We had just driven into Stamford after our trip from Orlando and we knew what we had to do. Yeah, the flight was super early so we had breakfast at 7, so by 1 we were starving. A hungry Danny is a grumpy Danny, so we parked on Atlantic Street by the Palace Theater and walked up the Stairway to Heaven past Izet’s, aka the stairway that takes you to Station Eats. They’ve only been open here for a few days, but you might have had their food at the original New Canaan spot. We came in and one of the owners, Nick Type, rushed over to thank us for coming in and telling us that he was just about to write us so that we could try out the new food. Seriously, we’re all synched up when it comes to burgers, fries, dogs, and shakes. Seth Leifer, the other owner, was there too and was beaming with excitement behind the counter.

Immediately we were struck with how awesome Station Eats in Stamford is. There is a giant communal table with lots of other tables nearby for you to sit at. If you’ve been to the New Canaan spot, you’ll see the difference. Also, starting soon, there will be tables and umbrellas set up on their front deck. Yes, a beer garden in the heart of Stamford. Beautiful! Bright orange arrows push you along like booster power ups and take you to the menu. Let’s recap so you don’t mess up the system:

1) Look at menu and decide what you want.

2) Order your grilled item and fries.

3) Have them pile on your toppings: free and premium.

4) Order your shakes and drinks.

5) Pay up, now with credit card as an option too!

I ordered a burger with lettuce, tomato, onions, extra pickles, some mayo and ketchup. To go with that I had a vanilla milkshake with Fruity Pebbles and cheese fries. Danny had a hot dog with station chili, relish, grilled onions, and jalapeños. He washed that down with a coffee milkshake with bits of oreo mixed up and station chili fries. Along with all this goodness, Nick also gave us a try of his chocolate bourbon shake aka the U-Turn. Here we go:

The Burger

The burgers at Station Eats are always cooked to perfection for me: nice and pink on the inside, a great medium rare. Ah, the way it should be. The patties are juicy, full of flavor, and aren’t too big. The hamburger buns are just right, too, and complement the burgers nicely. All natural, organically raised local beef makes for a great burger.

The Fries

Fries here are crinkle cut and can be ordered plain, with cheese, with station chili, or with cheese and station chili. They come out crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Really great fries, especially with the chili or cheese.

The Dogs

The bun came out grilled nicely with a buttery taste, so good. The dog was grilled up nicely and the toppings just made it right for Danny. Overall, a great beef hot dog, though you can also get a veggie or chicken dog. The station chili added a nice deep flavor, while the jalapeños gave the dog a nice kick.

The Shakes

I’m never one to finish a shake, even if I do love it, but my vanilla and Fruity Pebble shake was so damn good I drank it down to the last bits. The shakes work simple here: medium or large; order vanilla, chocolate, coffee, or strawberry ice cream; add in Fruity Pebbles, Oreos, chocolate pearls, or graham crackers. Danny couldn’t get enough of the coffee and Oreo milkshake and recommends that combo.

Don’t be disappointed because the shake (and burger) of the month is still alive and active here. Follow Station Eats on FB or sign up for their e-mails to get info on what shake and burger will be featured each month. Well, onto their new milkshakes, the adult kind: Hi-Octane Shakes. The final pen strokes are being signed on the liquor license, so you can expect to have these shakes by the end of February/start of March. We’ll update you on that, of course.

As I said before, Nick let us try the chocolate bourbon with Oreo shake, the U-Turn. This was great, had a nice kick from the bourbon, but still managed to be refreshing. It’ll be perfect to have a dog or burger, sit outside in the beer garden, and sip on the adult shakes. Ahhh. You’ll also be able to try Red Light with vodka, strawberry, graham crackers, and vanilla ice cream or Freeway with Kahlua, vodka, and vanilla ice cream. A medium is $7.25 and a large is $8.15, still cheaper than most bars that you’d hit up…score.

The Drinks

Ever feel taken advantage of when you hit up a restaurant and they bleed you dry when you order beer and wine? Well, drinks won’t be too much here. You can buy glasses of beer (PBR, Magic Hat #9, Narragansett, and Brooklyn Lager) and even pitchers at drinkworthy prices. Yup, PBR pitchers at $9 and Magic Hat #9 pitchers at $16. You can also order red, white, or sparkling wine at very reasonable prices. A Pinot Noir at $20, a Pinot Grigio at $15, and a half bottle of Proscecco at $14 are just some of the deals here.

The Future

Station Eats seems to have a bright future in Downtown Stamford. There will be a beer garden for those beautiful days when you have to be outside. They plan to have live music pumping out, making the garden even more fun, too. And, when things go well in Stamford, they will consider staying open later on Friday and Saturday so that you can get your eats and drink on. The food is great quality here and it won’t take long to make up the burger or dog of your dreams. There are lots of vegetarian options and you can even get a Station Salad for those lighter days when a burger might push you over the edge. The one obstacle that Station Eats faces is their location, but once people begin to see that they are up the stairs, there won’t be a problem anymore. They’ll be installing some signs and lots of people are getting the word out. So, remember that you can always head back (at least) once a month to try out their burger and shake of the month. Or, if you’re one of those lucky people that work in Downtown Stamford, you’ve got the perfect lunch spot to hit up every single day. Work’s not that bad anymore, is it?

Om nom nom nom…

Noms: 4.5

Cost: $$

Station Eats

Address: 3 Landmark Square (across from Palace Theater and above Izet’s on Atlantic Street)

Stamford, Connecticut 06901

Phone: (203) 588-0960

Parking Info: Pull into the parking lot below Station Eats (70 Atlantic Street is the entrance) and they’ll validate your parking ticket on weekdays after 5pm and all day on weekends.