A Burger A Week – Shake Pit
This old school Bradenton burger joint is our next stop
Every small to medium-sized town has a Shake Pit. Sure, it’s called something else. But at its core, it’s a Shake Pit.
My “Shake Pit” was a little place in the Chicago area called the Snack Shack (it even sounds similar). It was the occupant of a building that once housed a failed Chicken Unlimited restaurant. Nothing fancy, that’s for sure. But it got the job done. Sadly, it’s no longer there.
The Snack Shack served all kinds of things. Chicago dogs, sub sandwiches, and yes, of course, burgers. They put a pretty respectable Olive Burger out of their tiny kitchen. The Olive Burger was a thing in a lot of Chicago restaurants. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I’ve had one. Maybe one will turn up on our burger journey. 🤞
Like the Snack Shack, the Shake Pit’s got A LOT on the menu.
The Oink’n Hoof’n Pecker™ (that’s a mouthful!) sounds too interesting to be ignored! I’m not exactly certain about the whole trademark thing. Question: is this possibly the Shake Pit’s version of Alpine’s TurDucKen??🐷🐮🐔 I’m going to have to tamp down my natural curiosity for the sake of this burger piece. But I’ll be back to find out!
The Shake Pit is an extremely casual place. It’s pretty much all outdoor dining. They do have some glass sliders for when the weather gets “cold.”
You can tell that they really care about their place. This dining area was all most spotless. You usually can’t say that about these kinds of spots. Good for them!
I love the big picnic tables. I’m guessing that when this place is bustling, it forces you to make a new friend or two. I like the concept of that. I mean, new lifelong friendships could potentially be kindled over a burger and some fries. It’s not impossible…
So, let’s talk burgers. Specifically, a Shake Pit cheeseburger “All the Way.” When you get your order, this is how it will come.
Definitely nothing fancy about this. But it is really what’s inside that matters most…
Let’s see how this all turned out… 🍔
RESTAURANT: Shake Pit (3801 Manatee Ave W. – Bradenton (941) 748-4016)
DATE OF VISIT: JULY 18, 2022
STOP #: 3 OF 52
BURGER TASTED: CHEESEBURGER “ALL THE WAY”
📒 OUR TASTING NOTES
🌟This burger is served as listed on the menu as: Lettuce, bacon, tomato, grilled onions, mayo, ketchup, mustard, onion, and pickle ($6.89)
Like a lot of these kinds of places, all the burgers are cooked to one temp, done. Even though it wasn’t cooked medium, it was still juicy and loaded with flavor.
My “All the Way” cheeseburger had lots of toppings. And they all worked well together. But I knew when I ordered it that it would be a challenge to eat. I was right. That didn’t stop me from trying, though!
The fries were the fat-cut crinkle type. They were perfectly cooked and perfectly crunchy. Sometimes these larger fries can be a challenge to make. These were nice and hot and cooked all the way through. If this style of French fry is your thing, then these will make your day!
I just love a place that gives high school-aged young adults a chance to work. Shake Pit does, and it fits well with what they’re doing over there.
I didn’t sample a shake, but they looked delicious. Especially on a hot Florida day! OH, they come in a million flavors. Skeptical? Here are a few of the flavor options. Pineapple, mocha, coconut, hazelnut, lime, pina colada, something called P-Granate (no guess on that one). Of course, you can get chocolate or vanilla if you’re really a traditionalist.
The old-school feel of the place just says everything about what they do here. It’s cash only (they do have an onsite ATM), which seems to fit the character and charm of this Bradenton classic!
Let’s check out how all of this looked when I ordered it…
BURGER TAKEAWAYS: It’s a step back in time! • Fantastic bang for the burger buck • Fast, friendly service • “All the Way” is a LOT of toppings. Be ready! • Crunchy large-cut fries • A seemingly endless list of shakes and malts
👀 SNEAK PEEK: We’re heading to a Sarasota restaurant that used to have a “wall of beer.” They also serve burgers that, in the past, have won a bunch of awards!
📢 We want to hear about your Sarasota burger experience. So much so, in fact, that we’ve started up a special Facebook Group just for this A Burger A Week series. So, feel free to share your Sarasota burger experiences, photos, and anything else burger related you’d like others to know about.
JOIN SARASOTA’S BEST BURGERS FACEBOOK GROUP HERE!
🌟 We’re still looking for “Ride-Along” burger tasting partners. If you’d like to come on one of our stops, here’s a link to a form to fill out. We’d love to feed you a great Sarasota burger!
CLICK HERE FOR A CHANCE TO TASTE BURGERS WITH LARRY!
Leave a Reply