Rocco G.

Five Guys, more like Five Whys! Why does a burger, chips and fries meal cost in the region of £15? Why does the burger have zero flavour? Why is the cheese like actual, luminous yellow plastic? Why does the bread taste defrosted and with a soggy, stodgy consistency? Why are the chips oily and completely overcooked? These are the questions that perhaps will never get answered and these are my main Five Whys. For these reason I cannot possible recommend this new chain which has recently hit our shores in Scotland. If you like your regular Micky D's and BK, well, I think you will be disappointed with Five Guys. Not only are the burgers NOT as good, expect to pay TRIPLE the price. I also got the horrible depressed / guilty / sick feeling after I finished eating my meal. Never a good sign, as this is usually reserved for when I've had a dirty greasy meal from one of the aforementioned big burger chains. I'm actually having trouble finding anything positive to say about this place, apart from the fact the staff were nice. Hmmmm, my brain is now begging to hurt trying to thinking of more positives, so I'm going to stop typing now...and have a wee lay down. Remember folks, there are LOADS of independent, PROPER burger places in Glasgow that do some great food. I'd give this the wide berth if I were you!

Stephanie B.

I admit that my score in parts comes because I have very fond associations with Five Guys. I was so excited when I saw the one in London that I made my flatmate go back to it with me (even though she couldn't eat anything there) and have been anxiously waiting for the one in Glasgow for months. The idea is pretty simple. You deciding if you want 1 or 2 patties, no bacon or bacon, and cheese or no cheese. After that all of the toppings are included. I'm a big fan of this sort of burger. They're just a little greasy without being drippy. The fries are in rather large containers and I enjoy both the plain and the cajun. The soda machine is amusing. How? They let you add flavours to any basic soda. You get to do things like raspberry Sprite or vanilla Dr. Pepper. You also get free peanuts, an amusing plus. Today there were people both in the queue and near the soda fountains trying to help people. I'm assuming this is only because it's new and I don't know how long they'll continue it. Even after being to several locations, I was surprised to hear that once you get bacon or cheese on a burger you can get extra added on for free. The only thing that tends to stop me from really loving the place is I feel the prices are a bit high for what is essentially fast food. I already knew this, but it does take away the one star.

Hugh M.

Five Guys, after hearing that another American chain was opening here I was eager to try it out. When I went in, I asked how does the whole thing work, as I'm use to "In & Out" California. They said you should get the double burger. I said ok, I'll get the the double, fries, and a drink. They said toppings were free. Then they said £18 or 18.50 please. I thought she was cracking a joke. I said just make it the burger, scrap the fries and drink. To my horror she said "that will be £8.50" I was thinking "what the hell" When I had seen the place, it was so busy. Now it's dead, as I think once people were waiting in the queue they just felt they had to pay, never to return. This place will go bust as fast as it opened it's doors, as Glasgow won't support rip off prices. I'll explain what you could get for that money in the USA. In&Out that is the best burger place in the USA, do something called, the 4x4 animal. That consists of 4x buns that have 4 burgers on each, yes (16) and 4 fresh cut French fries. Large drink, and as many picked whole green chilli you can eat. You could get 3x these 4x4 animals style for the price of a meal at "five guys" You do the maths and I'll send pics of the animal that is 1/3 the price of five guys meals. And In&Out is 100x better. The burger, with that processed looking cheese slice, along with a bun that looks like it was bought from farmfoods. I know we deserve more.

Trudie M.

One patty or two? Extra toppings? I'll go with every kind of sauce you have!! Welcomed at the door by a super excited member of the five guys team then you are straight in to the queue with out even noticing. A small menu up on the wall gives all the choices you need. Build your own burger. I went for the cheeseburger with All the way ( at this point the girl taking our order thinks I know what I'm doing) all the way means all the toppings however there are additional topping you can add. BBQ and green peppers were my additions. Ok so you are all ordered up and waiting for the food. The burger makers on show you can watch your burger being built. All looking so happy to be working the odd YEH COM'ON, KEEP THOSE BURGER COMING was heard! Now if you go for the 1000 plus drink you are in for a real treat. Any soda flavor you could think of. You want Fanta? Ok Zero, Full Fat or Still? Then would you like cherry, strawberry, lemon - you get the jist.. Now the burgers were nice all the toppings and sauce made it really juicy however the patties were no difference to the ones in McD's ! The burger was tastier than Macca's however the burger patty was very processed which I fully expected.Coming in at £25 for 2 burgers 1 fries and 1 drink. Great concept and worth a visit but over priced.

