Shake Shack makes its debut at the Australian Open, but is it a success?
MELBOURNE, Australia — During my initial visit to New York City in the summer of 2014, I developed a fondness for a quintessential American dish: the simple cheeseburger.
While it wasn’t my first encounter with the delightful mix of a perfectly cooked beef patty topped with melted cheese and nestled between two warm, buttered buns, every bite in the burger capital of the United States awakened my taste buds in a manner I had never experienced back in Australia. Frequenting one particular establishment, a chain, became alarmingly close to a daily habit during that two-week stay. Ladies and gentlemen, Shake Shack.
This East Coast-originated giant transcends the notion of fast food. It stands as an institution, a national symbol, and a rite of passage. Can you truly say you’ve visited the city if you haven’t indulged in a Shake Shack burger and fries? These outlets are scattered throughout the Big Apple, consistently filled with eager locals and tourists seeking a delicious, and let’s be honest, completely justified, calorie indulgence.
Its immense popularity over the last decade has resulted in swift global growth. Currently, Shake Shack operates in 20 countries, including China, Japan, Mexico, and England, but regrettably, despite my stomach’s persistent cravings, Australia had not made it onto this exclusive list. Until now.
In 2026, those wishes were finally fulfilled with Shake Shack making a highly publicized, much-anticipated appearance as a pop-up at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the tennis season. It has become the latest culinary sensation at Melbourne Park, with throngs of hungry patrons flocking to the two on-site locations from the moment the first patties hit the grill at 11am until the fryers cease operations at the end of the day. Step aside, Entrecôte and your $27.50 steak sandwich. You’re so 2025.
There was no way I would miss the chance to savor the burger that may have been the catalyst for my decision to join a gym within 36 hours of returning to Australia after that trip to the United States in 2014. You might as well add fries to that order!
So, the pressing question: was Shake Shack in Australia deserving of the hype?
Wait time:
As previously mentioned, there are two Shake Shack locations serving Melbourne Park, one at John Cain Arena and the other at TopCourt, the innovative tennis venue located at Birrarung Marr. I chose to visit the John Cain Arena location at 1:30pm on the first Tuesday of the tournament. Was it a foolish decision? Perhaps, but I wanted to gauge how long fans would be waiting for their meals during peak lunchtime. Upon arrival, the line to be served extended outside the stadium, but to my surprise, it took ‘only’ 20 minutes to receive my food. That is far from unacceptable during a busy dining period at a major sporting event.
7.5/10
Quality:
This is where the experience took a disappointing turn. While there was a genuine sense of nostalgia as I took that first, eagerly awaited bite, that feeling was swiftly overshadowed by the letdown of a rather flavorless, meaty mouthful. It lacked cheesiness, sauce, and any hint of pickle sweetness. It was, simply put, dry. Dry and undeniably tasteless. The accompanying fries were served cold and were saltier than movie popcorn.
4/10
Value:
Considering the classic ‘Shack Burger’ and a side of fries cost AU$31.40 (US$21.30), the value is virtually nonexistent. Adding a shake means you’re barely left with change from a $50 note. Naturally, one expects to pay a premium for food and beverages at a major sporting event, and this has been taken into account in the overall rating, but one certainly desires something in return that will be satisfying. Not only would I not hurry back, but I would also advise those visiting Melbourne Park to bypass the queues and seek nourishment elsewhere.
4/10
Is the quality lacking due to the kitchen’s continuous production line churning out thousands of burgers and fries each day? Or has the burger landscape evolved so significantly over the past 12 years that Shake Shack is no longer the fast food benchmark I once believed it to be?
After all, Melbourne is now filled with more affordable and, frankly, superior cheeseburgers. Consider the 14th-best burger in the world, Charrd, College Dropout, the renowned Easey’s, or even the Australian chain Betty’s Burgers. Pick any random street on a map, and you’re likely to discover a place that will satisfy your burger cravings far more than either of these Shake Shack locations.
In recent years, the Australian Open has transformed into a showcase of current trends. Food. Drink. Apparel. Even the most stylish sunscreen. Yes, indeed! Organizers incorporate it all into the venue, allowing eager fans to navigate the grounds, checking items off their social media wish lists one by one.
Perhaps one day Australia will feature a permanent Shake Shack location, and maybe then it will be worth a visit, because its pop-up at Melbourne Park, much to my disappointment, does not live up to the considerable hype.
Source: espn.com
