New Rice Village Shake Shack is Close to Finally Opening

When the Rice Village Shake Shack didn’t open as expected in November, burger devotees were a little shook. But there’s good news, the new Shake Shack looks almost completed (see our exclusive photo gallery above) — and is on the verge of debuting.

The location at 6205 Kirby will be open “in the next few weeks,” Kristyn Clark, Shake Shack’s senior manager of brand communications, tells PaperCity.  An employee at The Galleria Shake Shack is even more specific, sharing that the opening date will be February 28 or March 1.

It’ll just be a few more weeks before you can chill with a frozen custard or partake in a signature hand-spun shake in the beloved Danny Meyer chain’s second full restaurant Houston location.

Shake Shack’s Rice Village space was formerly home to a La Madeleine, which closed in March of 2017.

“Like many of our locations, the neighborhood and specific corner often comes calling,” says Andrew McCaughan, vice president of development at Shake Shack. “We love the vibe of the community hang out we can create on this great corner.”

The first Houston Shake Shack opened in The Galleria in November 2016 to long lines. There’s also a big Shake Shack stand in Minute Maid Park that’s packed on Houston Astros game days (a new feature for the upcoming season — suite and Diamond Club seat holders can order Shake Shack to be delivered to them during games.)

There are now eight total Shake Shacks across Texas. Shake Shack is a big fan of the Lone Star State, “embracing and learning the local culinary scene,” McCaughan says.

Shake Shack History

Shake Shack began as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in 2001. It won fast food favor quickly, and a permanent kiosk opened in the park just three years later with an expanded menu. It has since spread across the United States with Shake Shacks in  Delaware, Washington D.C., Georgia, New Jersey, and beyond.

Fancy something fast casual during a trip overseas? After stamping your passport, you can also enjoy a 100 percent all-natural Angus beef patty with ShackSauce in Russia, Japan, and more.

Shake Shack’s 1950s-inspired throwback menu is all about American cheese and its proprietary beef blend. It was developed with Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors. A patty seasoned with salt and pepper is “smashed” on a griddle. That salt-smash combo creates the juicy crust.

While you’ll find Shake Shack classics everywhere, different, regionally inspired items pop up on each state’s menu. Shake Shack looks forward to “creating delicious things for the menu, like our Link Burger,” McCaughan notes. The Galleria Shake Shack features the Texas-exclusive Lockhart Link Burger. A griddled Kreuz Market jalapeno cheese sausage link spices up a cheeseburger served with pickles and the standard ShackSauce.

Shake Shack is not the only beloved burger spot in these parts. Celebrated Austin-based Hopdoddy Burger Bar opened in Rice Village just last spring to great fanfare. And its own long lines.

Time will tell if there will be beef between the neighboring burger joints. Maybe they’ll split the territory peacefully, but we can’t see these two shacking up.