Nothing is more American than a tasty burger and fries. With Memorial Day weekend upon us, households across the country will be firing up their grills for summer. Manhattan living means having to trade in your backyard patio for Central Park (I can live with that), therefore the closest thing I have to a grill is my  (roommate’s) George Foreman. So when you are craving a taste of summer, well done, head to Shake Shack  in Madison Square Park.

Shake Shack opened their original location in Madison Square Park (East 23rd and Madison Avenue) back in 2004 and have been a household name ever since. Now with multiple locations throughout the city, Shake Shack is known for their frozen custard and for being one of the best burger joints in the city. The burgers are delicious, but the pièce de resistance for me is the Frozen Custard. Shake Shack posts a monthly custard calendar on their website and features such delectable flavors as Red Velvet Custard (Sundays in May) and Mud Pie (Fridays in May).

We may not have that back yard but Madison Square Park, with its majestic view of the Empire State Building, is an adequate substitute.  True to the name, the restaurant is literally a small shack in the park surrounded by picnic benches. On a pleasant day the wait in line could stretch as long as an hour wait! Shake Shack’s website hosts a Shake Cam with live feed of the line to help you plan for your feast accordingly.

The best time to visit is on a dreary day or better yet, take advantage of the prime location and stroll through Madison Square Park prior to indulging hence skipping the lunch or dinner time crowd. Either way, it is worth the wait.

images via Guest of a Guest and Shake Shack