where's the [non]beef?
 

I've had their burgers a couple times and thought they were good enough. But, why can't they also have turkey burger, or veggie burger? Anything else...even lamb or ostrich burgers? Is it that much more difficult for them to also serve burgers made from anything else but beef? And what's with only serving the burgers well done, i.e. the way the way they want to make it? Other restaurants can manage to do this without ecoli/salmonella/monkey pox. I suppose five guys is a comfortable experience because there really isn't any guesswork when you get there. It's not like the menu in a book that you would get at the Cheesecake Factory, TGI Fridays, etc.

There's a FTer who is or was the largest Five Guys franchisee. Hosted many a FTer for burgers and booze. I do like the burgers a lot for what they are, this is not a gourmet kobe beef burger but the best local fast food burger in the DC area. I do wish the fries were crispier, though.

I had the fine fortune of stopping in the Fairfax, VA location back in May this year... and it was a great experience!

I think I ended up with the regular fries, cajun of course (great :D)... kinda wished I tried the large... but probably a good idea I didn't :p, besides, I got to finish off some of my bud's fries... then went to the IAD Smithsonian :cool:

This was a welcome surprise!

Thankfully In N Out and Five Guys are separated by about 2500 miles of terrain-
if they were in the same neighborhood, I'd have a hard time deciding... maybe go witha 4x4 animal style & a cup of cajun fries! (They were the bomb!)

As Ima Sue DiNym noted, there are inconsistencies but it's better than other fast food burgers. Regarding its fries, I'm with gleff...

I've had Five Guys in Indy, as well as in Delaware (they are EVERYWHERE in Delaware). The burgers are really good, as are the fries. But take that from a guy who regularly eats at McDs and Taco Bell...

Can't go there with my daughter, as she has a bad peanut allergy...

I am usually satisfied if not elated by the Guys' burgers; they beat the Clown and
the King, plus the locations I frequent (at or near airports) tend to sell beer. In
the everlasting debate, I think I prefer both Fatburger and In'n'Out by a small
margin. As for the fries, I can't stand them - too flabby by far.

JeffInIndy, welcome to FT - I commend you to this thread - there's a DO in
your area this very afternoon!

I've only had their burgers once, but they weren't bad. we had take-out, so I'm guessing things might not have been as soggy had we eaten there.

Was, but still actively involved. :)

As usual, gleff is spot on. Five Guys should neither be judged as fast food or upscale casual dining. It's by definition fast-casual, in that the burgers are cooked to order, so it can never be truly fast. Just my opinion, but In N Out is the king of fast food burgers. Five Guys rules fast-casual.

I like In N Out. There's even times I'm in the mood for a thin-patty style burger, and there's no question they do this best. They also have a great milkshake.

Five Guys has lots more topping choices, and bigger burgers. As others have mentioned, we fill the value proposition with gigantic portions, both burgers and fries.

For those that have commented that the burger wasn't great, I would ask of you one favor. Go back, once, tell the manager what you didn't enjoy, and try us again. Five Guys is, by nature, a community of entrepreneurs. They are industrious business men and women trying to get it right. We don't have buzzers, timers, or pre-cooked anything, so sometimes the food comes out wrong when we open a store, or go through a training period. It's probably something that will always plague us, but it's also one of our pluses. Everything is as fresh as can be. No freezers, no can openers, no microwaves. Ever.

If they screw your meal up again, I can live with you walking away. But I really do think we make a great burger, for who we are. Which, as gleff pointed out, isn't McDonalds or the Palm.

Oh, and I like my fries a bit crispier, too. ;)

Is it possible to order the fries "very well done? (I like them just a stage before burnt).

Or will they just laugh at me? :)

I've had Five Guys a couple times and it is pretty good for what it is. My "problem" with them is on the value equation. I find it only A LITTLE better than the fast food burgers but it is significantly more expensive (especially if you pay attention to the value choices at the fast food joints).

In contrast, In 'n Out is only slightly more expensive (if at all) from its competition, and the food is significantly better. Just a much better value, IMHO.

A flyertalker once took me to the Dulles one.

I HATE THEM. They are HORRIBLE.


But only because they don't have one close to me ;) Burger was top notch!

I recently ate at the one in Green Hills in Nashville with some friends. The fries were good, but far too soggy, and the same could be said for the burger which seemed kind of bland. Having been once, I have no great desire to return anytime soon, but then again I rarely eat that kind of thing, and probably should give them another shot just to be fair. It was better than my most recend InO visit for sure.
If they stayed open all night it would be great after-bar food though.

I agree with whoever said the value isn't there. The burger was good, fries could have been cooked a bit more but the cost was outrageous.

I like Five Guys quite a bit. Since I can't make it out to the West Coast as often as I used to, it's my alternative to In-n-Out

We've got one up in MSN, on State St. I know it's not Chicago, but it beats trekking out to IAD.