Steak and Shake

Joined
May 21, 2003
Messages
11,704
Reaction score
17,878
Location
DUNNELLON, FLORIDA USA
My favorite Hamburger is a steak and shake double steakburger with onion, pickle, and mustard (ONLY) with french fries, and a cherry coke. For the last two years I have gone though the drive thru between Doctor appointments and eat while I drive. Today I had extra time so I went in to dine in. No waitress ?? Customers punch in their order on a computer and pay with a credit card. After several tries, an employee came from the kitchen and assisted me. The tables are bare. No catsup, salt, pepper, napkins, NOTHING. The drink machine did not have cherry coke but the same employee went to the kitchen and bought one for me. No ice cream sundaes any more !!
From now on I will keep going though the Drive Thru (no computer-yet)
 
Register to hide this ad
We used to have a Steak & Shake here in Jackson Tenn. we used to go there for lunch once in a while.
Don't know why but they tore it down and built a Chipotle restaurant.

Sent from my SM-T387V using Tapatalk
 
I took the family to Branson, Missouri, two years ago and we stopped at a brand new Steak & Shake in the little town of Greenbrier, Arkansas, on US Highway 65 north of Little Rock.

I made a trip to north Arkansas last week and went through the same little town and was going to stop at the same Steak & Shake but it was shut down and the building was being remodeled into a "Fat Burger's". I stopped at the nearby convenience store for fuel and asked a local what's up with Steak & Shake and they said the franchise owner got fed up with the Steak & Shake corporate and decided to go a different route.
 
Welcome to the 2021 economy. Many restaurants cannot get enough people to work, so they go automated, reduce menu options, or just close.
 
I prefer the computer kiosks at fast food restaurants. I order what I like and the order comes out perfect. No waitress mumbling or muffled because of a mask.
 
I'm from the town in which Steak & Shake originated along Route 66, and I'm old enough to recall when they did things correctly. Carhops and rock 'n roll outside, waitresses and counter stools inside, great burgers, shakes and chili. They were a cut above fast food. Like many things, however, growth and 'trying to keep up with the times' had a negative effect. I believe the corporation is now owned by an international conglomerate and they most certainly moved away from what made them successful. Way too many items on the menu, reduction in portion sizes and rising prices left S&S like every other restaurant chain. As noted with the reported closings, the once proud American institution is on the ropes. I've long thought returning the site of the first restaurant to the configuration of the '50's/'60's/'70's with a menu to match would have been a cool nostalgic attraction, but a Monical's Pizza franchise now sits on the space.
 
Like dmn57, I am very familiar with the history of S&S. I now live in Bloomington/Normal and have for the past 56 years. I don't live far from the site of the original Shell station, beer selling location. I use to run into the son of the founder, but he is now gone. It has often been said they could have been what McDonalds is today, but that decision was not made.

My first job took me to the commissary and I met the manager who was a very nice man. I always left there with lots of gift certificates.

The chain has been on hard times and the pandemic did in many locations. They had gone to a drive through only format due to a number of things including hard to get help.

They may not last much longer and this reminds me I need to stop for a double and fries one last time. Their chili is very good also.
 
Last edited:
I think I remember reading that Steak and Shake was closing many of their locations.
 
I went to school at ISU in Bloomington Normal. I remembered a guy in my dorm worked there. We’d go there after partying in the weekend. He would go to the back and cook us up a crapload of food. It was the best.

The original site of the first Steak N Shake is now a Monical’s Pizza. It’s a shame what is happening to the chain. Don’t know what happened but I’d would make any efforts to stop by while you still can.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Steak & Shake

The Steak & Shake restaurant in our town had the best ground steak based sandwiches, that I’ve ever found. I’d rate any of their food, and drinks, second to none. There was always a waiting line to be seated, inside, and their drive-in line was always full.

Their top-of-the-line cheeseburger, consisted of 1/2lb., ground steak, all the trimmings that one wanted, and even a fried egg to top it off. It was the most humongous, delicious, sandwich, that I've ever bought.

The last time I went to our local Steak & Shake restaurant, our waitress, was so ‘high’, that she had to hold onto a chair to keep her feet on the floor, and from falling. After taking our order, She returned to our table several times without our order, and wanted us to order again. When I complained to the manager, he was in the same condition as his waitress, and blatantly berated us in front of a restaurant full of people. We have never visited that restaurant again.

I’m not a prude, but I’m abhorred at what careless use of booze, and drugs in public, is doing to our society.
 
The Steak & Shake restaurant in our town had the best ground steak based sandwiches, that I’ve ever found. I’d rate any of their food, and drinks, second to none. There was always a waiting line to be seated, inside, and their drive-in line was always full.

Their top-of-the-line cheeseburger, consisted of 1/2lb., ground steak, all the trimmings that one wanted, and even a fried egg to top it off. It was the most humongous, delicious, sandwich, that I've ever bought.

The last time I went to our local Steak & Shake restaurant, our waitress, was so ‘high’, that she had to hold onto a chair to keep her feet on the floor, and from falling. After taking our order, She returned to our table several times without our order, and wanted us to order again. When I complained to the manager, he was in the same condition as his waitress, and blatantly berated us in front of a restaurant full of people. We have never visited that restaurant again.

I’m not a prude, but I’m abhorred at what careless use of booze, and drugs in public, is doing to our society.


I would have called the police. Being drunk or high on such a place becomes a safety issue. Hot grease, flash fires, and general hygiene issues come to mind. :eek:
 
Perhaps I've just found bad ones, but in my experience S&S is "ok" in a pinch; I don't care for the skinny FF and the burgers are mediocre. I find In and Out and Carl's JR/Hardee's to be the pinnacle of the fast food hamburger joints.
 
Back
Top