Laura P.

I was a bit apprehensive about Five Guys but on a recent sale shopping trip decided to give it a go. The guy outside giving out leaflets/ menus was spouting the places virtues over the other burger places nearby, and I did think his heckling with some passers by (and in fact using some bad language) was a little off. That being said, we joined the line which was almost out the door, but thankfully moved pretty quickly. With a fairly limited menu you can customise your burger how you like - cheese, pickles, sauces, mushrooms, fried onions - have your pick. Theres only beef on the menu and a few veggie options included the veggie sandwich which I went for with pickles and sauce whilst my co- diner (my wee mum) went for the little cheeseburger and fries. After placing your order at the counter you get a slip and then scuttle off to the side to wait for your meal to arrive. My mum waited for the food whilst I joined the line for the drinks at the highly impressive drinks machine, which lets you select from a range of popular softies and some more unusual imports. Usually finding caffeine free offerings is a hard call, but not here where I was able to indulge in as much Diet Coke Caffeine free as I wanted and even had a choice of flavours including Vanilla, Cherry and Orange. The orange was delicious; really sweet and I was tempted to go back for more to take home in my bottomless drinks cup. By this time our food was ready and arrived in a classy brown bag complete with greasy stains. Wrapped in tinfoil we found some seats downstairs (of which theres a fair number). At this point things got messy. My veggie sandwich was packed full of veggies - onions, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, pickles and sauce in a soft bun. I wasn't expecting much but the combination was really tasty although a little messy to eat. The little cheeseburger went down well with my mum who proclaimed it one of the juiciest burgers shes had. A few downsides, are its not particularly cheap and the line to the drinks machine is way too long which clogs up the restaurant ( a few more drinks machines would help with this) On the whole I don't think I'll rush back, but for a quick lunch its really tasty and one of the best fast food options.

Amy G.

In America, Five Guys is almost an institution and it seems the trend is definitely catching. With stores all across the UK, it seemed about time the chain opened its first Scottish site on the very street home to Bread Meats Bread and Gourmet Burger Kitchen. That's what I call bold. The reason Five Guys stands out from the crowd is that the set up is completely different to its competitors. On entering the restaurant, you are given a piece of paper with an incredibly simple menu on it and a member of staff explains what's going on. You can choose from the Burger, which is two beef patties, or the Little Burger, which is one. You can then add bacon, cheese at an extra cost, then a range of 15 toppings for FREE. Very much fast food style, you place your order at a counter, get given an order number and then go stand in a queue to await your meal while you watch a team of what looked like about 15 chefs speed through the orders coming through. I ordered myself a Little Bacon Cheeseburger, with grilled onions, lettuce and BBQ sauce, a soft drink (free refills, yay!) and shared a portion of regular Cajun Fries with my friend. All this came to a total of about £10 which seemed like pretty decent value. While waiting, I took in the crisp white and bright red surroundings, laid out in an American Diner style with reviews and quotes covering the walls, while boxes of peanuts sit against the walls, which you can help yourself to for free. I decided to leave my friend to get our food orders and hop into the drinks queue while we waited - I had no idea about the huge decision that lay ahead of me! The interactive soda dispenser had around 30 or more drinks options, including various flavours of Coke, Fanta and Sprite, from Raspberry to Grape to Vanilla, all of which also came in sugar free versions as well. I was blown away - who even knew such flavours existed?! Under pressure I ended up going for Diet Vanilla Coke, then heading back for a refill of Fanta Raspberry. Our food only took around 10 or 15 minutes and so we headed upstairs with our iconic brown paper bags to find a table. The burgers are served in tin foil, which, as soon as you unwrap, releases a wave of amazing smells - I couldn't wait to dig in! The burger itself was tender, juicy and tasty, the cheese was oozing and the bacon was as it should be - crispy! I tried to eat it as slow as possible so I could make it last but it was all over too soon. Part of me honestly considered going back and ordering another! The Cajun Fries were heroes as well and had a real kick to them. They were covered in Cajun seasoning which was flavoursome and spicy - I recommend you avoid them if you're not a big fan of heat! I don't doubt that Five Guys will do extremely well in it's spot on St Vincent Street, despite the heavy competition, and with plans to open up restaurants in Silverburn and Edinburgh, they certainly show no signs of slowing down. It provides a different way of dining - it's high quality fast food that is small on cost and big on flavour and makes a great stop off when you need a break from a day of shopping in town. The staff were helpful and welcoming, the food delicious and the value for money pretty good - I know that I will definitely be back and this time I won't be ordering the Little Burger!

