Five Guys Burger Review: Great Burgers and Fries

Five Guys Burger Really Looks Like This

I'm always on the lookout for a good burger. And I don't mean the kind you get from McDonald's. And over the years I've heard a lot of buzz about Five Guys and decided to give it a try even though it was a chain (hey, it's not my fault chains have a bad reputation).

So one Sunday I went in for lunch and sure enough the place was full. There was just one open table which I grabbed while deciding what to order. The menu wasn't complex by any stretch so settling on something was pretty easy — a burger! The trickiest part was picking out the condiments of interest. Apparently the works is an option, but that seems like it would just be a big mess.

1. I opted for a cheeseburger (American cheese is the only option) with pickles, tomatoes, ketchup and large Five Guys fries.
2. My girlfriend ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, relish and regular Five Guys fries.

Orders aren't filled immediately as everything is prepared only after you've placed your order. A good sign since this means nothing is sitting around for too long. Recognizing that people get antsy, the Five Guys folks make it part of the experience to offer customers unshelled peanuts which they can help themselves to from a large box. The peanuts are good!

Within a few minutes we heard our order being called and we were handed a paper bag full of freshly cooked goodness. Curiously, I noticed that regardless of whether an order is for eat-in or take-out, each is delivered in a paper bag. There are no trays. Cheaper? Easier? I don't know.

The burgers were wrapped in aluminium paper and had double patties (yay!). They were fresh and flavorful — simply delicious. The cheese was American with a slice for each patty. I would've chosen cheddar if the option existed, but in this case the American worked just fine. The toppings were accurate and appropriately applied to minimize falling out.

The fries were contained in tall, open cups. They were thickly cut, quite hot, and the portions were generous. So generous that there was probably the equivalent of a third order of fries in the paper bag from what wouldn't fit in the cups. They were slightly salted and so tasty that they did not require ketchup.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and stuffed ourselves silly. We now understand and appreciate the positive reviews Five Guys have received.