The Shack Burger Resort

Reviews 4

RU

Russell Weil

If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says "15 miles to The Shack", go down that road if cruising up 290 in Cypress, Texas. For months, I heard about the creatively delicious burgers from The Shack. So, they became the next stop on my burger journey. Their menu is explosive with burgers - not just any burger, but those of unique offerings. From fried eggs, to mac and cheese, to their inspired hamburger between two honey buns, The Shack provides pure patty entertainment. My choice was actually a combination of the two - The M-Burger: their signature spicy beef patty, Gruyère cheese, green onion, shredded lettuce, slab bacon, topped with their 5 Napkins Burger fried-egg - all resting on a jalapeno cheddar bun. My mouth began to water as other burgers were being delievered to the tables. Once my own arrived, I was not disappointed. First, I noticed that the bun was grilled on both the inside and outside - a very tasty touch. Next, I admired the shiny hard crust of the patty, anticipating that first juicy bite. The fried egg was perfectly cooked over-medium. Cutting the burger in half, I noticed that the patty was just a tad overcooked. But, that let down soon subsided with the first taste. The meat, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and onion greeted me with a spicy kick. The tart Gruyère cheese complimented the succulent fried egg joined by the smoky slab bacon. But, the flavor of the grilled jalapeno cheddar bun was the icing on the burger. Evenly grilled and pillow-y soft, its sweetness was the perfect contrast to the flavor burst I was enjoying. As each bite melted in my mouth, I kept repeating that this burger was worth the drive. The Shack offers a wide variety of sides, including the two delicious ones we tried - Rusty Nail (sweet potato fries coated in cinnamon) along with their thinly sliced and lightly battered fried onion rings. The setting is casual rustic, with indoor and outdoor seating. Seated outdoors (fighting off honey bees), I found that their service was friendly and inviting. Our server and manager (Johnny) offering his expert suggestions for my first visit, including merging of the two burgers. A return visit to The Shack is on the very near horizon! Just a funky old shack and I gotta get back.

WI

William Arnott

We live in the area fortunately. For any startup business - the lack of 5 star service, unfinished atmosphere and menu changes are all very normal. For that reason, I refuse to let either factor affect my rating. #1 - THE BURGERS! Never expect to order the best choice for your tastes the first time you go anywhere. This place allows you to mix n match any ingrediets! So dont be shy, unless you order anything with the dang dang sauce...I suggest getting it on the side and introducing it to your food yourself - after you sample it with a toothpick...HOT - consider yourself warned. I personally order The Fireman - sweet jalapeño bun, pepper jack cheese, fried pickle (I swap those for onion rings) some veggies and a spicy honey drizzle...omfg good. Ive traveled the world and always ask where the best burger is made. For some its the views or nightlife - burgers are my thing. The Shack is a very close #1 in my book. #2 - THE SIDES! I always get the last kiss fries - named appropriately. Seasoned fries drizzled with diced garlic and chunks of bacon...having a bad day? put a little bacon on it! The fried pies are superb as well! I suggest splitting a burger, fries and a deep fried slice of apple pie. perfect meal for two - but for date night, you better love eachother....a lot. #3 - THE BEER! Best beer selection around! The Shack also represents for a host of budding micros from the Houston area. Glad to see some hometown pride considering they could choose from other markets. #4 - The hipster playground! This is not for the helicopter parent - although very safe, it has the look of potential disaster for those of you who wash your kids with sanitizer every time you see another kid sneeze. This is the playground from our childhood - fun, spacious and clean. Dont let the repurposed material scare you, your kids wont get enough - which leaves you with nothing to do but relax (unless thats impossible for you in any situation). Take it from a pro. Just go! I believe their new location will be open mid to late May. Its the old Cypress Saloon. Give them a break on speed, as well as service...after all, most of the wait staff are kids - we should be thankful theyre working!

CH

Chuck Detwiler III

Overall the reviews regarding the shack are positive, but with a scattering of negative service and long wait reviews I was a little nervous. However, once there we found the shack entertaining, full of energy and good food! Our party of 6 (4 adults and 2 kids) went to the shack on a busy Saturday and arrived around 4:45 pm. After about a 5 minute wait we were seated. The weather was perfect so the outdoor/back patio atmosphere couldnt have been better. The kids had to be held back from the play area long enough to figure out what they wanted to eat. Theres not a huge selection of "kids" choices ... Kid Burger, Chicken Strips or Grilled Cheese sandwich with an offering of fries which most adults couldnt finish. Next time one kids meal for two kids will be the way we go. Our kids had a blast! But dont go here expecting some great well maintained playground with ultra safe rubber guards. Nope. This is the stuff I grew up on ... sand piles, big tubes, old monkey bars and a bunch of room to play and make up your own games. They even had a man doing caricature drawings for $5. Each of the adults in our party ordered a different kind of burger. I was daring and tried the "Dang Dang" with MF Sauce. A word to the wise ... put the MF Sauce on the side. Dip your pinky in for a very small taste before putting it on your burger. If you dump it on be prepared for watery eyes and some beads of sweat to begin. The beer selection is plentiful, but limited on tap. However, it blows any chain restaurant youll normally go too. Overall, a great selection for anyones taste. Service was good for us. Our waiter came over and checked on us several times and our drinks were always promptly taken care of. The food didnt come out all at once, but was all delivered within 5 minutes. Again, this isnt a chain restaurant and it didnt really bother us. We had plenty of laughs and good conversation. Well definitely come back, but only on good weather days. Im not a big fan of sitting in sweltering heat or muggy weather.

MI

Michael A

After a disaster on Telge, I thought I would try Cypress Rosehill. Went at 3:00 pm, almost nobody there. Enjoyed a cold IPA (Avery Maharaja---wow, what a beer list!!!!) and ordered a Holy Guacamole burger (that we left behind on Telge after waiting almost an hour with no end in sight). The menu says lettuce, tomato and mayo---there was one thin leaf of lettuce (Romaine or Bibb) which had little impact, no fresh tomato slice although I think I spotted some sun dried tomatoes. I had ordered chipotle mayo instead of regular mayo, this resulted in a smear of chipotle with mayo instead of what I thought would be a blend and added .50 to the cost. The meat patty was thick, well done, crumbly, well seared and falling apart but with good flavor. The bread (a square sweet bun) was relatively thin, small and could not support the ingredients; the accompanying knife served its role in slicing off pieces for immediate consumption as repeated handling of the whole was resulting in catastrophic failure. If I had one major complaint it was the bacon on the burger, it was rubbery and the last ingredient to surrender on its way to my palate---I had to tear it apart with my teeth. Not cheap but a decent alternative to the commercial varieties. My suggestions: Another leaf of lettuce (and perhaps iceberg instead to add crunch), a thin slice of real tomato, crispier bacon. Or perhaps this was an off day---I will try The Shack on Cypress Rosehill again.We havent been in a while, when they first opened we were impressed but disappointed in following visits for much of the same reasons--like when we ordered the Billy Bob Nguyen burger and threw away the brisket because it would have made Goodyear or Pirelli jealous. It would be great if they could fix the glitches and be consistent, or maybe its just me......PS--I really want to love this place, its as close to a hill country ice house as you will get in NW Harris County