Photo(s) of the Day: Ravenous Squirrel at Shake Shack Wants to Eat Everything
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Some people might see the snowstorm that just hit much of the Northeast as a reason to stay bundled-up inside. Others—in this case, burger lovers in New York City—see it as an opportunity to go to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park without having to endure a long line. But as our Burger / Food Lab correspondent J. Kenji Lopez-Alt found out today at the first Polar Brrrger Club, you may have to endure ravenous squirrels picking at your leftovers. He said:
I've seen bold squirrels before, but this one set a new record. He ate a fallen tomato, stuck his head in Reverend Dave's (of Burger Conquest) beer, licked my almost-empty free hot chocolate cup clean (which, by the way, was fantastic—I think it's just heated up chocolate custard), and finally went away after I gave him a french fry, which he promptly ran up a tree and ate.
Sure beats acorns!
Check out more photos after the jump.
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28 Comments:
SO CUTE
chlamers at 7:03PM on 02/26/10
OMG, I am a sucker for squirrels! Very cute pics.
gourmetgal at 7:05PM on 02/26/10
My mom would feed the squirrels in our backyard to provide entertainment for our cats. This had the eventual effect of a ridiculously fat, ridiculously bold squirrel who would climb on the screen door, demanding food. I kinda miss the round little guy.
Sudenveri at 7:23PM on 02/26/10
There was a squirrel at Shake Shack last time I was there that actually jumped onto our table and stole a french fry out of one of our trays.
Fat, crazy little fella, and completely unafraid. It was both at once adorable and disturbing.
Ellis Jordan Bojar at 8:15PM on 02/26/10
I LOVE squirrels! Poor thing, it looks so desperate. Or maybe it's just really greedy. Haha, it reminds me of myself!
Very cute pics, by the way.
jo_wang at 8:29PM on 02/26/10
Beautiful pictures; I wish I could figure out how to forward them to two friends - one who buys peanuts to tempt squirrels to amuse her 16-year-old Maltese and the other who told me how much Jerome detests them!
jeromesmom at 8:35PM on 02/26/10
Fat little sucker, huh? :)
madfishgrill at 10:40PM on 02/26/10
Aw, so cuuuuuute!
du3na at 10:50PM on 02/26/10
You have to pick your seat carefully. Definitely nowhere near the garbage cans. I'm afraid of getting bit -- not on purpose, even, but like you said, they're not exactly shy.
jm chen at 11:03PM on 02/26/10
squirrel pudge: the cutest pudge?
Christina at 11:08PM on 02/26/10
that squirrl must have high cholesterol
IfYouCookIt at 11:14PM on 02/26/10
@jo_wang
Far from desperate - the fat little guys must be the biggest squirrels in the city! He really had absolutely no fear... which gives me ideas for squirrel pie this spring...
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 2:07AM on 02/27/10
Much cuter than the mouse I saw doing the same (kinda) at Pat's King of Steaks. *shudder*
This squirrel reminds me of the guys that'd race up on our front stoop and pick through the previous night's neighborhood hang.
Greenteajunkie at 8:44AM on 02/27/10
This is my cousin, Floyd. He's a notorious scoundrel, but people love him nonetheless.
Mensa Squirrel at 10:49AM on 02/27/10
Boppy, don't for get this awesome photo of perhaps the same fatty mcfatterson:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/4202963062/
highmtn at 11:39AM on 02/27/10
The last picture looks more like he's smoking a cigarette than eating a fry.
bytehead at 12:18PM on 02/27/10
Holy crap, the squirrel that highmtn linked looks like he has put on a little weight residing near the Shake Shack.
Kismetized at 1:16PM on 02/27/10
new york squirrels- gotta love em. almost as tough as philly squirrels!
cheeseburglar at 3:28PM on 02/27/10
Robyn I love your squirrels. I can't get enough. How cute is that! I love that even New York squirrels don't eat in their apartments ;) This one has especially good taste...
Kerry Saretsky at 11:43AM on 02/28/10
I wonder if this is the same squirrel that came up to me in August, literally peaked into my purse, then jumped up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder and then ran away... these squirrels are fearless!!
joannie at 12:06PM on 02/28/10
The squirrels at Shake Shack don't bother me, but the big birds do (as I am terrified of birds)! The last time I was there a large black bird flew right at my head when I had a fry in my hand...I screamed and my husband spent the rest of lunch shooing the birds away.
tonisan9 at 9:40AM on 03/01/10
I cannot believe you think this is cute. This is cruelty to animals. Squirrels are not supposed to eat french fries and hot chocolate, and they are not supposed to be that fat. This is disgusting. I stay away from Shake Shack specifically because of these aggressive, overfed beasts.
Leland at 11:41AM on 03/01/10
LOL Sorry Robyn, I think this might be Michael and his mom's fault.
When we first started going to Shake Shack last year, the squirrels were not nearly so bold. But then every time they went to the park, they brought a little pack of peanuts to feed the squirrels.. And actually trained them to come and take the peanuts out of our hands. :x
alicemeichi at 12:09PM on 03/01/10
@Leland - you realize fat is natures insulation against snowstorms and such yes? If it was too skinny the storm could have wiped him out. Also, lighten up!
jerkfaceirl at 4:49PM on 03/01/10
@Leland - yeah, but humans eat a lot of stuff we're not supposed to eat either, and we survive. There's not exactly an abundance of nuts and berries for those city squirrels to live on.
Thomasj at 5:48PM on 03/01/10
Leland, you need to lighten up, man! Don't let the obese squirrel keep you from enjoying Shake Shack. Maybe their diets should consist of acorns and the like, but I doubt all of the squirrels in the vicinity of Shake Shack are as fat as that one. Even so, if a few squirrels drop off in the vicinity because of Shake Shack intake, it's not like their population would dwindle. They are everywhere!
Kismetized at 9:28PM on 03/01/10
Actually this squirrel does not look over-weight, but it certainly looks like it has mange or some other problem (particularly evident in it's tail)
On the whole, it's pretty frickin disgusting; but hey, whatever floats your boat.
bebo at 10:34PM on 03/01/10
Two thoughts: .22 rifle and squirrels make good stew
f650gsd at 10:08PM on 03/12/10