Shake Shack

Image source: DJB

I bet plenty of you, like me, have been hyped up about Shake Shack online for ages
and after finally trying it, all I can say is — it really lives up to the hype!

The classic Shack Burger is juicy with a soft bun, super satisfying in every bite
but the real showstopper for me was actually the Chicken Shack!

The chicken breast is thick and juicy, with a golden, crispy exterior that isn't greasy at all — that crispy-yet-tender bite is a huge plus.
The most surprising part — the meat is never dry! Plenty of reviews online rave about this too — the chicken is firm yet tender, with a subtle hint of spice, balanced flavor that keeps you coming back for more. No wonder everyone says: "It's way better than I expected!"

Pair it with a milkshake or fries, and it's the perfect combo of guilty pleasure and pure happiness~
As a total sweet-tooth, I'm obsessed with Shake Shack's milkshakes — genuinely melts my heart~! If you love sweets like I do, you absolutely have to try it!

My rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 4.5 moons

EGGSLUT

Image source: DJB

Hailing from Los Angeles, Eggslut was created specifically for egg dish lovers.

Organic eggs are cooked until just barely set on the outside while staying moist and silky inside, paired with a house-made brioche bun that's soft and lightly sweet — every bite bursts with eggy goodness and comfort. The shop focuses on the pure flavor of egg yolk, cheese, patty, and bread, making it genuinely addictive.

Signature dishes like the Fairfax Sandwich and Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich are the most popular, beloved classics — a must for anyone who loves soft scrambled eggs!

Since taking off at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles, Eggslut has quickly become a global sensation, with locations now in London, Singapore, Tokyo (Shinjuku and Shibuya), Seoul, and even a brief run in Hong Kong — a pilgrimage destination for brunch lovers around the world.

There's no location in Taiwan yet, but if you're a die-hard fan of egg dishes, Eggslut absolutely deserves a spot on your must-try list! Genuinely delicious!!!

My rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖 4.7 moons

IN-N-OUT

Image source: DJB

When people talk about visiting the US, IN-N-OUT is often the very first recommendation!
While the menu is simple, focused mainly on beef burgers, options are a bit limited if you don't eat beef, though you can still try the Grilled Cheese (cheese and vegetable burger) or fries.

IN-N-OUT focuses on made-to-order food with no frozen ingredients, building its huge popularity on fresh, delicious food.
The signature Double-Double is the most recommended combo: a lightly toasted bun holding a non-greasy beef patty, lettuce, cheese, and their signature sauce — hearty and satisfying in every bite, without feeling heavy afterward!

I tried the fries with Animal Style — they photograph nicely, but the flavor leaned quite salty, not quite my taste.

That said, if you love bold flavors, it's still worth trying — you might end up loving it~

Oh, and! In-N-Out also offers plenty of customization options.

While the In-N-Out menu is simple, the customization options are incredibly flexible — here's what staff will actually understand and can prepare for you 👇

Freely mix and match patty/cheese amounts

  • Double Meat: two patties, no cheese
  • 3×3 / 4×4: means "X patties × X cheese slices"
    👉 want even more meat? Order it this way!

Don't eat cheese? Order this instead

Hamburger: the basic beef burger, no cheese

Freely add or remove toppings

You can request:
No sauce/light sauce
No tomato, lettuce, or onion
Free chili peppers (pickled yellow-green pepper slices, mildly spicy and crunchy)

The hidden-menu classic: Animal Style

Patty cooked with mustard grilled in
Extra signature spread
Caramelized onions + pickles

You can also apply this to fries, known as "Animal Style Fries."

My rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 3.5 moons

POPEYES

Image source: Popeyes official website

If you're a fried chicken lover like me, you've definitely heard the name POPEYES — a true icon of Southern American fried chicken.

I tried it once in the US and fell in love on the spot! The golden, crispy skin, that satisfying "crunch" with every bite — genuinely impossible to stop at just one piece!

POPEYES' fried chicken is quite different from what we're used to — it goes for a "Louisiana Cajun flavor," bold with spice, mildly spicy but not overwhelming, the kind of heat that grows on you with every bite. The skin is impossibly crispy, and the meat stays juicy and never dries out — it practically bursts with juice when you bite in! My favorite is their thigh meat, honestly the soul of the whole meal.

Besides the fried chicken, I highly recommend their biscuits too! They look like scones, but taste like a savory-sweet buttery bread, perfect paired with honey or jam. That day, I also ordered Cajun Fries and a chicken tenders meal — the whole combo left me completely satisfied, a full-on fried chicken feast!

My rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 4.5 moons

FIVE GUYS

Image source: DJB

When it comes to American-style burgers, Five Guys is absolutely on the list. It's not exactly a fancy-looking spot, but one bite explains exactly why it's blown up across the US and even expanded all the way to Asia.

Five Guys only offers a handful of basic burgers (like the Cheeseburger or Bacon Burger), but here's the impressive part — every topping is free!
Lettuce, pickles, tomato, mushrooms, hot sauce, BBQ sauce... just about anything you can think of is available, so whether you want it light or loaded, it's entirely up to you, and no extra charge — genuinely satisfying!

Opening the wrapper might be a little startling at first — the burger looks flattened from the foil — but that first bite instantly wins you over:
the patty is juicy and flavorful, and the bun soaks up the juices and sauce without falling apart, keeping things simple and genuinely filling.

And I have to mention this — the fries are SO~ MUCH~!
Staff basically pour fries into your bag, giving you several extra handfuls stuffed in, or you can pour them into a paper cup — fragrant with a bit of skin-on texture, genuinely addictive, nothing like frozen fries at all.

Overall, Five Guys is the kind of burger place you won't be drawn to by looks alone, but once you've tried it, you'll quietly keep coming back. No fancy packaging, but generous portions and genuine effort — the price isn't exactly cheap, but given the portion size and customization, the value is genuinely excellent. No wonder American diners voted it one of the "most popular burger chains"!

If you love that hearty, no-frills American burger style and would rather skip the line for a fancy combo meal, Five Guys absolutely deserves a spot on your must-try list!

My rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑 3.7 moons