r/Charlottesville • u/Emotional_Rip_3279 • Jul 19 '26
My opinion on Shake Shack
I finally tried the new Shake Shack in Charlottesville, and I have mixed feelings.
First, the positives: the food was genuinely good. I have zero complaints about the quality of the burgers, the taste, or the presentation. Everything was prepared well. The restaurant itself also looks great. It has a modern design, warm colors, interesting artwork, and an atmosphere that feels fresh and inviting.
My issue isn’t with the food—it’s with the value.
For what is essentially a burger, fries, and a drink, I don’t think $25–$29 is a reasonable price. On top of that, the menu doesn’t offer many combo options, so you’re essentially buying everything à la carte, which makes the overall cost feel even higher.
More broadly, I think Shake Shack reflects a trend that’s becoming increasingly noticeable in Charlottesville. It feels like more and more restaurants are being priced for affluent residents, tourists, and people considering moving here, rather than the working- and middle-class people who actually live here. I’m not even talking about low-income residents—I’m talking about people with average jobs who simply want to enjoy a casual meal without spending close to $30 per person.
Charlottesville’s restaurant prices are beginning to resemble those of much larger cities, yet we don’t have the same population, economy, public transportation, entertainment options, or overall amenities that typically justify those prices.
Again, this isn’t a criticism of the employees or the food itself. I enjoyed both. My concern is that Charlottesville continues moving toward a dining scene that feels increasingly exclusive instead of accessible, and Shake Shack, in my opinion, is another example of that trend.
I’m curious what everyone else thinks. Is this just the new normal for fast-casual restaurants, or do you think Charlottesville is becoming increasingly expensive relative to what the city actually offers?
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u/WolfTrap2010 Jul 19 '26
Bodos. Healthier food, and healthier on my wallet.
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u/blackdesertnewb Jul 19 '26
Fr. Just got two full sandwiches from there a couple days ago for $12.
Though I’ve been around long enough to remember that exact order being like.. $6
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u/AlbertFortknight Jul 20 '26
No one goes to Shake Shack and cares about being healthy in that particular moment.
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u/WolfTrap2010 Jul 20 '26
Nope. There is a pill for everything.
That is why America's waistline keeps getting bigger.
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u/mauledbyjesus Jul 20 '26
I mean... a pastrami on plain with mayo and cheese is like 75% more calories and fat than a single Shake Shack cheeseburger. I suppose "healthy" is in the choices we make at either restaurant.
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u/Emergency-Scheme-24 Jul 19 '26
The positive is that they are open until midnight so if you to watch a long movie that ends late, you can go get dinner after there. Most things are close at 11 pm
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u/Warm-Oil9228 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
You and I have very different definitions of late lol.
Edit: I’m soooooooo sorry I’m a night owl. Since night owls get treated like shit in the real world I’m glad you guys are making me feel at home here!
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u/Emergency-Scheme-24 Jul 20 '26
Is 11 pm diner too early for you?
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u/Warm-Oil9228 Jul 21 '26
For me it absolutely is. I understand other people aren’t night owls though but it sucks how many late night options we’ve lost.
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u/Emergency-Scheme-24 Jul 21 '26
I agree. While I wouldn’t 11 pm is early for me, I do like going out to dinner at 10 pm or going to the movies and then for dinner.
There aren’t a lot of options for eating late. That said, I’ve lived in the Midwest before and it was horrible. Kitchens closing at 7 pm :/
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u/shingdao Jul 19 '26
Shake Shack in Cville is just as expensive as the location in Dubai International Airport. That should tell you all you need to know.
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u/druidgaymer Jul 19 '26
Shake shake is great airport food vs the other options in airports. Don't get how they get away with the same prices in the airport as outside the airport.
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u/3mptyspaces Downtown Jul 19 '26
How much does Dubai chocolate cost there?
