The One Thing Steak 'N Shake Has Always Struggled With

There are plenty of places to get a fast food hamburger, but there's only one place to get a fast food steakburger. Steak 'n Shake, which has over 550 restaurants across the country, is famous for exactly what its name suggests: burgers and milkshakes. The unique steakburgers are cooked with the "smash technique" with a crispy exterior that gives way to a juicy inside, while the extra indulgent milkshakes are handmade with real ice cream and fresh milk.

For as delicious as its menu may be and for as many thousands of fans as it has, Steak 'n Shake isn't without its issues. Like every restaurant, it has its weak points — and according to customers, Steak 'n Shake has one in particular that's especially frustrating. While other places might struggle with undercooked dishes or low-quality ingredients, Steak 'n Shake's number one complaint actually has nothing to do with the food itself. Rather, it's the service.

The whole point of fast food is that it's, well, fast. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case at Steak 'n Shake. One of the most common criticisms of the burger chain is how long it takes customers to get their orders. TripAdvisor is full of poor reviews from angry diners, who all say they've waited anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour for their order.

People have taken to Reddit to complain, as well. One person said that every single time they've been to a Steak 'n Shake, they've had to wait over an hour while another agreed that there's always a long wait even when there's no one else in line. In defense of the restaurant, however, a former employee chimed in, explaining that the wait times are due to the fact that employees have to make all of the burgers and shakes by hand in-house (as opposed to using pre-made, frozen food).