It was a nice road trip to get out of Honolulu and into the Aiea / Pearl City area once during the ongoing pandemic of 2020+. And so, a friend of mine came to this Five Guys location on a brisk Sunday afternoon in April 2021.
My friend was craving a nice burger and didn't know where to go, so we just thought of Five Guys and off we went. We were thankful that Five Guys were open that afternoon on a Sunday. They close late at 10pm and it wasn't busy at all, so we just got in line and ended up getting what we wanted without having to wait too long. Due to the current pandemic, face masks are required, but in person dining is now allowed until further notice. My friend and I arrived around 5pm and the place was empty, except for one booth being occupied. Five Guys is your typical burger joint from the mainland US, which tries to establish itself here at home in Hawaii. The experience here lasted about 1 hour, from ordering, to pick up, and enjoying our meals before leaving. Five Guys itself is clean and spacious, sporting a few tables and booths to accommodate for in person dining on any given day. I particularly enjoyed the fries, which I ordered Cajun style. Unlike the major fast food joints, they serve it in a paper cup and place it in a paper bag, since they like to give a lot of food. I ordered the little cheeseburger, with everything on it, along with a thick large milkshake to complete the meal.
The overall experience here at this Five Guys location was pretty nice and it was a cool excuse to get out of Honolulu and see other parts of the island in this pandemic. The little cheese burger seemed like a typical cheeseburger that's abnormally larger than life. It was definitely worth the drive here, especially when most burgers I've encountered were just lackluster as of late. Five Guys is a mainland institution that made itself to Hawaii and its been good. The only issue with Five Guys is that you have to order everything ala carte, which can add up fairly quickly and over $10 easy. Be prepared for some sticker shock at the counter when you're paying, but the food speaks for itself. For the most part though, having a customized cheeseburger helps ease the cost down, especially when it's super duper delicious. If you are on this side of Oahu and craving an awesome burger or even Cajun fries, consider coming here for lunch or dinner. It's definitely not cheap for a burger joint, but well worth your time. Definitely recommended for sure.
This Five Guys location is situated in the Pearlridge Shopping Center in Aiea, currently next to Pieology. They accept major credit cards, which is always awesome, as well as cash. Due to the pandemic, credit card payments are always preferred, since the staff doesn't need to touch cash. As far as parking goes, you have plenty of parking while shopping and dining at Pearlridge shopping center. If you are like me, bus routes 11, 20, 32, 40, 42, 51, 53, 88, and Country Express A stops off at Pearlridge Shopping Center on a daily basis. The staff here was nice and friendly. The experience ordering was quick and the menu is really user friendly. You get what you want without the filler. Just a good burger joint and you get that with Five Guys. It's a shame they're not in urban Honolulu, but it is what it is.
4.5 stars for the overall experience. 4.5 stars for the food and service. 3.0 stars for the prices.
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