This was my first time visiting any Shake Shack location, here in Columbia, Maryland. I was…read moreactually surprised during my visit, because I was really thinking that this was going to be one of those awesome 5-star experiences, but it just wasn't. As I approached this business, I found the outside to be clean and the landscaping was pleasant. After entering, I was immediately faced with a bunch of kiosks for customers to place their orders. I just don't like kiosks. To me, this just shows me a business that is trying to reduce their customer service by not hiring cashiers and making the customer perform the cashier's job with no cost benefit to the customer. After placing my order, I was then questioned with how much I would like to tip. I found this to be even more annoying. What am I tipping for? The quality of the food?...I haven't eaten it yet. The quality of the service?...I haven't received any yet. Tipping BEFORE any experience is ridiculous and presumptuous. To me, tipping is a way for the customer to show that they are satisfied (or highly satisfied) with the experience they have had AFTER they have had it. I ended up ordering the double SmokeShack Burger, which comes with two beef patties, cheese, bacon, cherry peppers, and ShackSauce. The burger was really delicious, but I was surprised by how small it was for being a double. I also ordered the Bacon Cheese Fries, which are crinkle cut French fries topped with cheese sauce and bacon. This was pretty good too, but not as good as I thought it would be. For my drink I was going to get a soda-pop, but then I decided to try their Shack-Made Lemonade. It tasted weird, and I regretted getting it. I was served at my table by a server who delivered my food without saying a word. While eating my meal, I noticed that the inside of the restaurant looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. In fact, I did not see anyone cleaning anything inside during my entire visit. Even more disturbing was the lack of friendliness of the employees. I kid you not, there were about a dozen people working here during my visit and I did not see a single employee crack a smile...not for anyone. While leaving, I decided to order their Chocolate Blackout Pudding Shake. After getting back to my hotel with this for dessert, I only had a few spoonfuls. Again, this tasted weird. I ended up throwing out 90% of it because it just wasn't very tasty. In total, I spent over $33, which is a ridiculously high cost for one fast food meal. In comparison with my favorite fast food restaurant, In-N-Out (primarily in the western U.S.), I can get a similar meal at In-N-Out for about HALF the cost. I don't know about you, but if I pay substantially more I expect a substantially better experience. I hope that the other Shake Shack businesses don't operate like this one; This was NOT a worthwhile experience, especially considering the cost.

It's been a while since I've been back to this Shake Shack, but the addition of 3 new mobile…read moreordering monitors seemed a good idea to me. At first I did f like the personal interfacing, but I quickly got used to liking it more! The pictures on the touch screen proved colorful, accurate, and helpful. At check out, the screen prompts you to add your name and to pick an order number from the available numbers stacked on the counter. It was not immediately there, but we put "67"! So we waited for our number to be called! It made us smile! We ordered the Shack Burger, Cheese Fries, and regular Vanilla Shake all of which cost a lot more than it should. All this to still say that the food was still very good. The burger patty on the Shack Burger is "smash" grilled with the perfect crunch and give and was oh so delicious. The crinkle cut fries had a cheese topping that is very creamy, not too runny, and is just perfect! The Vanilla shake was so good, we polished it off before we could take a photo! This place wasn't very busy for a late Tuesday afternoon, there was LOTS of available eat in seating to be had. The bathrooms here were clean too! Parking is always free because it's part of a mall/strip mall, hooray for FREE parking!

Always a good burger and fries from this place. I ordered a Little Hamburger, a Double…read moreCheeseburger, and a small fries. The prices are a bit higher than those of their competitors, but the food is consistently good. The service is quick and efficient as well. I would definitely recommend it. The ambiance is pretty standard, similar to most other fast-food restaurants.

Single burger (extremely thin) and small fries + 10% tip was $17+…read moreWay overpriced! Asked for water and they provided a cup so small I had to refill it 3 times.

4.25.26 This…read morelocation opened about a month ago, and I stopped in this morning to redeem a free sandwich reward and picked up a side of hash browns as well. I was warmly greeted upon entering. I chose to dine in and was given a number, and my food was brought out to the table almost immediately. It was impressively fast--though to be fair, it was around 7:45 AM and not very busy. I have to say my breakfast chicken sandwich was one of the best I've had in a long time. The biscuit at other locations are almost always dry and overcooked. The biscuit here was moist. Also the sandwich appeared to be larger. The restaurant features a drive-thru, indoor playground, and patio seating. I also appreciated the monitor displaying the status of mobile pickup orders--it's a convenient touch. Another plus: Chick-fil-A sauce is readily available at the counter alongside other condiments and napkins, which makes things easy. On my way out, a staff member at the register thanked me for coming, which was a nice touch and made the experience feel more welcoming. My husband was especially happy about this new location, as he's not a fan of the one near Walmart in Columbia. This will likely become our go-to spot in the area.

