# "Steak 'n Shake": Anybody Been To This Fast Food Chain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459 "2010-11-21T18:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/41 "2010-11-22T04:02:03Z")
They do a pretty good breakfast but I’m not really into their other food. The fries are greasy amd the burgers would never survive a taste test without condiments. Still, they are quick and cheap. I’d rate them above a Waffle House. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/42 "2010-11-22T04:02:22Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > On the question of whether they’re “fast food”: they have a fast food element, in that they have a drive through and you can walk in and order to go (fairly quickly). And then they have sit-down table service. So they’re both, more or less. > > And it’s definitely a midwest chain. Originated in Normal, Illinois and they’re all over the place in Missouri. > [@Ponch8](#): > > I love their chili mac and chili three way. Chili mac is spaghetti covered in a sweet, mild chili sauce and seasoned ground beef. The chili three way has beans also. It’s excellent with parmesan cheese > [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Generally, if you grew up with it, you like it, if you didn’t, you don’t. I grew up in Central Illinois, where you can’t go anywhere without running into a Steak n’ Shake. Agree with all these comments. They’ve [promoted themselves](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JgHPQDgm-M) as a sit-down restaurant rather than a fast food place. > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > The sides are nice, but all told it’s like a $8-10 meal, which, for that I can get a big heaping bowl of Thai noodles or Greek or Middle Eastern etc. It doesn’t have to cost that much. Right now I’m holding a page of Steak’n’Shake coupons out of the newspaper, including one for a Double Steakburger, two sides, and regular shake for $5.99. Bean crock. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/43 "2010-11-22T06:10:08Z")
One of my favorite things about Ohio. You can get a burger and fries for like $3 if you have the right coupons. Plus, getting a burger and a peanut butter shake at 7AM on my way to Cedar Point made the day even more epic. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/44 "2010-11-22T07:25:10Z")
While others have noted, SnS was started in Normal, Illinois; however, I grew up in St. Louis and it was the “premier” burger place in the early 60’s. When I was ~10 yo I remember going to the SnS on Olive Street Road. For whatever reason, my parents were also huge fans of Goody Goody (which was a hamburger joint (IIRC that was on or near Goodfellow across the street and down a block from Ed’s White Front - the best BBQ joint in the area). The shakes and fries were the real treats and, even as a youngster, I didn’t much care for the burgers; but the chili (3-way, 5-way or whatever) was absolutely fantastic to young taste buds. BTW, the SnS on Olive was huge as it must have also been a distribution center or something. The restaurant had a huge counter with only a few tables but the place was pretty packed on Friday nights. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/45 "2010-11-22T07:59:24Z")
If I want a burger, really crave a burger, I want a Big Boy or a Steakburger. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/46 "2010-11-22T08:35:50Z")
I’m gonna chime in and say as a St. Louis resident, I LOVE Steak N’ Shake, and I really miss their lime freezes. A lime freeze and a frisco melt were the perfect lunch. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/47 "2010-11-22T08:59:49Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > If I want a burger, really crave a burger, I want a Big Boy or a Steakburger. Maybe the difference between Wendy’s and Sonic. I prefer Wendy’s over Sonic, although they are both hittting on certain regional veins. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/48 "2010-11-22T09:01:52Z")
Mc Donald’s and Rally’s stores… I would rather eat a Rally Burger than a Quarter Pounder or a a McDouble. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/49 "2010-11-22T10:33:55Z")
I vaguely remember eating at one in NY in 83ish. I really don’t remember much about the food other than it was edible. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/50 "2010-11-22T10:39:29Z")
The ones here…some times good…some times adequate. The shakes are good. The burgers are ok, but a little small. I don’t like the fries at all. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/51 "2010-11-22T12:39:09Z")