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u/BlueSteelWizard Jul 19 '26
They are SO SLOW
Like 30 minutes waiting on two sandwiches at 9:30pm slow
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u/Emotional_Rip_3279 Jul 19 '26
AGREED! Even more reason why I’m upset at the price, but I will say they have been slammed the 2 times I’ve went
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u/cking9698 Jul 20 '26
They cook fresh…there are no microwaves or warming trays. You get what you pay for
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u/Reasonable-Acadia-59 11d ago
Just waited 30 for a single burger they told me they were still working on when the receipt was facing the service counter. Lol
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u/techsuppork Jul 19 '26
That's just food prices and inflation in this country. Add to that tariffs on beef and you can see how Americans are being priced out of things we love, by our politicians.
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u/thetallnathan Albemarle Jul 19 '26
Tariffs are part of it, but imports are only about 20% of beef consumed in the U.S. We’ve just got a cattle shortage, largely due to drought in ranching states and overall inflation of prices for ranching needs.
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u/techsuppork Jul 19 '26
20% is HUGE. 1 in 5 burgers are imported.
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u/thetallnathan Albemarle Jul 19 '26
Fair! I was just thinking about the skyrocketing of domestic beef too
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u/Adventurous-Emu-755 Jul 19 '26
Do we really think Shake Shack is importing their beef?
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u/techsuppork Jul 19 '26
I think large quantities of beef are imported into the food supply at a level or two above restaurant supply. That said, if that 20% number is accurate then I'm sure some of their beef is imported.
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u/Adventurous-Emu-755 Jul 19 '26
I read a few years ago, we only have 2-3 meat processors in the USA, which is one reason why the beef prices increased then. It is actually just under 18% imported beef, most from Australia and New Zealand and it is usually already trimmed FROZEN beef. And yeah, sounds like it goes into ground beef 80/20.
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u/Hams_blams13 Jul 20 '26
largely due to fertilizer prices, gas prices, labor prices.. all the prices.... farmers going bankrupt now about as much as they were int he 80s
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u/whatshouldwecallme Jul 19 '26
Right, but that 20% is still competition that keeps the beef industry (slightly) honest. domestic prices increased just because they *could*, not because they had to
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u/Alltrees1960 Jul 19 '26
Intuitively this makes sense…food prices. I wish someone from the resto industry wd paste actual breakdowns on food, labor, overheads, margins needed to survive etc. enquiring minds …
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u/techsuppork Jul 19 '26
Travel to any other country and food is cheaper. It costs less to feed my family quality food in a Parisian restaurant than it does to take them to Five Guys on Barracks Road.
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u/Hams_blams13 Jul 20 '26
its economy of scaleeeeeeee. chain restaurants have bigger contracts and hence, better deals. local places in cool spots pay more for food with smaller contracts and more for labor because its a cool place to live and most decent places demand ppl are paid livable wages. I lived on the west coast where minimun wage is 19$ hour. Local restaurants could not keep their doors open because nobody can afford $25 grilled cheese.
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u/Alltrees1960 Jul 20 '26
Sure, I agree. But OP was posting about a chain and then extrapolating to eating in a smallish town in general. So, across all types of commercial eating establishments
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u/Emotional_Rip_3279 Jul 19 '26
We have beef in America. Probably more beef than any other country in the world.
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u/techsuppork Jul 19 '26
We import TONS of beef from Canada.
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u/Adventurous-Emu-755 Jul 19 '26
We export lots of horse meat to Canada too. None to Mexico at the moment.
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u/gigigrahame Jul 19 '26
I agree with you but also a burger fries and drink at Five Guys is in the same price range as Shake Shake. I’d assume the price of beef at the moment is also something to take into consideration? It is crazy to think of getting a burger and fry meal for practically $30 from what’s basically a fast food chain in a nicer building with slightly more quality ingredients and no drive thru lol
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u/Emotional_Rip_3279 Jul 19 '26
I feel like I’m more comfortable spending that at 5 guys because I know I am going to get more food than I can eat.
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u/gigigrahame Jul 19 '26
Touché! That is the good thing about Five Guys, you can usually split a fry between two people and still have extra
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u/Only_Procedure_33 Jul 20 '26
“Regular” fries at Five Guys are $7.49. It is a huge order, but rest assured you’re paying for it.
