assume this one was less than rare. I took two bites and threw it out. Very high prices for such lousy food. The workers were friendly enough, and the food was ready in a reasonable amount of time, but the low quality of the ingredients, poor cooking, and inflated prices result in a 1-star review. read more

Well, I have to confess that I did not have a burger (or any of their meat products, for that matter). But, unless I'm in the area or with someone who wants to try Square Burger, I likely won't go back to try one. I went to S.B. because I was out for a walk on my lunch hour and was craving french fries, so I stopped and picked up an order of fries and a chocolate malt milkshake. Nothing about the experience was bad, per se, but it was not memorable or worth a special trip. The fries were of the shoe-string variety and very similar to frozen fries I could make any time I wanted. The shake was thick and looked like it was going to be a winner -- again, though, not memorable. It lacked in both chocolate and malt flavors. So, while the setting is fantastic and Square Burger is a fantastic concept, it failed for me in its execution. It doesn't have to be fancy, but I think there should be something memorable or at least a little more special than what you can pick up in your grocer's freezer. read more

Burgers are pretty good. They taste homemade and aren't greasy. However, they don't have a lot of options on the burgers, and the buns can taste a little stale or bland. They do have good ice cream shakes. Service is just fine. I'd say this is a good place, and it's worth going to it when you're near Franklin Square. Just don't expect anything awesome. read more

The burgers come with nothing on them. I requested tomato on my burger, and despite they do have them for the Philly hotdog, they told me no. I couldn't pay extra for tomato. Also the staff was pretty snotty about it. read more

What happened to Square Burger?!?!? This used to be a favorite spot for the summer! The patties used to be fresh and delicious, the fries crinkle cut a tasty! Why did they mess with perfection?! My visit tonight was a total disappointment. Instead of the simple, yet delicious, burger I was expecting, I got a clearly frozen patty (had that unmistakeable hockey puck character) on a stale bun. I ordered bacon on it and they gave me ONE slice. I didn't get fries because they didn't separate regular and sweet potato fries (and sweet potato fries are an abomination), but it appears they don't have the delicious crinkle cut ones anymore. The milkshake was meh at best, and my daughters hot dog was fine, but the bun was stale. If I wanted a crappy burger on a stale bun, I could have done that at home for much less money. Bring back the old Square Burger! read more

Stopped by to see the Chinese lanterns festival in the park. It was getting close to lunch time, and I decided to give Square Burger place a try. So many things looked good. I decided on the BBQ Burger and fries. The service fast and friendly. Everything was excellent, the burger was moist with the crispy bacon and home made sauce with melty cheese and the fries were crispy. I saw quite a few people with shakes, so I gave one a try, TastyKake Butterscotch Krimpet was thick and tasty. This is a great place to visit. Plenty of seating in the shade of the trees with a great view of the water fountains. One of Philly's best places to enjoy. read more

SquareBurger - BarBQ Burger - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Our family has been enjoying SquareBurger each time we visit Franklin Square park. The food has always been consistently good and they have recently expanded the menu to offer more family friendly options. Mac n cheese and fried Oreos were a hit with the kid! read more

The classic cheeseburgers were amazing! The crinkle fries were good but not as good as the burger. The chocolate shake is one of the best I've ever had! Prices are kind of high but definitely worth a try. read more

Tastykake milkshake. That's all I had here and it was awesome and if you can only order one thing- GET THE MILKSHAKE.

It was a burger. It was pretty mediocre. I'd go here again only if I wanted to go to the park anyway and because it's right there in the middle of it, but I definitely wouldn't go because SquareBurger was anything spectacular or even above average. Pricey for sub-standard quality; seems kind of just like any fast food joint except it somehow managed to acquire a better reputation. The pictures don't even look appetizing. It was small, flat (if I wanted a cheap frozen patty I would've gone to Wendy's) and didn't really even fill me up. Can't vouche for the shakes; my friends got them and they looked delicious but I didn't try. read more

Decent burgers and milk shakes but the homemade lemonade tasted like "homemade" pink country time and the iced tea tasted almost like bad kombucha...definitely had been sitting for too long. read more

had to wait quite awhile. it would have sucked a little bit if it weren't a beautiful day and i didn't have good company to wait in line with. the burgers were great. environmentally-friendly corn-based plastic cups and grass-fed beef. well, i guess the latter sticks it to the corn lobby, right? also not too expensive-- with drinks we fed four people for $24. not bad, huh? wasn't too filling but i sure as hell don't need to eat an eight ounce burger every time i eat meat.... would have been nice if we could have added our own toppings, since i generally like to put a lot of relish or onions or jalapeños, if available, on thurr. minus one star because of the line, the hype, and the malts, which are of substandard quality. as a connisseur of the classic american malt, i reserve the right to make this judgment. read more