I just wrote a review for a Yelp event I went to on Tuesday for Raising Cane's in Gambrills, and I…read morethought of this brand new Chick Fil-A next to Raising Cane's in Columbia. Chick Fil-A had a grand opening all day yesterday (Thursday, 4/2) where if you dress like a cow or something to kind of represent a cow you get a free CFA sandwich, nuggets, etc. I had heard about this several days earlier from Nextdoor. Someone was asking what was going where Boston Market & Bertucci's was. In the comments, someone provided the Chick Fil-A grand opening info. I didn't realize the Bertucci's had closed about 9 months earlier, and I had been to Raising Cane's Columbia twice; so shows how unobservant I am sometimes. Turns out the Boston Market site will be Pollo Campero. So, it's crazy 3 chicken places right in a row, but more power to Chick Fil-A & Pollo Campero if they want to compete with Raising Cane's although all three of them have their unique style. The new Chick Fil-A was more good than bad. My girlfriend & I went for dinner on the earlier side around 5:30 as she was concerned it could be a madhouse, and we had a 6:50 movie. Crowds were reasonable, only waited a few minutes in line. Woman was handing out stuffed cows to kids & even adults too; we got one. We ordered separately to make things easier. My only real complaint was the cashier who was probably a teenager was unfriendly, no smile or friendliness & a ditz. I bought a medium waffle fries. I was trying to get points, and she didn't answer if it went through. She got my cup of water. She rudely said you haven't paid yet, and I said I know, I was waiting for you to tell me the total. My girlfriend said that she was rude to her too saying that you know you only get for dressing up, and my g/f said yeah that's why I'm here, and we are all here. Then, she said the total of $8 something not taking off the free sandwich. Our food came out quickly. Waffle fries & sandwich were great. Fries weren't too salty, which occasionally can be an issue at CFA. Sandwich was moist & good seasoning; sometimes the CFA sandwich can be a little dry. Overall, it was very good, efficient well oiled machine, with mostly nice staff except for the cashier. In all honesty, it's unlikely I'll be back at this location as I live near CFA, and I'd go to Raising Cane's next door as they have Texas toast & superior tasting chicken tenders. Plus, my nearest Raising Cane's is this location next door to me about 10 miles from my home. I don't like going to places that are within a mile of my home because I can go to Chick Fil-A, Chipotle, Charley's, Jersey Mike's, etc. anytime as they are close to home, and I'd go to a restaurant I can't get right near my home.

I placed an order online for in store pick up. I'm not much of a sandwich person, but I decided to…read moregive them a try since they had a great deal going. I don't like raw tomatoes, onions, cucumbers or celery. As you can see, my sandwich is looking pretty slim. Nonetheless, I ordered a Fetty Wrap Meal and a Turkey Tom Meal Deal. When I realized I wouldn't be able to pick up by noon, I called and changed the pickup time to 2pm. I still wasn't back in the area by then. A kind young lady called me to confirm if I was still picking up my order around 4pm, while I was en route. When I arrived, the restaurant was sparkling clean. I dined inside and discovered they have free refills on the fountain drinks. The house-made strawberry lemonade is 100/10. Just get it! I tried the regular house-made lemonade and it didn't taste as good. The sandwiches were actually tasty. Mine only had protein of choice, lettuce and mayo. However, the bread was fresh and soft. The inside fillings were stacked amply. Both meals cost only $1.26!!! Can't beat this deal. It was worth driving to experience this little gem for the very first time.

J is for Jimmy John's:…read more Or JJ for short. Been to this Jimmy John's many times as it's the closest to my home and most overall experience. They are always friendly, fast, & have tasty subs. My g/f had never been to a Jimmy John's, and we went to this location for her 1st time on Saturday, April 12 for an early lunch. As I had a deal to try their new toasted subs. I got a roast beef & cheddar. It was delicious in spite of the toast looking a bit well done. My g/f got one of their favorites, and the cashier asked if she wanted it toasted, which she said yes. So, now it's an option for all subs, not just the new specialty subs. My g/f is a fan of Jimmy John's too now. Also, it's clean (including restrooms) & a comfortable environment.