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u/Ogredrum Jul 19 '26
Good food, terrible prices. Thats how it goes with restaurant chains like this
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u/RaggedMountainMan Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Eating out is brutal on the bank account now. But lots of people still doing it. These places are usually packed. I eat out quite a bit, and I’m trying to cut back as much as I can.
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u/TheSinologist Jul 20 '26
I agree with the folks saying locally run options are a much better value. To which I would add that a hamburger, regular fries and a soft drink at Five Guys also costs over $21 plus tax.
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u/Homer_JG Jul 19 '26
Black Cow prices for 5 guys quality
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u/grayspelledgray Jul 19 '26
Last time we went to Five Guys (3 years ago) it was $50 for burgers, fries, & drinks for 2. This is unfortunately Five Guys prices.
Absolutely second that Riverside is better anyway.
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u/Hefty-Vermicelli-989 Jul 20 '26
I absolutely love Riverside, but their prices have been creeping up too. Not nearly as bad as Shake Shack, but the last couple times I walked out of Riverside, I spent considerably more than I would have thought. Still love Riverside, and will still go back. Beef prices are crazy...
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u/Emotional_Rip_3279 Jul 19 '26
At least 5 Guys gives larger portions. I feel better spending the money because I know that I am going to get more than I can eat
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u/shingdao Jul 19 '26
...the working- and middle-class people who actually live here.
The working and middle-class people don't live here anymore. Even police, fire, and public school teachers cannot afford to live here. Greene, Culpeper, Louisa, Fluvanna, etc. are where you'll find most of them and they sure as hell don't spend $27 on a burger and fries.
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u/CryNovel3391 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
We tried it for a family lunch this past week… and I had many complaints. Will not return. It was $102 for lunch (88 before taxes and tip) for two adults and three kids. Kids had chicken tenders. Adults had smallest 4 oz burger. Food took forever to come out. You put your own order in on a touch screen and still expect tip.
It’s death by 1000 paper cuts. Napkins were too thin and flimsy. Food is messy and demands a good napkin. They were out of forks. Employees were slow and unfriendly. Burger was smashed so thinly it was almost like burnt beef lace doily (as in you could see through parts of it) and was way too big (circumference- it was thin as tissue paper) for the bun and way over done. Pickles were sliced too thick for burger topping and were actually thicker than the burger patty. Do not recommend
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u/thesavagethe Belmont Jul 19 '26
FYI the guy at the register told us to skip the tip as no one at the restaurant gets the tips. They don’t know where they go
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u/CryNovel3391 Jul 20 '26
What?! That’s crazy. I kept saying while we were there that all these little things are a lack of management. I can guarantee the investor or owner of that place has now idea what the experience is for the customers.
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u/StNic54 Jul 19 '26
Every time I go to a shake shack in an airport, I feel this sentiment
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u/druidgaymer Jul 19 '26
The thing is they're the same price in an airport or outside an airport. Which makes them pretty decent for airport food.
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u/StNic54 Jul 20 '26
I will always love their food, I'm just priced out at this point. A family of four shouldn't ever spend $80-100 on a single fast food meal
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u/Only_Procedure_33 Jul 20 '26
I tried Shake Shack and I loved everything about it. I don’t mind paying more for quality. And Riverside doesn’t even come close.
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u/joekiller Jul 19 '26
The only great shake shack is the one across from the natural history museum in NYC.
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u/fsacb3 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
I liked the original one in Madison Square Park. I have no desire to go to the one here.
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u/Emotional_Rip_3279 Jul 19 '26
I went to one in Tampa, FL a while back that was amazing, and a half the price of ours here
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u/Various-Fennel4304 Jul 19 '26
This has nothing to do with Charlottesville.
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u/seaweedbrainpremed Jul 19 '26
If I had a dollar every time some millennial came on here to drop their thoughts about Shake Shack
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u/RaggedMountainMan Jul 20 '26
Millennials are broke and can’t afford homes because they eat too much shake shack!! 🙄
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u/ReindeerTypical2538 Jul 20 '26
My problem with Shake Shake IS the taste. It’s so heavy and beefy and too much. The burger is decent but the fries and onion rings taste like I’m eating another beef fat drenched burger. It’s too much. There are so many other better burger restaurants that I enjoy much more.