Salty burger. How does one produce a salty burger??? Five guys can rock a burger better any day. Oh, and no tomatoes and only cheese option is American. Yech. On a plus note the lemonade is tasty and staff was pleasant. read more

Great food, but slow line - give yourself at least 20-30 min for wait. If you're playing minigolf, you need to leave around the 12th hole or so and go get in line. If you're on the fence to grab a bite here, here's two words: Cake Shake. It's basically a vanilla shake with peanut butter Tastykakes mixed in. Absolutely heavenly, and goes great with a cheeseburger and fries. And I didn't realize how eco-friendly they are with their biodegradable packaging. read more

Square Burger fell short of my expectations which were superinflated by Stephen Starr hype. The prices were not outrageous, but the food was nothing to yelp about. The burger was sort of bland and the roll was plain as can be especially coming from a caterer. If you want a good burger, this isn't the first, second or third place you would go. read more

First of all let me say that Franklin Square is a GREAT park and this burger shack is the perfect for what it is. The burger was just ok but I NEED to RAVE about the Tasty Kake Cake Shake. It is AMAZING and a must try for the summer. This thing is a serious game changer and raised my rating from a 3 to a 4. If this review was strictly based on the shake it would be 5 stars. Oh did I mention that the cake shake is AMA-ZING! read more

Burgers are good, shakes are good. We always just get the cheeseburgers and add our own condiments. Love Franklin Square and this is a nice quick meal. Be forewarned: pretty pricy (but I consider worth it). read more

I really loved this little burger shack :) The staff was super friendly and patient while taking our orders. The burgers were juicy and delicious and fries were perfect and tasty. I really like how they dice up their pickles and onions instead of having large pieces on the burger, makes it easier to eat the burger. I have absolutely zero complaints about this place. My hubby and I had a lovely time in Franklin square, beautiful weather, nice little area with tables and chairs, and a cute little carousel. This place is simple, quick, and easy and the food is delicious. Definitely a good place to grab a quick bite. read more

Burgers and fries - blah blah blah, yeah, yeah, yeah - not any better than ShakeShack or any one of the other million places to get a burger in Philly.... But if you want a truly unique, knock your socks off flavor experience, I have two words for you..... CAKE SHAKE!!! Ditch the diet for the day, embrace your inner fat kid, and head on over to Franklin Park to get one - you won't regret it! I'm not entirely sure of the details, something about vanilla milkshake with TastyKake butterscotch krimpets and then moooooore butterscotch syrup... need I say more???? read more

Went here on a sunny Sunday for an outing in Franklin Square and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Starr's places tend to be a little overpriced, but for $20 we go two burgers, fries, and two shakes. Not bad. The food was all very burger shack good, nothing fancy. That along with the great little park was a nice city outing. read more

My first time time here for the lantern festival. I had a burger, sweet potato fries, and a lemonade. All were a waste of $$. The burger patty must have been frozen, cause it was watery, under seasoned, and undercooked. The sweet potato fries were bland but at least I could give them to my toddler to munch. Even my lemonade was watery. Next time will pack a lunch. read more

I loved Square Burger. It is a fun quaint little shack. The burgers are delicious and the staff is very nice as well as efficient. There where a ton of people in line when I went, yet I did not have to wait to long. Although the name on the sign says burgers, this place makes possibly the best milkshakes I have ever had. The root beer float was awesome, pure deliciousness. The food service and atmosphere where awesome, however the one thing that keeps this place from the full 5 Stars is the seating. There really is not much of it. If they added some more tables this place would be the perfect summer treat.... read more

Really Cool location. The food was good, not amazing and a little pricey. I would go again if i was there but would not go out of my way to eat there. Novelty place, that's it really. read more

This is a Steven Starr effort? Hmmm . . . not up to his usual standards, I think. Perhaps it is the location? Franklin Square was, for a long time, a neglected park, because of its location and the fact that it has no parking. It is surrounded by office buildings and several major thoroughfares in Philadelphia. Anyway, we went to Square Burger because we are fans of Starr's restaurants. We tried the burgers and hot dogs. Nothin' special . . . you would find the same at a high-end Shore hot dog/burger joint. Still, it is nice to see that Starr is trying to revitalize areas of the city that have largely been neglected. Be forewarned. The parking is terrible in the area. read more

