Shake Shack pop up attracts 1,200 burger fans

In advance of its first Houston restaurant opening in the Galleria, Shake Shack held a pop-up at the Pass & Provisions on Oct. 16. In advance of its first Houston restaurant opening in the Galleria, Shake Shack held a pop-up at the Pass & Provisions on Oct. 16. Photo: Greg Morago Photo: Greg Morago Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Shake Shack pop up attracts 1,200 burger fans 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

If there was any doubt that Houston is pumped up for its first Shake Shack restaurant, all one had to do is witness the burger-happy crowd at the pop-up the brand held Sunday at the Pass & Provisions.

About 1,200 people showed up for the burger bash that was a preview of the restaurant set to open soon (could be November) at the Galleria. The Houston pop-up was only the second such customer preview that Shake Shack has done; the first was in Los Angeles. And it underscored just how excited the Houston dining public is for restaurateur Danny Meyer's casual burger brand that now has just over 100 restaurants globally.

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The menu Sunday featured Shake Shack's signature ShackBurger (cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and "ShackSauce") as well as classic crinkle-cut fries. There was also pizza and soft serve ice cream from Provisions.

Shake Shack's culinary director Mark Rosati said the idea for a Houston pop-up come several months ago when he was in Houston scouting the local dining scene. "Everywhere I ate the food was so unique. The flavors of Houston are only here in Houston," Rosati said.

He dined at the Pass & Provisions and was impressed by the menu from chef/owners Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan. The deal to do the pop-up was struck.

Rosati also said he dined at Underbelly which exemplified the melting pot nature of true Houston-born cuisine. "At Underbelly it was not about the chef it was about the community and a shared cuisine," he said.

That local flavor and personality is something Shake Shack wants to bring to its stores. Rosati said Shake Shacks are not built as cookie-cutter stores. They want each location to reflect a particular community. For example, the Austin store on South Lamar features a Lockhart Link Burger -- a cheeseburger topped with griddled Kreuz Market jalapeno-cheese sausage link – as a nod to the area's barbecue allegiances.

"Each time we open a new one we're looking at a local community," he said. "If we can localize and make every Shake Shack a neighborhood restaurant – that's our goal." He didn't elaborate on how the first Houston store's menu would reflect the local dining culture.

But after the first Shake Shack opens in the Galleria, which Rosati said could be November (the date has not been announced), the company is set to open a second Houston Shack in Rice Village in early 2017.