** 3.5 Stars **
Finally got to weigh in and try the phenomenon known as Five Guys.
On a cold and rainy night, the crowds were definitely more subdued than I had heard they had been on Grand Opening Day. But it's clear this place is still popular. And they offer an undeniable bang for the buck among quality hamburger chains.
Inside, the restaurant really reminds me of In-N-Out. Lots of white, shades of red, and a very clean area with multiple seating areas. There are sacks of potatoes lining up to lead you to the cashier and the peanut oil that is used to fry them.
When we went to order, the cashier helpfully asked if we had been there before. I had heard this being a pet peeve when not done, because at Five Guys, the little burgers are simply 1 patty, whereas the regular burgers are 2 patties. Either way, they're generous portions. People don't come here to diet.
You have a simple selection of plain, with cheese, with bacon, or with bacon and cheese. From there, you go to a list of about 10-12 toppings, which you can add unlimited to your burger. I went with the "all the way" option which is simply their most popular choices on the top row in black. I did add jalapeno peppers from the bottom row, but a few, such as A1 sauce and BBQ sauce didn't strike my fancy.
The next choice was the type of fries. Both are thick cut, deep fried, and well seasoned. The Five Guys type is your typical salted fries. The cajun fries adds a few more seasonings and was our choice. Either way, prepare for large portions and some extra scoops in the bags. It's a great customer service move and, hey, potatoes are relatively cheap.
Our burger and fries were ready (all custom made) in about 5 minutes. The regular was definitely a big burger, but even the little was more generously sized than the smaller burgers at fast food chains.
I was a bit disappointed the bread was a tad soft and soaked with the sauces I had chosen (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise), but the cheese and mushroom amounts were perfect. I also definitely tasted the jalapeno peppers. They added a nice kick.
The fries were awesome. I've always found In-N-Out fries to be too thin and too flavorless (unless you get them animal style), but these were fantastic. Freshly deep fried and generously seasoned with that cajun goodness. Prob my favorite fries among the Big Name Fancy burger chains (In-N-Out, Shake Shack, and Five Guys).
As for the burgers, I definitely enjoyed it and had no problem devouring the 850 calorie portion. It's the most caloric of all the Big Name places, but only by a bit. It definitely hit the spot, but I'd still give the nod to In-N-Out on the West Coast. There's something so right about a Double Double Animal Style and I love the way they toast their bun there compared to here.
Either way, you can't go wrong. I'd say Five Guys is actually a bit more affordable than In-N-Out and they give you so much fries that the value proposition for pure amount of food is even higher.
If you're a burger fan, you deserve to come here and compare for yourself. As for us, we can't hit the 1000 calorie meals too often, so we'll have to make it a rare visit to either here, In-N-Out, or even better, Shake Shack.
Five Guys accepts credit cards, including American Express. read more