Smash hit at the mall

Baton Rouge is right to champion its local restaurants, but a chain that out-burgers many of the independents deserves a chance. The city has one Shake Shack, and it sits, fittingly, on an outparcel at the Mall of Louisiana, surrounded by enough chain retail to fill a weekend of shopping.

Its roots are more interesting than its locations on heavily traveled roads nationwide. Fine-dining restaurateur Danny Meyer started Shake Shack in 2001 as a Chicago-style hot dog cart in Manhattan's Madison Square Park, set up to support a public art project. The lines grew long enough to justify a permanent kiosk in 2004, and the brand now has more than 700 locations worldwide. 

Meyer set out to prove a chain could make a great burger. We thank him.

The place to begin is the ShackBurger, the standard cheeseburger. Shake Shack was smashing patties long before every restaurant in America decided smash burgers were a personality. The Angus patty is pressed and seared hard enough to build a proper crust, and that char is the point. It comes blanketed in melted American cheese and topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce, which adds a tangy edge. A Martin's potato roll holds it all together, soft but sturdy enough to survive everything stacked on it.

Shake Shack also keeps things lively with specials. A truffle burger is on the menu now, and this month's thick frozen-custard shakes include a Reese's peanut butter cup shake and a Biscoff cookie butter shake.

Critics say the burgers are too small. If a burger, fries and a shake still leave you hungry, indulge the glutton within. Order a second burger to go.

—Mukul Verma