Vicky A.

I was really excited when I heard Five Guys was opening but after reading reviews of the first visits and seeing the price list, my excitement wore off slightly. I decided to try it and judge for myself. I was definitely going in with high expectations with having tried some excellent burgers in Glasgow but I tried to keep an open mind. I went for a small cheeseburger and a small fries, which are both normal sized and I dread to think what the big ones are like. I also got a regular drink, which I then had fun with the Coke machine and got Coke Zero Cherry. I think I would have had more fun if the queue wasn't so big waiting for the drinks machine, but still I am wondering why more places don't have these. I want one for my house! The service was all very quick, especially for it being so busy and everyone was very friendly. However the burger disappointed me. I completely understand that Five Guys is huge in the US and why, since it is a much nicer alternative to McDonald's but not sure for a city like Glasgow where you can get a takeaway burger of better quality for the same price or cheaper elsewhere (both Bread Meats Bread and Burger Meats Bun both offer takeaway). The burger was nice but was more like a nice Burger King hungover on holiday than what I had built up in my head. The chips however were pretty good and tasty since they were cooked in peanut oil but the Coke machine was my favourite part of my visit. It is definitely worth a try to tick off your burger tour of Glasgow list!

Steph S.

The delicious Scourge of Anyone with a Peanut Allergy. My initial thought was "I like it", but that's maybe because I was pretty much first in the lunch queue - in fact some may call it breakfast. The queue soon lengthened (considerably) and to be honest I'd have turned and trotted if I'd been half an hour later. Service is everything here and there must have been at least 25 of the cheery wee souls on call, most of them offering free peanuts (one of their gimmicks). "Order number 05!" she hollered and off I popped to enjoy my burger. And enjoyably perfect it was (almost), if rather a tad pricey. Then my mind wandered to my Uni days and Micro Economic Theory, specifically on Opportunity Cost*. £10 to £11 for a small meal and £14.50 to £15.50 for a large, nudges me to concede that I'd have enjoyed the same large meal for £3 to £5 less elsewhere. It would've been just as good, if not better and I could've bought a pint on the way home. And not just a Carlsberg £2 a pint job, but a decent pint. So why the extra cost? Probably for the 10 extra staff they've got throwing free peanuts at you. But no doubt I'll be back, because I was never very good at Economics... *Opportunity Cost - The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action.

Gordon M.

