Originally Posted by
klew97
On topic, two Smashburgers opened in my county some years back, tried both and was disappointed both times. They were gone within two years. I do find Five Guys fries to consistently be the best of all the fast food chains I've tried.
Near my condo in Chicago, the Five Guys and Smashburger were just a few blocks apart on the same street. Smashburger didn't last long. Apparently Lincoln Park has voted. I agree Five Guys is the best, but "consistent" is not a word I usually associate with it. If every store output exactly the same quality as the best ones, I suspect there would be little debate about the best. Too many people, like my wife, have their first experience at a mediocre store -- in her case, we waited nearly 30 minutes after ordering, while two teenagers worked the grill and served a large group of their friends that came in after us. We finally got undercooked fries and room temp burgers with un-melted cheese. I've tried enough stores in my work travels to know they can be great when done right, but many people probably don't give it a second try.