Thar she blows! One of Arizona diners’ biggest “white whales” – Midwest giant Steak ‘N Shake  – has been sighted in downtown Tempe.
The iconic chain, known for its tall shakes and juicy “steakburgers,” is taking over the front portion of the former Border’s bookstore on the northeast corner of Mill and Seventh Street.
The restaurant will have a sidewalk patio and is scheduled to open before the end of the year. The ASU Ceramics Research Center is moving into the back half of the bookstore, which closed in January 2009.
Steak ‘N Shake was launched in Normal, Ill., in 1934 and has grown to nearly 500 restaurants. In 2011, it began a massive expansion, opening locations in New York, Texas, and Las Vegas. It reportedly plans to open 25 in California.
The chain’s legions of obsessed fans include television host David Letterman and the late movie critic Roger Ebert. The latter famously wrote if he ever found himself on Death Row, his last meal request would be Steak ‘N Shake.