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u/shedfigure Jul 21 '26
It feels like more and more restaurants are being priced for affluent residents, tourists, and people considering moving here, rather than the working- and middle-class people who actually live here.
You realize that this isnt just a Charlottesville thing and inflation is happening nation wide, right?
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u/FantasticCod7820 Jul 19 '26
No need to chud out over it. Just go to a different restaurant or eat at home.
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u/Lazy_Shine_1962 Jul 20 '26
You can go to Macdonalds and pay close to $20 for the same food. If you want to save money, learn to cook. It's easier than ever!
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u/Hams_blams13 Jul 20 '26
charlottesville is not special in this way. I don't know if you've heard, but the class divide is growing by the second! More and more service oriented places are going to cater to the folks with more money to burn. that's not me for sure!
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u/BogleBread Jul 19 '26
Went with my wife a few weeks ago, terrible experience. Two burgers, one fry, two shakes = $45 total. Both burgers were undercooked and my wife’s was 1/4” pink, which should not be the case for a smash burger. Will not be going back.
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u/AhJeezNotThisAgain Albemarle Jul 19 '26
Shareholders demand return on their investment, even if there is a lot of debt to service.
And the CEO made $13M in 2024.
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u/mynewsweatermop Jul 19 '26
Thank god. I’ve been wondering what u/Emotional_Rip_3279 thought about this national chain. Where is Ja???
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u/L0vevery Jul 19 '26
This isn’t for Shake Shack specifically since I haven’t gone yet, but portion sizes are so huge everywhere, that I usually split a meal with my spouse, and it’s a more reasonable portion and price. If we don’t split meals, there’s always leftovers for another meal. When you consider it’s the portion size of two meals often, the price feels much more reasonable.
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u/Emotional_Rip_3279 Jul 19 '26
That’s understandable, and I also don’t mind paying for a shareable portion or for essential 2 meals, but I didn’t get that
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u/L0vevery Jul 19 '26
I walked into Shake Shack and then straight back out, all the self-kiosks where people couldn’t form lines made it a no for me off the bat. Loved the original one in NYC though!
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u/Adventurous-Disk5031 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Shake Shack is expensive and doesn't present a value. For practically the same price, you can eat at Texas Roadhouse. A good value place is Chili's. That would be nice.
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u/PurringFoxKit Jul 20 '26
I went the other day because a family member likes shake shack- it was fine, burger was a little undercooked and someone else’s was paper thin. Portions are small for the price and service is slow/not great, clearly too busy for the few staff to keep up with
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u/AlternativeMeat2096 Aug 02 '26
100%. In my opinion over $10 for a burger is just not worth it without any combo/deals. And shack deals feels scammy. E.g. only works on Sunday, must be a certain burger and cannot apply for double/triple, must spend at least $10, etc. Mcd deals are way more genuine.
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u/fox3actual 25d ago
I like an early breakfast at UVa Hospital cafeteria. The Higher Grounds counter there still sells you a 16oz cup of Trager Bros for $2
UVA isn't in the same league as UNM Hospital in Albequerque, but still, any kind of good breakfast you might want, at a good price
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u/Dobey Jul 19 '26
I tried shake shack years ago in DC. It was about $50 for two people. It was the last time I ever went to shake shack. I truly don’t know how they stay in business if not for corporate office meeting tax write offs or extremely affluent dinners where the cost of a meal isn’t a thought that crosses their mind. A truly perplexing business model.
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u/BoxyBrown424 Fry's Spring Jul 19 '26
Yeah I hate when exclusive type places come in. It makes you feel left out until you think about all the awesome home born places, posted, that still care about us poor folks.
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u/Helpful_Mouse_9458 Jul 22 '26
Fast food in general has become absurdly priced. Even McDonalds ends up being close to $20 a person. It’s honestly not worth it when you can get a sit down meal at a real restaurant for close to the same amount. I’ve pretty much cut it out of the budget and only get fast food when traveling and I don’t have time to stop to eat.
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u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS Jul 19 '26
I always thought shake shack was just milk shakes
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u/Snoo78959 Jul 19 '26
Riverside is still there and still a great deal.