Steak 'n Shake 5 with Evan Susser

"Steak 'n Shake 5 with Evan Susser" is Episode 281 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Steak 'n Shake 5 with Evan Susser" was released on December 17, 2020.

## Synopsis

Evan Susser (*Fist Fight*, *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*) returns to review steaks and shakes with the 'boys in this very special episode. Plus, another edition of Season's Eatings.

## Nick's intro

"*We are old fashioned. Our whole modus operandi is old-fashioned. Can you imagine an Andrew Carnegie or a Cornelius Vanderbilt seeking a cadre of consultants on whether they should buy a steel mill or buy a railroad?*"

This was Sardar Biglari, owner of investment company Biglari Holdings, in his 2020 investors meeting, which despite the pandemic, was held in person at his insistence. The ill-advised IRL meet-up was emblematic of Biglari's stewardship of his chief holding (a Midwest burger-and-milkshake diner he acquired in 2008): one headstrong man making a dangerous decision that sandbagged countless others.

Like the restaurant industry at large, Biglari's restaurant chain cratered in 2020, but the company's problems pre-date the pandemic. Its quixotic expansion across the U.S. and internationally seems to have resulted in as many closures as openings, his massive reduction of the menu and removal of table service has been a pyrrhic victory, cutting costs by removing two of the hooks that loyal customers have counted on since 1934, and the company has fought multiple lawsuits from hundreds of managers alleging unpaid wages.

And while the pandemic has certainly worsened its financial state, the company defaulting on its debt on April 1 of this year, barely weeks into lockdown, can hardly be accounted for solely by depressed sales due to COVID.

So will Biglari's restaurants survive the battering of 2020 in good enough shape to make a resurgence? If so, it will be against the odds, as dozens of locations and the chain has resorted to converting company-owned stores to franchises for quick cash infusions via franchise fees. In fact, the company was prominently featured in a *Washington Post* piece ominously titled "The Iconic Brands that Could Disappear Due to Coronavirus." One anecdotal sign of the restaurant's woes: of the three California locations reviewed on previous episodes of this podcast - Santa Monica, Victorville, and Burbank - all three have closed.

This week, on the final new *Doughboys* of 2020, we return once again to Steak 'n Shake.

## Non-Canon Fork ratings

Steak 'n Shake has been reviewed four times previously (1, 2, 3, 4).

But because the Doughboys were all locked down in different parts of the country that no longer have Steak 'n Shakes, for this episode, they each got steaks and shakes from whichever restaurants they felt like.

* Trader Joe's Boneless Ribeye
	+ Red Lobster Seafood Seasoning Salt
* Baskin-Robbins Jamoca Shake
* 5 forks
 Mike Mitchell
	+ Red Bliss Potatoes
	+ Asparagus
	+ Bordelaise
	+ Wedge Salad
	+ Fries
* D'Angelo Steak & Cheese sub
	+ Cool Ranch Doritos, Cherry Pepsi
* 5 forks
 Evan Susser
* Silver Diner Philly Steak Omelette

Mrs. Mitchell also had a Hanger Steak from The Fat Cat, a Pastrami & Swiss sub from D'Angelo, and a Mocha Ice Cream Soda from the Ice Cream Parlour.

Nick declares the Baskin-Robbins Jamocha Shake, the "shake of the century."

Mitch and Suss declare this as a non-canon episode and Nick says it should go in the 'Doughboys Legends' section of this wiki.

The ratings listed above, 5 forks to every place they all went to, won't be used anywhere else.

They also rate this episode of *Doughboys* as 5 forks.

## Season's Eatings

In Season's Eatings, the Doughboys have a variety of seasonal snacks.

Usually they cover holiday-themed food, but this year: McDonald's McRib. They did try McRibs in this episode which they each gave a score of 4.

Today, Mitch had one with cheese and one without.

They rate it by stating how far it would have gone in the Mac Attack Tournament of Chompions.

 Mike Mitchell
 Evan Susser

## Quotes

**Emma**: No, I'm not.

**Nick**: You have natural charisma, which I've compared to the force of gravity - people want to orbit around you like satellites.

## Photos

Epic Scrambler Carne Asada BurritoBoneless RibeyeBoneless RibeyeJamocha ShakePure Protein Vanilla Cream ShakeLocal Flat Iron SteakPhilly Steak OmeletteCampfire ShakeHanger Steak, Aparagus, Red Bliss PotatoesSteak & Cheese SubMocha Frappe