If there hadn't been such a hype about this place I'd probably have given it 3 stars. It was OK, but I think it thinks it's better than it is. The hype has died down, there was nobody to greet me at the door, so I was just another punter wanting a burger. I ordered a cheeseburger with fried onions and ketchup, cajun fries and a drink. Whilst waiting on my order being made up I wandered over to the drinks machine and pondered which carbonated syrup based drink to have and ended up with a Vanilla Diet Coke. The machine is a nice quirk but a bit of a queue maker when there are a few people hummming and hawwwwing over where to try Grape Fanta, or just choose Irn Bru. 10 minutes or so later my order was ready and I headed up stairs to get a seat. The space is underwhelming, bland design with a weird notion that posting glowing comments and rave reviews from the past are going to make an impact - why would I care what someone in Tuscon, Arizona thought about Five Guys back in 2000, I've already bought my food and sat down. Most odd. I sat down and took a slurp of my drink and confirmed it was a vanilla-ey tasting coke type drink. I opened the brown bag to find the silver foiled wrapped burger covered in cajun dust. Given the point of the foil is to stop the burger making a mess, it sort of defeated the purpose. I'll happily admit I've got a bit of a 'thing' for this kind of sloppy mess when it's not needed but I dusted it off and set it aside. A few cajun fries then and they were ok, nice fluffy fries but as ever the dry cajun mix, whilst it had a nice heat, was quickly caught on the back of my throat. Hmmmm. On to the burger then. Two patties with a nicely melted slab of processed cheese, the onions were lightly fried but I'd have liked them to have some colour to them, and the bun was a little soft and almost moist, like it had been defrosted in a bag maybe? It was tasty enough but nothing special, certainly nothing I wouldn't get at another fast food joint and the bun gave up pretty fast. So far so underwhelming, add in the fact this was around £14 and I fail to see what the fuss is about. A few gimmicks do not a wonderful experience make. So, Five Guys done. I doubt I'll be back, especially considering there are two other options so close by, and two more superior options less than 5 mins walk away.

Eleanor C.

I'm an American and I need to disclose that as I'm biased towards this top notch American burger joint! If you are looking for a quick tasty burger then look no further. The space is clean, quick and has friendly staff that welcome you. For every burger you get a two patties and all the toppings you could desire so for 8£ it ends up being quite a steal. The Cajun fries are also the perfect compliment to the burgers. Don't miss out on their Coke machine which boasts of numerous drink options for you to try out. Five guys is not some upscale place but if you are looking for a good tasty burger than look no further. Also for people going low carb- try the lettuce burger.

Cory M.

Right, this might be a bit harsh but after all the hype around this place I thought I had to give it a go and see if it lived up to the noise; it actually doesn't! You walk in and you're greeted by a cacophony of shouting and hubbub that renders understanding the checkout girl impossible, so actually placing your order is a task in the first place. Once you get through this you are given your receipt to go and stand in the pick up area until someone loudly shouts your number hopefully louder than all the other shouting and the music blaring across the 6 feet of space between you and the counter! Get a seat, away from the shouting, and unwrap your food. Generosity is not normally something I would criticise a place for, but the sheer volume of fries is absurd. £4 a portion sure, but not really sure I needed that volume of carbs! I got the bacon cheeseburger, my wife the standard burger. Both ordered fries (one between us would have been plenty) and a drink. That came to £28.50. As is the patter in Glasgow, "Jings". The burger itself - well ultimately this place is Burger King with a rep. The burger- the bacon was cooked to shatter point, standard sliced cheese, average-tasting two seasoned patties of beef wrapped in foil. Yeah it was tasty, yeah it was exactly what I expected, yeah it is not worth the money! The numerous indie burger joints in Glasgow just do a much better job. The fries were good actually, fresh and tasty but they do go heavy in the salt. One mouthful had me gagging for a drink and my wife was scraping hers off before eating. Good fries, let down by salt in excess. The noise of the place makes it uncomfortable to sit in. The reviews from Stateside publications plastered all over the walls are utterly meaningless. One is from 2000, how is that of benefit to a punter? These places do well, people like them, they are safe. Do your tastebuds, and pocket, a favour and go somewhere else. 3 stars is right, nothing intrinsically wrong with the place just it is nothing special. I probably won't go back.

Graeme H.