Considering the wait and the cost of a burger here, I thought I was going to get the manna of all fast food. Eh. It was a fried meat patty. What was my alternative? A hot dog cart four blocks away? Nothing to go out of my way for, but if you want to take the kids to the park and get a halfway decent lunch while there, go for it. read more

The setting is very nice - sitting by the fountain, a mist blowing over you, watching the carousel. Square Burger is "just" a food stand, but certainly nicer than the food carts and trucks which are in every city. The employees were nice and the place seemed clean. I enjoyed a homemade veggie burger. I liked how they cooked it in halves and then sandwiched a slice of cheese between the two halves. The shoestring fries were just OK; hot, but not too tasty, perhaps just cheaper frozen fries. My wife loved her orange creamsicle shake and the kids liked their simple ice cream sundaes. It's a bit too expensive. If we worked in Philly, I can see walking here for lunch. As a tourist, it's a good stop if you're visiting other sites in the area - but not a destination itself. read more

Come for the milkshakes. Get a burger only if you are really hungry. I made my first/probably last visit to Squareburger today. The cheeseburger was tasty but I had to stop chewing twice to spit out small hunks of cartilage. Not an appetizing experience & definitely not one I'd pay for again. I also got the shake of the month - peaches and cream. It was delicious. read more

similar as shake shack in central park, good burgers and hot dogs, but no beer. crinkle fries were fresh. Plenty of seating, not crowded.

I visited SquareBurger this afternoon with a coworker. Our wait for a cheeseburger, veggie burger and fries was 15 minutes exactly. (I timed it after reading other reviews regarding the long wait.) I ordered a root beer float, but unfortunately drank the whole thing while waiting for the rest of the meal. The cheeseburger was great. My coworker had a veggie burger which she claimed was also great. Fries were typical fries. The menu is perfect for the location. Simple foods, simple ice cream creations using Philadelphia favorites - Tastykakes. Although I agree that 45 minutes is entirely too long to wait (Adam R), it's understandable there are some kinks to be worked out. It's obvious just by looking behind the counter that it's a somewhat chaotic work situation - although the staff is very upbeat and pleasant. They just opened and I'm sure the process will be smoothed out within the next few weeks. I would have left after 30 minutes for sure. Since this isn't a cheesy "hot dog stand" type of place and definitely not fast food, everything is made to order - which means you have to wait for it to be cooked. Personally, I'd rather wait a few minutes for a hot dog than take one from a hot dog roller. I'll definitely go back. I'm assuming there will be signage and maybe a few more benches next time. read more

A sunny friday afternoon in the park with hotdogs and a butterscotch krimpet cake shake cannot be beat! It was AWESOME! For $14 my husband and I had a fun lunch next to the fountain and will be sure to do it again soon! Thanks Square Burger!! read more

I feel lucky to have this place so close to my office --- it's also dangerous because the cake shakes (vanilla with butterscotch kimpets) are constantly calling my name. Some people may say the burgers are small, but they're enough to make me full and satisfied. Staff are always very friendly, although it can take a while to get your food (maybe 10-15 mins...still not terrible for a made-to-order burger). My only complaint is they changed the fries --- they used to be fresh-cut thin ones, and now they're crinkle fries. I'm sure a lof of thought went into the decision, but I do miss those old fries and prefer them over these. read more

Pretty good; the burger reminded me of a "Cookout" burger, which was pretty good but weird to pay for. Quick and friendly service. Much better than the time-consuming and costlier Shake Shack which it is often compared to. read more

I used to love this place. I live right near the park and enjoyed the easy walk to pick up some good food on the fly. The Cake Shake was the best! But the new owner, Cooperage, has clearly botched it. I stopped over for the first time this summer, excited for my first Cake Shake of the season. I don't know what that white, watery mess was that they served me, but it wasn't the Cake Shake. Literally white water, and no cake. Terrible and disappointing, and I won't be bothering with this food stand anymore. read more

So not worth it anymore. I work nearby and I've tried at least 3 times this summer to get a milkshake and every time they've been out of ice cream. WHAT? The home of the Cake Shake is out of ice cream? Once would just be bad luck, but several times in one summer is poor management. Today, I settled for fries, and they were limp and soggy. Franklin Square really need to find a better vendor for this primo spot. I will say the folks who work there are friendly and fast. read more