M Shack :: Atlantic Beach, FL

What we ordered:

M Burger with bacon (medium rare)

Bacon Cheeseburger with pepperjack cheese (medium rare)

Queso fries

Aardwolf Nonchalant

Aardwolf Belgian Pale Ale

Vanilla Milkshake - large

M Shack is one of those places you probably should feel guilty about eating at...but never really do. Its always super good and even though they really mostly sell just burgers and fries, I feel like you could go in there all the time and never order the same thing twice. Although they do have hot dogs and one salad on the menu, burgers are really all most people see on the giant chalkboard menus on the wall. One of the best things about M Shack is this question they ask when you do order a burger: "how would you like that cooked?". It may seem elementary, but all-too-often, burger places forget that not everyone wants their burger just "cooked". There's a lot to be said for a burger just the way you like it; and that's exactly what you get at M Shack.

With close to 10 cheese options alone, you can customize your burger with just about anything you want on it; everything from fried eggs to coleslaw. With four fry options alone (plain, crab, queso, taco), you're sure to find something thats pretty darn close to "exactly what I'm looking for". All the while, M Shack maintains a menu that's easy to handle and easy to read (may have something to do with the 20-foot wall that doubles as the menu). Freshly hand-formed patties, killer fries, and lots and lots of options make for one killer burger joint.

For whatever reason, MK and I are pretty picky about our red meats (burgers, steaks...). We like them cooked right, and full of flavor. Thankfully, M Shack does both things well. MK got her usual M Burger which they say is "Simple and Classic. American Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle and Shack Sauce". She adds bacon, because, well, bacon. Neither of us really know whats in the "Shack Sauce", but its pretty good. There's some kind of mustard for sure, and ranch dressing, and possibly some ketchup - but don't tell her that - she hates ketchup.

I do the "create your own burger" route because I'm boring and picky most of the time - but at least I'll know its good. But...with bacon (ooh bacon) and pepperjack cheese, I definitely know its good. What's great about M Shack is that even though you can load up your burger with a gazillion condiments and sides, the actual meat is never overshadowed. You can almost always taste the flavor of the meat, no matter how much you douse it in ketchup and mayo. That's quality.

We got the queso fries, too, for some reason. We've never got them before because the crab fries are really freaking good and we've never had a reason to try anything else; but this time was different - and...I'm glad it was! These fries were good! I'll admit the queso looked a lot like the liquid cheese you find at the ball park, but it was really flavorful and definitely some sort of selected melted cheeses. A good choice without a doubt, but I'm not sure it will replace our crab fries. To make crab fries, they basically make normal fries, and cover them in Old Bay and a few other seasonings; there's not actually any crab.

Aardwolf to drink never disappoints, it's MK's favorite local brewery (and she knows her brews - let me tell you). Unfortunately however, the milkshake this visit was a bit disappointing. I got vanilla (because once again, I'm pretty boring) and it was a little lacking in flavor, and kinda runny for a shake they just made. Maybe another flavor would come out better next time.

When its all said and done, for what M Shack makes in flavor, they lack in size. The burgers are a bit on the small side - even with two patties. So when it IS said and done, you often end up with some extra space in your stomach. It could just be us though - we tend to be big eaters. Let us know if you think otherwise! Stop in and try something new! The Insanity Burger is always an adventure - I won't tell you what it is, but I will tell you you need to try it at least once. We'll post your picture to the blog if you send one in of you finishing it off!