Shake Shack And Five Guys Take On Europe, With Mixed Results

Ask any New Yorker about Shake Shack and they'll probably rave about everything, from the Shack Stack to the concretes. The same goes for Five Guys, with their addictive fries and tons of combinations. Americans love their burger chains, but the two have finally gone to Europe, and they haven't exactly lived up to all that they claim to be, says The Daily Beast.

The two restaurants opened this month very close to each other in London's Covent Garden, and many Europeans were allegedly underwhelmed. The Independent writer Tracey Macleod tried both, and deemed her Shack burgers a "flabby, pre-chewed [...] a mass-produced patty [...] a big, greasy bag of disappointment." Of Five Guys, she likes the fries, but "the burger is just warm pap; striped from the grill, it might as well have been steamed."

Tom Barker Bowles of The Daily Mail felt that "something's been lost in translation." Critics weren't the only ones to turn up their noses, however; others took to the Internet to complain about how the prices were outlandish for what they were getting.

Maybe it's just the fact that different management and people are running the chains abroad, or maybe they're forcing the food on people who don't love it like we do. Maybe Europeans just have higher standards. Either way, the chains certainly aren't perpetuating the idea that America has great food.

So if you're looking to get Shake Shack or Five Guys, you're probably better off staying here in the States.