Loose Cannon

I was on a nice Sunday drive after church and ate at Five Guys for the first time ever. I've eaten at In N Out Burger a number of times so here is my take based on my experience and there is a subjective element to my observations as others may have different tastes and preferences.

Burger: I give the edge to Five Guys. The burger is bigger but juicy and tasted excellent. Also you have to specify what condiments you want which I think is a good thing.

Fries: Sorry but I was not impressed with the fries at Five Guys. Edge definitely goes to In N Out. Furthermore the smallest order was way too big in my opinion. It would be helpful if Five Guys would have smaller (and less expensive) orders of fries available.

Beverage: I had a self-serve soft drink with free refills. Self-serve soft drink is self-serve soft drink but I would give the edge to In N Out as In N Out has milkshakes available and Five Guys does not.

Other: The men's washroom at Five Guys was a "one-holer" which could be problematic if there was a "queue for the loo" and someone "really had to go" unlike the In N Out I most often go to.

notsosmart

I can see why this would be a major concern for you!

glennaa11

I totally agree with you on the Five Guys fries. No one needs to eat that many at one time. It's fine if you have two or three people sharing, but for one person it is a huge amount of waste.

I like their burgers too. But not a great place if you are trying to watch your weight.

It'sHip2B^2

You are right on in regards to the fry size. I ate at 5 guys alone two weeks ago and couldn't finish my burger or fries. I've not been back to CA since I moved 3 years ago but I remember the In-n-Out burger having more flavor than the 5 guys burger I recently had. I liked the self serve fountain since my location had caffine free diet coke. I gave up caffine in December when we decided to attempt growing our own little tax-deduction.

luv2buynfly

My take is that the Five Guys burger is a customizeable one and the In-N-Out isn't. That isn't totally fair since In-N-Out will make it anyway you want it, but Five Guys has many more ingredients available - bacon, cheeses, avocado etc. In-N-Out pretty muich decides everything for you..but still a solid burger.

But have you tried an In-N-Out burger protein style? This is a must try! Tastes like some cool lettuce wrap...not like a burger at all! Try it!

Fries? Have you ever let the Five Guys sit in the brown paper sack for maybe 10 min? Do it and you won't want to even eat them. I'm not sure how they fry them, but they sure seem to have double the residual grease that anyone else has. Yuck!

Personally french fries are the ONLY item I prefer and will order at McDonalds. I love them piping hot. And I have a cool trick to ALWAYS get them hot and fresh. Order them without salt! (and then add your own)
They HAVE to drop a fresh batch. Works every time! :-)

WChou

5 Guys doubles fries their french fries. Done right and they are crisp and tasty. However, during slower times and at new stores, the cooks often botch this and you get a bag of soggy, greasy potatoes.

+1 on McDs fries.

ILuvParis

I would submit that NO burger place is a great place if you are trying to watch your weight. That is, unless you are doing low carb and can go somewhere where they'll serve it "protein style."

flyerni

In-n-Out just tastes fresher to me. Five Guys burgers are juicy and I like being able to choose the toppings, but I also feel like their food is even saltier than the usual fast food place. In-n-Out tastes fresh and simple, while their prices and service are efficient. Here in Manhattan, Five Guys can take 20mins to serve you a burger.

thegreathabibi

five guys doesn't hold a candle to in n out for a quick and tasty burger. 5 guys doesnt seem to go after in n out in any way, dont know why so many people are comparing the two. i think if its to be compared with another burger chain it is closer to the habit or even fatburger.

in n out wins every time in my book

pulseeric

Amen. In n out kicks ....

pulseeric

Also - In n out has been in business as long as McDonalds!

JoeBagodonuts

5G fries are awesome. I love them. the burgers are good but geez it seems like everytime I eat a burger and fries there I lose five years off my life with all the bad st uff i am putting in my body

jbdk

Now.. if I can have an In N Out burger, McDs fries and a Wendy's frosty in one setting, I would be in ecstatic!

csufabel

I am close to both, like both, but generally will not go out of my way even with a craving. Five Guys has better fries though (even I-n-O's "well done version").

Robt760

I have not been to Five Guys, but being in the industry, I know that their hand cut fries are fried in Peanut Oil, which gives a unique flavor to the potatoes, but also makes the product richer and more filling.

The new "hip" burger place is called SmashBurger. I have not tried this place either, but from what I hear, they're running a good business and growing fast. They "smash" the meat right onto the grill, and then add the toppings you want. Milkshakes are made with Hägen Dazs Ice Cream. Also, their menu is a bit regional: Nor Calif: Brie Cheese, Appplewood Bacon, Balsamic Tomatoes, Grilled Onion, Spread, on a Sourdough Bun. Can't wait to try it, but not yet in Los Angeles.
http://www.smashburger.com/