Steak ‘n Shake

Waited an hour to watch every person who came in after me to get served before me. Waitress didn’t ever check on us and we didn’t even order alot. Just a burger and some fries. Go anywhere but here because wow, that was a horrible experience and a huge waste of time. I Didnt even get my food. I went to McDonald’s since they actually value people’s time. Don’t go here if you want atleast decent service.

Hum, I don’t really know, why the rating is so bad here! We went here tonite with my host family that we met and I got to see them after 8 years again! Yeaaaahhh!
So we checked in here and ordered. I had a Philly Burger with Cajun fries. The burger came with fried green bell peppers and onions and as a double platter with 2 different kinds of cheese!
The fries were not really Cajun — well at least not to what I would call «Cajun» it had just a little spice on it — oh well, but They were still nice. The burger I thought was very good as I am used to at Steak and Shake. The service was also good although she was a little bit clumsy but tried the best she could to make us a pleasant evening. All in all I was quite satisfied and happy to be back at Steak & Shake.

What pisses me off the most is I ordered the royal steak burger… Which is nothing but a burger with an egg on it, and the damn menu says available between midnight and 11am and at 3am this was not a possibility… I could get a burger!!! Just not a burger with 1 egg on it cause the haven’t prepared it… 3hrs of prep time and not 1 egg is available??? First thing to cross my mind is complete laziness…

Since moving to florida, 10/​14, my wife and I have gone a few times to this sit down fast food restaurant. This so far has been the cleanest and safest feeling one of the bunch. A couple of issues with ALL of them is the seating, we walked in and were the only ones in the to be seated line… we could see four empty clean booths and we were told it would be ten minutes… what the… are you kidding me? Finally after 5 or 6 minutes we were seated. We ordered and it took about 10 minutes for the order to come which was a cup of chili, that was 99% beans and tasted exactly like hormel out of the can, some (about 8) very SOGGY, greasy onion rings that you’re charged extra for over the shoe string fries, but the two burgers were good, not great just good and a bit overcooked. While eating we asked for additional napkins and soda refill, we thought they went to publix for the two items and noticed the waitresses eating and drinking while we waited… another what the … So I guess in the long run you get what you pay for… the waitress was polite, courteous and professional.

The food is awesome, most of the time. The last few times I’ve been here the service was slow and the food was even slower. They really need to pick up their game. Not living up to the steak and shake I remember.

Busy place. Popular. But hey it’s the second oldest chain restaurant, Steak n Shake. (Guess who is #1?). I enjoy Steak n Shake’s as my favorite restaurant of all time since 1969 in another Florida city, Daytona Beach. I can be harsh on those sub par places. This one in Lakeland is safe. The waitress was the excellent. The manager made his rounds to see how things were. The food took longer to get to us than we’d prefer but the place was busy. The food was predictably good. Chili dishes for us. Perfect. The traditional hand-​spun milkshakes finish off a nice meal. And its not expensive. Good job Lakeland.

We decided to give this place one more try. Unfortunately, the service was slow (45 min wait after ordering), the salad was old and the 4 pieces of chicken on top were as hard as a rock. The large serving of onion rings covered only half a small plate. The hamburger was dry. No more chances. Stick with the milkshakes!

It’s hard to rate a budget chain 4 stars, but I prefer this location to all others in Lakeland. The food gets out quick, the place is clean and have always experienced good service. Plus, you can find great money saving coupons for Steak ‘N Shake in your local Red Plum mail flyer almost every week. Great shakes!

Compared to the other Steak n Shake in town, this one is cleaner and in a more safe locale. This alone makes it 4-​star. I am partial to their Three-​Way (spaghetti topped with chili and cheese). Their shakes are yum as a meal all on their own. Don’t feel their burgers are anything to crow about. This place has a fun 60’s décor in red, white, and black and is a great casual meeting place to conduct business or pleasure in a quiet private environment!
However, on my last visit by drive-​thru, I was concerned by some behaviors. It was difficult to hear them through the speakers. I was shocked to pay $ 6 for a small shake and small onion rings. They insisted. The rings were soggy and there were about six of them. The «small» drink was waaay too large. They took my $ 20 but didn’t have ones and went «looking» for some. A woman came and cleared out a wad of bills under the till – she and the clerk appeared to «play» with the money – they did not need to do this in front of the only customer, they should’ve been more discreet. I got the impression this place has gone downhill and up in price.
May 2013 update. Worlds worst French fries – greasy and shoestring thin. Shakes are so thick, putting a straw in them is a waste. Hot dog tastes terrible-​greasy inside. Service was decent at an off hour. They don’t listen well at your specialty instructions. «No cherry» means come with cherry. «Add relish» means add onion, etc. I can’t up the ratings based on my last two visits in 2013.

Mmmm… Steak N Shake! And it’s open 24 hours a day.
Steak N Shake has the best $ 3.49 burger and fry meal on the planet… and they serve Coke products! What more could you ask for?