I did it. I finally took a trip over to the dark side. This In-N-Out Burger addict finally tried Five Guys... and it was actually pretty good (GASP!). I know, right?! It was good but not GREAT. However, the food quality actually surpassed my expectations.
I was hanging out in Alameda and caught a craving for a burger. Now, usually I'd just drive down to the In-N-Out on Willie Stargell, but I was on the other side of the island and didn't feel like driving over and waiting in line. Kind of shocking because I do this religiously almost weekly. Hey... don't judge me! I noticed that Five Guys was close by and just said the hell with it. I actually have tried Five Guys in the past, but it's been so long that I honestly don't remember too much about it. What I do remember is that it wasn't the greatest experience, hence why it's taken me so long to come back.
When I walked in, the place wasn't very busy but it seemed like most of the staff were preparing orders. I came to the register and one of the associates came up to assist me. What's different here is that you basically have to order everything separately. No combo meals or multi item order discounts here. I ended up ordering a cheeseburger, little fries, and a regular soft drink. The prices here seem way higher compared to other fast casual burger chains. It costed me $17 for this meal with no frills. $17! Maybe I'm cheap, but that's expensive bro! I could order two double double meals from In-N-Out at that price... just saying. I like that you can see them preparing everything in their open kitchen. You can watch them making your food and you can have some peanuts while you wait. They have a large bin of shelled peanuts that you can help yourself to while you wait. Similar to Texas Roadhouse, you can crack the shells and throw 'em on the floor (they're probably not doing this right now due to COVID-19 though).
They delivered my food when it was ready and I couldn't believe my eyes. That burger was GIGANTIC! Mutha effin' HUUUGE! And they gave me HELLA fries! This combo was enough for two people to split easily. The burger was super messy but um... I LOVES me a messy ass burger! Well, as long it's good. The burger patty was so juicy and flavorful! The veggies didn't taste the freshest but they did the deed. One nitpick with the burger was that the bun got soggy super fast. Aside from that, I was feeling the burger. The fries weren't anything extraordinary. Although they provided a bunch of fries, they were way too greasy. They were so greasy that the oil started dripping from the bag and eventually ended up one of my favorite pairs of pants. I still can't get that damn grease stain out. Yeah, wasn't too happy about that. Another thing to note is that they make their fries soft. If you're a fan of crispy fries like In-N-Out's or McDonald's, you might not like these ones.
As far as the interior goes, it was extremely dirty when I dined in there. I mean, like REALLY dirty. I can somewhat understand the peanut shells on the floor, but all of the dirty napkins, dropped ketchup, and leftover food everywhere was not at all appealing. On top of this, the staff was slanging profanities left and rigght while there were children and other people present. I'm not a saint... I mean, I cuss sometimes too. But to be cussing up a storm while there are people eating in the lobby is just not professional no matter where it is. If it's loud enough for me to hear you back there, just lower your voices a bit.
Overall, I'd rate this place as average all around based on this experience alone. Not sure if it's worth the $17 price tag, but I'm happy that I finally gave them another chance because the burger was good. read more