Five years ago I'd have been a lot more excited about Five Guys opening in Glasgow - at last, one of the famous US chains coming in to show us how it was done. Now, things are different. Glasgow is officially past peak burger, So my enthusiasm for all things burger has taken a knock; the local burger places are doing a pretty good job, and having been to some of the chains in the US I don't hold them in the same mythical status that I used to. With this in mind, Five Guys is going to have to work hard to make me feel excited, and I hate to say it was all a bit average. For a start, the layout of the restaurant doesn't really make sense. You start off in a queue to place your order, and if you order a soft drink you're given a cup, and you have to go to a dispensing machine to get your drink yourself. You then have a dilemma: get your drink first and risk missing your burger come off the pass, or get your burger and then wait ages to get your drink. I did the former, and then proceeded to miss my order coming out - they put it on a warmer for you, but you end up getting shouted at for the minute or so they give you to collect it. The drinks dispenser is cool, but it's also a bit of a logjam. On the good side you have a massive choice of drinks to choose from, on the downside there is only two of them, so the queue can be pretty big, and the location of them means that it gets in the way of everyone else, so the whole place seems a little crowded and chaotic. To top it off, the music isn't really background music, so the overall dining experience isn't exactly quiet. As for the food, it's ok without being particularly exciting. The burger menu is pretty small, and you get a choice of single and double patties. You also get a choice of toppings, but I just went for a set choice you can pick (I'd prefer this to be honest, I'd rather they worked out what went best together and just went with that). I had a bacon cheeseburger and it, yeah, it's better than McDonalds and Burger King, but that's about it. Overall, there wasn't really anything that stuck out, and it ends up having a generic burger taste rather than a mix of great individual flavours. The party was ok, but didn't really taste of much, but the sauces were pretty good. The bacon was interesting: little crispy pieces that add a nice crunchy texture to the burger. In terms of comparisons, it's definitely better than the main US chains here, but most of the independent shops are definitely better. The closest comparitor to what I ate was the durty burger at Bloc+, and it blows this out the water to be honest, to the extent that I really don't see me coming back here in a hurry. Definitely worth a shot once, but not worth repeat visits.

Tony C.

I'll admit, I'm sat here on a slightly burst, yet impeccably comfortable couch. My shoes are off, and my nippin' feet remind me that I've just come in from a day of wandering around Glasgow, making purchases all over our fair city. Yet, my brain has turned to Five Guys in a quandary. Is it 2 stars, or 3 stars? I hate, hate, HATE to be negative. I really do. So, on that train of thought, I'll say nice things, then get the negativity out of the way, and finish on something nice. The space itself is bright, warm, welcoming and very, very "American Diner" ish. It feels different to most of the burger joints in Scotland I've been in. Bright white, Bright red and bare wood are the order of the day. It's stylish, minimalist and efficient. I dig it. The staff? The staff are superb. "Have yourself a great day, big chap" implored the smiley dude that served me today; orders are fairly sped through the assembly process, and called out with gusto and seeming pride. I like the lo-fi packaging - burgers wrapped tightly in silver foil to keep the heat in, fries in a cup, and everything in the quintessential brown paper bag. All fits the theme of the restaurant perfectly. OK... bad things. It's too dear. It's WAY too dear for what it is. I got a standard cheesburger (that is admittedly 2 patties) a small cajun fries and a refillable soda and it cost me £14,50. That's FOURTEEN POUNDS AND FIFTY PENCE. That's just too dear for this level of burger. Remember, you're sitting in (a very nicely designed) fast food joint. The 2 burger patties put together weren't as filling as a single burger from other establishments. The Cajun fries? They were fine. Nothing special. I eventually left a handful as they were kinda bland, to be honest. The burger itself, again, was fine. Nothing special. I'd been regaled with tales of the legendary Five Guys food by friends in London and the States. Being brutally honest, if you'd given me this blind, and told me it was a Burger King, I probably wouldn't have questioned it. Again, if it was a bit cheaper, I'd have been fine with it. At the price point the food is pitched at, I expect better. Glasgow, the place where burgers live now apparently, has much better, for the same price, or even cheaper. As I said, I like to end on a positive - and the juice machines! Oh my sweet lord, the glorious glorious refillable soda cups. Over 100 combos (says the machine, and I believe it) and all refillable. I had a coke with lime, and a vanilla sprite. Incredible! This machine would inspire me to come back, JUST to get a drink. I probably will. As for the stars? If I was a bad, bad man - this would be a 2 star. I like to be upbeat, so we'll say a 2 and a half star, being generous and rounded up to a three. I wanted to like it, I really really did. If I'm being brutally honest, Wannaburger in Edinburgh does this sort of thing better, cheaper and tastier... I'm sorry, Five Guys. Please let me back in for some more vanilla Sprite....