Steak and Shake is awesome and I have to wonder if I have some weird genetic fluke that makes me love their burgers or what, like people who taste cilantro as soap. I’m sort of happy to hear they’re going to have one in Vegas except South Point is as far from me as you can get and I don’t want to take a 40 minute trip when I get a Steak and Shake Craving. Their burgers are different - they’re made of thin patties of… some sort of sirloin steak. It has a different texture and taste than beef but I prefer it. It’s the best burger I’ve ever had at a fast food or diner type place, including In and Out, and I’m a fan of In and Out. The fries are meh, but they have lots of good other sides to substitute. And you can get proper Cincinatti chili there. Out here in Vegas it seems like all you can get is that bullshit watery goop the Texans call chili, not the good stuff. They also have big fried hot dogs with various toppings that are pretty good. And the Shakes are as good as you’ll get anywhere. They’re $3.50, but you’re getting real stuff, not some non-dairy gelatanous zombified food starch something or other. When I was back in Ohio over the summer I made up for lost time by eating roughly 400 meals per week there. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/52 "2010-11-22T14:55:34Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Apparently, this is a big deal, as it is the first they are building so far west - most of the others are in Florida and some parts of the Southeastern US. FYI: Their headquarters is in Indianapolis, and they’re mostly a midwest chain. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/53 "2010-11-22T15:41:29Z")
I love S&S, but part of it may be because my family had a lot of good times there when I was younger. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/54 "2010-11-22T15:52:09Z")
I’ve never liked the burgers or fries at Steak n Shake but my brother and my business partner are mad for them. The only 24-hour place in my town is a SnS, which just seems odd to me (that’s a lot of non-popularity to be open for 24 hours), but I’ve been there at odd hours and people are eating there so that’s good. A few months ago I was sitting around wishing I had a nice turkey club sandwich (don’t judge me) and was bummed that there was no place around here that I could go to get one at 11 pm. Heck, there’s no place to get one in general, not even the sit-down places. Then a lightbulb went off and I remembered that SnS sold turkey clubs, they are open 24 hours and have a drive through. Now, that is my go-to fast food munchies choice. I haven’t had a burger in months. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/55 "2010-11-22T15:58:50Z")
I love the shakes (especially the holiday shakes they periodically have – pumpkin in the fall, peppermint around Christmas… yum!). I also really like the shoestring fries. The burgers are okay but not spectacular. The chili is pretty good. I don’t go very often because shakes are not good for my waistline. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/56 "2010-11-22T16:36:57Z")
Yeah, I was gonna mention the chili as being quite tolerable as well. It was also pretty much the default high-school hangout in west county St. Louis (each HS had it’s own, actually, at least in my district) since it was open 24 hours. About once a month my wife and I have a craving, and it’s off to SnS. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/57 "2010-11-22T16:43:26Z")
> [@Archergal](#): > > Best. Shakes. EVAR. > > I like the fries too, but I like skinny fries. I second this, best damn fries in any place. I love In-N-Out but since they are in California ns a Steak And Shake is on the corner, I guess I’d say they are tied for first. I find the burgers damn good and the grilled onions they put on them are proof that God loves me. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459/58 "2010-11-22T19:57:31Z")
I ate at one Steak and Shake in Indianapolis when I was there a few years ago for Gen Con. The burger and fries I have no real specific memory about–they were okay, not bad, not great, just a decent burger and fries. The shake…mmmm, the shake. Chocolate with a big dollop of thick, yummy hot fudge on top. Soooo good! I wish we had one near where I live (SF Bay Area, CA) so I could have another one. BTW, just incidentally, I don’t see what people see in In ‘n’ Out Burger. I know that’s sacrilege, but their burgers and fries are…okay. Not bad, not great, just…okay. I also ate at a White Castle in Indianapolis. Never again. Those little things were _vile_, and my stomach was upset for the rest of the day after I ate them (I only had two or three–they tasted okay going down, but soon after they informed me that we didn’t get along.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steak-n-shake-anybody-been-to-this-fast-food-chain/561459.md?page=2)