Shake Shack

Surprising to see this brand here. Was out walking and spotted it. The place was pretty empty, no line! at dinner time no less. Really stopped in to buy a tee shirt, but the employee at the counter could not speak English. She just kept saying «milkshake, you want Milk shake?» alas no tee shirts in my size. Bummed out. Finally an employee who spoke English came over and took my order. Not bad, did not taste as good as Manhattan locations. The condiment station was customized for Turkey, they did have Heinz Catsup, but that was the only recognizable American condiment. They have a pretty cool roof deck to sit and enjoy your burger, so if you are one of those travelers who seeks out ‘Meriken Brands, consider skipping the Hard Rock and come here instead.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that in the 3 weeks I spent in Istanbul, I came to Shake Shack 3 times! I had never tried Shake Shack in the States, and I was really craving a good burger instead of the usual Turkish fare. I had the ShackBurger (cheeseburger) and the ShackMeister (cheeseburger with crispy shallots), and the latter was my favorite! I always got a side of fries and a Coke. The burger reminded me of Smashburger since the pattie is flattened and has a nice crispy crust on it, my fave! It’s definitely on the expensive side of the Istanbul food price range (20 – 30 TL), but I thought it was worth it. My only regret is never having enough room to try one of the milkshakes. They even have free wifi, but you need to be able to receive incoming text messages for the verification code. I really like the Istikal location because it is right next to the Shisane Metro stop, and it has an upstairs eating area with a nice view of the busy Istikal shopping street.

I’ve been to the original shake shack lots of times when I was living in NYC and can say that this location is a great one in Istanbul. The quality is the same as I remember from being in NYC. It’s a little strange that the workers will come up and check on you mid-meal…but I guess they’ve been told to. I pray that this will stay in Istanbul for all of those times that I have a shake shack attack!

My only reason for stopping in is in correlation to Shake Shack’s stock price since its IPO. It’s crazy so I figure the burgers must be really good.
I honestly wasn’t hungry so I just tried q basic cheeseburger at 14 TL. Pretty epic in taste and different than other burgers I’ve had. Have no idea how it compares price wise to McDonalds and BK (lots of those in Istanbul!) but it was pretty empty at dinner time.

I’ve always wanted to try Shake Shack and finally had the chance to in Istanbul. To be honest, the burger was just okay. The fries were also just okay. And I got a black and white milkshake that wasn’t good. I didn’t even finish it.
Maybe Shake Shacks in the US are better?

Came here after wanting a break from Turkish kebabs and with a craving for a milkshake. The place did not disappoint and the food tasted just like in New York. I only wish that I had bought a t-​shirt when I had the chance since it was half the price of the ones in New York and the design was pretty cool

This is the same Shake Shack brand that originated in New York City. What a surprise to come across this place walking down the main nightlife street in Istanbul!
The burgers were excellent. I believe there was free WiFi, but can’t completely remember. The place, as you might expect from an American brand, was spacious, air conditioned, very clean, and had good restrooms.
The burgers were excellent. Hard to compare to the original Shake Shack in New York because it’s been years since I tried that one. Overall, it was a nice experience!

So random, yet so welcomed.
It’s hot, and in a city peppered with juice stands I saw not one that had offered ice.
Then, just around the bend from the Swedish embassy I saw, of all things, a Shake Shack.
Stepping in offered a welcomed reprieve from the oppressive heat. Putting its best foot forward in this new market, it is definitely one of the schnazziest set ups I’ve seen for the Shack.
I’m also glad to see the menu not too heavily edited save a few in consideration of local requirements. Friendly staff albeit slightly eager to help at times, but that’s never a negative.

It started to rain. Pouring rain. Thunder storm and water running down the street, forming a river. Lightening strikes mosque. The Blue Mosque was hit once again. Just had Turkish dessert for dinner. I’ve always tempted to try a Shake Shack in New York but I hate the lines. It’s such a New York thing, yet we don’t have it in San Francisco, but there was no line in Istanbul.
Frozen custard took me back to St. Louis Missouri. It was the world series season. I could catch the last game from the Marriott hotel, where I was staying at. I had been working for Anheuse-​busch as a management consultant on a SAP project that had gone bad, and the only thing that kept me going was every night I’d drive to get the frozen custard. Nowhere else seemed to have sold it. Until last night. In Istanbul. The double cheeseburger was delicious — decidedly very American, and extremely tasty after all those honey based pastries.
There I sat at the counter waited for the rain to die down, and it just kept on coming down. We don’t get rain in the summer in San Francisco. Everyone knows that we are experiencing a terrible drought. But not here, here, the rain water formed angry river washing down the street. I ate my burger and frozen custard while waited for it to break (no it did not), and I thought to myself, I love Istanbul, it has everything, but what makes it wonderful was that it provided a sanctuary, a reminder that another great metropolis is calling my name. I smiled. Last night was my last night in Istanbul, the last meal was at Shake Shack, a New York institution, and my next personal trip will be in October. I will return to my beloved New York.

A good place for an overpriced hot dog and cheese fries. The last time I ate there I had a burger, it was undercooked and left me feeling a little queasy. I would say it’s overrated and overpriced. But there aren’t a ton of places to get a decent dog in Istanbul. Especially since Nathan’s closed.

Lost in a world of kabobs and pizza pitas, there lay an oasis called «Shake Shack». I’m a tourist, and I know that I should be taking in the local cultural dishes, but sometimes you just need a burger. I ran towards the door, grabbed a menu, and quickly ordered a burger for me and a chocolate shake for husband. Against my wishes, I didn’t order a massive amount of food. After all, this ain’t America!
Then I got scared. I once ordered a fast food burger in Rio, and it didn’t taste anything like a hamburger. I bit into the burger an realized all my worries were unfounded. It was a good burger. Everything was fresh. My husband’s chocolate shake was also very tasty. I will probably be back once more to taste the strawberry shake.
We left out, and not two doors down was the love of my life (besides husband), Fatburger. I thought I would feel regret about going to Shake Shack, but the truth is I didn’t. I have room in my universe for both.

Full disclosure, we have a Shake Shack in our backyard in Brooklyn, and eat there at least once a month.
So, when we stumbled upon this outpost in Istanbul, we couldn’t resist — Would the burger taste the same?
We’re happy to report that it does. Of course, all we ordered was our usual Shack burger, so I can’t report on the other stuff, but frankly, all we ever order is the burger, fries and shake anyway in Brooklyn.
Any burger-​lovers who never make it to NYC but find themselves in Istanbul, this is the spot for you. Shake Shack makes the best «cheap» burger in NYC, and the Istanbul version does not stray from the original.
Go taste for yourselves what NYers are spending 45 minutes in line for during lunchtime everyday.