6.22.26 Hubby and I…read moretook advantage of a BOGO deal for Father's Day, and he picked it up for dinner. Unfortunately, the fries were undercooked and soggy, and the toast was soggy as well. The chicken tenders were the highlight of my meal. Hoping for a better experience on our next visit.

Continuing alphabet series representing 2025, R is for Raising Cane's. Sadly but not surprisingly…read morenothing to represent the letter Q. However, the prior P is for Playa Bowl in Baltimore County was in Q is for Quarry Lake, so the location coincidentally started with Q. I believe Raising Cane's in Columbia was the 3rd location in Maryland to open. First was Towson in early 2023 I think, then Gambrills in Sept. 2023 (went on their 2nd day; see my 5-star of them), and then Columbia in early 2024 I think. The first time I visited the Columbia location was in March 2024, where I redeemed a green leprechaun lemonade, but I had already eaten or had other dinner plans. My first visit to get food was in July 2024. This was my girlfriend's first time at Raising Cane's. She loved it as did I per the other times I had in the past including the first time trying them in AZ in mid 2010's. I visited Cane's Columbia a couple of other times in the past two years. Always great chicken strips, fries, & Texas toast. I'm not a big coleslaw person, but I like theirs ok. I normally get half sweet/half unsweet tea, which is delicious freshly brewed. It's often busy, but staff is cordial, and pretty organized and efficient.

Actually when see the single building with private parking place and garden any restaurant my…read moreexpectations get high! I like the European cafes more. This is why I came here. I have been the other branch in Dobbin Road also . But it's little disappointing because it's breakfast place ands they are out of bacon! ‍ And the bread which comes with the omlette is cheapest white gluten bread. I prefer something signature in bread. Coffee was ok. The forks and knifes was a bit dirty!

Service isn't friendly or welcoming. I asked for a recommendation and she seemed annoyed that I…read moreasked. Ended up getting a French vanilla latte and she was annoyed I asked for it to be in a mug instead of a to go cup, and then this is how it arrived. No design, and foam bubbles. UPDATE: I'll give it another try!

I only visited Qdoba because they had a $5 off of an entree coupon through T-Mobile Tuesdays and I…read morewas informed weeks ago that you can get guac for free. I placed my order online for the next day to pick up during my lunch break. I was surprised they only had a location at Dobbin in no longer in the Columbia Mall and had to drive almost 15 minutes to pick up my food. I arrived and when I gave the young lady at check out my name she couldn't find my order. I ran inside thinking that it would be very quick and left my phone in the car so then I had to go back to get my phone to look up the order number to provide. As I scanned my emai, I saw a message about an error in transmission with sending my order to the restaurant. I informed her of this and she then spoke with a young lady who was preparing the dishes that I later found out was the manager, and asked me to place my order again. I gave her my order and I inform them of my coupon I had from T-Mobile and that's when everything changed. The manager got really nasty with me and said I couldn't use it and that it had expired. I informed her I placed the order online for pick up the next day and already paid and that it wasn't expired when I placed the order. I also showed her the QR code that was still in my app at that time although it did show an expiration date of the day prior, it was still there. She made a big fuss about it and stated that I wasn't able to use it and how it was expired. At this moment I found myself getting upset because I clearly paid for my meal the day prior and if I wasn't able to use the coupon, why did it allow me to. I definitely would not have wasted my time and would have made other arrangements for lunch. I wasn't doing anything unjust and I didn't appreciate her tone she now took with me. I was about to leave without my food and she stated that she would make an exception for me this time. I paused as I thought about how wrong this felt, then stated it wasn't an exception, it was the right thing to do since their website was malfunctioning. I have used codes like this many times before and purchased food days in advance to make sure I was still able to take advantage of the promo code. Other restaurants you're not able to do it. How am I supposed to know this was a restaurant where you couldn't do it when the order went through successfully? I really do not like when people who have the ability to correct whatever the problem is tells you they're not going to do it again. What sense does that make? How about fix your website so that this problem doesn't exist. She doesn't have to worry about doing it again for me because I won't be going back. The food was ok, however I feel like she gave me the bare minimum servings because of the confusion.

Ordered 3 family packs to-go for our party of 15 people and we had more than enough food! When I…read moregot there I was worried it would not be on time since it was such a large order, but they quickly put my order together and I was out by the expected time. Everything in the order was accurate even given the large order size, and everything was delicious! All the food was under $150. I will definitely be coming back and using them for catering!