If this review sounds like i'm some sort of Five Guys fanboy... well, it's because i am. I discovered Five Guys Burgers and Fries during my time as a culinary student and cook in Austin, TX. It was rare that i'd go more than two weeks without dropping in to one of the two locations for a fix, and it would often be weekly. Five Guys quickly found its place near the very top of my list of best Austin burgers. So imagine my delight yesterday when it was brought to my attention that a location had opened in Rogers. Plans for a late lunch were made post haste, and i made the drive up this afternoon.
I dropped in around 3pm, to find a still busy restaurant, with the majority of the tables still taken. Clearly, word was out, and they had quite the crowd at lunch, and were staffed for that, plus staffed to shake down to a reliable crew. At one point, i counted as many as 17 staffers. That made for a somewhat chaotic and noisy environment, but as business settles down from the insanity of opening and they gel into a solid crew, the chaos will diminish. That said, clearly, the service was prompt.
For the uninitiated, Five Guys is a VERY simple concept. The menu is pretty much as follows: Burger, Cheeseburger, either w/bacon, Kosher Dog, Dog w/cheese and or bacon, Grilled Cheese, Fries (w/wo cajun spice), sodas. There are no salads, no milk shakes (though there is a convenient TCBY next door), no chicken sandwiches, or fish tacos, or pork sandwiches. Just burgers and fries. And at their best, they are close to the best. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and an order of cajun fries, with extra spice on the side (i like my fries with some heat to them). It was made quickly, and my number was called out. Here, everything is served in paper bags, ready to go, though you are more than welcome to sit at a table, rip it open, and dig in. My burger was great, the freshness of the beef was obvious, and it was hot and juicy. The bacon was cooked to a perfect crispiness. The burger from this crew would not have been out of place at either Austin location. From my experience, though, i can tell you that my fries were a little short of perfect. It might have been an issue with oil temp or with frying time, but they weren't quite as crispy as they generally are. I should note that Five Guys only serves fresh cut fries. In fact, you can see the sacks of potatoes as you walk in. They are double fried in the proper style, and when you get a bang on, perfect order, they come out perfectly golden brown and crispy. These were close... but not *quite* there. But, i'm sure that is something that will be figured out as the team settles in.
As for its place in my personal NWA burger hierarchy, i would currently place it... third. The Bleu Cheese Burger at Farrell's on Dickson is still #1 in my book by a LARGE margin. But Five Guys and Hugo's are neck and neck. On total package, Hugo's takes the lead, just because Hugo's is such a cool place to eat (and they serve beer), but strictly on burgers and fries? it's damn close.
In closing, get thee to Five Guys! If you go at peak time, you'll probably have to wait awhile, but with a big staff, i'd imagine it's not *that* bad. But even then, your wait will be well rewarded. Get bacon on your burger, and if you like some spice, get your fries cajun style. But above all, GO TO FIVE GUYS!
EDIT: Why is everyone interested in comparing Five Guys to In-n-Out, when, the last i checked, the closest In-n-Out IS IN DALLAS FREAKING TEXAS??? perhaps compare things to places people here can actually reasonably go? read more