Thoughts on Five Guys (the hamburger place)
 

There have been a multitude on threads on In and Out... but now Five Guys is trying to make a Mark so to speak on the East Coast.

I tried it shortly after they opened one in Hoboken.

The pluses:

*The varieties of sauces/toppings. Sometimes I don't want so much greenery on my burger.
*Cajun fries (like my food spicy)
*It's clean (but In and Out is too.)

The drawbacks:

*Even wtih BBQ Sauce, Bacon and mushrooms my burger tasted a little bland. The bun was sweet but a little squished.
*My fries at times were a little undercooked.
*The overload of "We are number one" articles all over the place. It seems like overkill. I don't see many if any "We Rock" articles at In and Out.
*Serving in a paper bag that looked like something I took to High School (and had my lunch stolen on occasion.) the Bag looked greacy and tacky.
*The staff was efficient but not that friendly.

One final thought: My whole time in Five Guys I was waiting for the "WOW" factor (like I get at In and Out whether it's a friendly crew person or the burger made just right - need to do animal style - or the company or the purrfectly grilled fries.) I walked out and said "What's the big deal?"

I walk out of In and Out and say "Yummy."

Overall: Superior to most Fast Food burgers but I still crave In and Out. If I must have a burger I would go back to Five Guys.

So, if you want a get together here post something on COmmunity (but it has to be HOboken or NYC.)

Ok friends... you thoughts...

I first tried the Five Guys that opened near my office in Hackensack, NJ

We ordered lunch to go, and like you I was less than impressed... it wasn't bad, but there was NO wow factor either... it was just plain old fast food.


Now the last time I had Five Guys at the Washington Dulles airport on my way back from Detroit (with only 50 minutes between flights, lol) the burger, even with the squished bun... tasted absolutely delishious. I ordered the bacon burger with shrooms and bbq sauce an dit was great! But it was completely different from my last In-N-Out experience which I'll repeat this November.


So to answer your question... YES! I'm down for a Hoboken or NYC Five Guys DO... but its more for the sake of meeting new people from FT than for the food, heh


--Russ :)

The beauty of that greasy bag is that you can rip off most of the top (leaving the bottom of the bag and about 4" of sides) and then share your fries with your tablemates. There's no way all those fries will realistically fit in that little styrofoam cup and there's no way I'd put those fries on the less-than-clean tables.

Even a regular size serving is enough to feed 3 or more people.

That said, I love Five Guys.

Oh, and you forgot a plus: free peanuts!

An FT regular took me to one in Dulles once, and I really enjoyed it. Good tasting burgers, and a pretty cool atmosphere.

Note to them: open one in Chicago.

Yep, pretty much sums it up. Had it twice, didn't know what the big deal was the first time and gave it another chance. Does nothing for me and I love burgers.

Well, there are a couple of locations not far from my apartment. If I'm in that hood, I'll check them out.

Hi. I'm a long time lurker that registered today just so I could chime in on this thread. I live in Northern Virginia, where Five Guys originated and I eat at one of the early Five Guys locations at least once a week. Sadly, I think the quality of their food is beginning to slip. I don't know if they're expanding too fast or what, but the past few months have been really hit or miss experiences. I was thinking about giving up on them until last week, when I had the best french fries of my life. Seriously, they were so good I traded my husband my burger for his part of the fries. They normally tend to be on the soggy side of greasy, but they were absolute perfection that day. I'll give them another chance, just because of the fries. Hopefully they'll get their act back together.

Ima Sue

Welcome to FT, Ima Sue DiNym. :) :-:

I am intrigued even more now. I've been searching for the perfect fries for a while now...

Tried it once a couple years ago. Sign said well done burgers only. Sorry, not for me. Medium rare, rare or not at all.

With me (from my previous east coast life), it was the peanuts while waiting, the fries, and the Fanta ginger ale . . .

I tried one in the DC area a couple months ago, and was pretty impressed! Great, tasty burgers and humongous orders of fries. A little too pricey, though, even for the quality and portion size.

Definitely get a regular order of fries and split it with someone. Three of us were in my group (two adults and a 5-year old). We ordered two small orders of fries and a large one. One small order would have been plenty. The cajun fries were great. The selections of toppings for the burger is unmatched.

Take note, though, that if you ask for "everything" on the burger, you don't get everything - just the items they mark as standard. Fortunately, thanks to the long line, I had plenty of time to catch that on the menu that lists the available toppings.

The one that opened in the Galleria here in the past year did not impress me at all. Never went back. Thought the Cajun fries were brutal, too.

I finally tried one when I saw a Five Guys at an airport. I was not impressed at all. The bun was squished and everything tasted the same, mushed together. I love In and Out because I can taste the toasted bun, the fresh lettuce, tomato, cheese and the burger individually when I take a bite.

We can get In & Out close to home, but while in Nashville in July, decided to give 5 Guys a try. Went to the one across from Vanderbilt.

We were not impressed - but not all of the problem was their fault; it was in the middle of the Great Tomato Scare of 2008 and all tomatoes had been removed from their menu. But even the addition of a tomato slice to the burger would not've improved it enough to win us over.

And the service was sluggish, the seating area is too small with too many tables and chairs crammed in, and the restaurant didn't seem to have the cleanliness that I & O does.

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.

I no longer hate them :D

Their site says they are coming soon (with 2 stores) to Chicago.

And I'm looking forward to visiting the single Southern CA location but it's an 80 mile RT in nasty, nasty traffic. Planning it tentatively for Monday.

But if I get there and the fries are soggy...........:mad: ;)

Sign me up for the NYC one!

This is a YMMV thing. I ask for them frequently when I travel to other stores. Sometimes they're fine with it. Every once in a while, if a store is brand new, they'll tell you no. But definitely worth asking.

Just returned from my first visit to a Five Guys location....the single store in Southern CA located in Carson, CA.

Bottom line, I'm impressed.

I've been in the restaurant supply business my entire career and have eaten at a LOT of restaurants of varying types over the last 40 years. And I'm a HUGE hamburger fan.

We ordered the regular double patty cheeseburgers and I'd have to give them an 8 ½ to 9 on a 1-10 scale. Might not have been the best burger I've ever had anywhere but it ranks darn near the top. Great beefy flavor and texture for which one would never ask this question. :)

I was very impressed with the freshness of the bun....it didn't fall apart like so many do when loaded up with toppings and condiments. And I happen to like sesame seed buns too.

I ordered mine with jalapenos and was pleasantly surprised to see they were fresh jalapeno slices.

I also liked the ordering process which was quick and efficient. After ordering we grabbed some fresh peanuts and whiled away the ten minutes os so waiting for the burgers by shucking peanuts.

The french fries were good but not great. I'd rate them a 7 ½. I liked the fact that they were cooked in peanut oil and that they were obviously fresh cut from unpeeled potatoes. And the flavor was good. The only reason for giving them a lower mark was that they were a bit soggy and were broken into some pretty small pieces.

Only thing I didn't like? I'd swear the chairs were stolen from an elementary school classroom. Small, uncomfortable wooden chairs. But, hey, if that's all I can think of to complain about.....:p

Oh yeah, one more thing. The fellow who was obviously the manager opened the door for us when we arrived. He also did it for a few other folks when things slowed down. Otherwise he was working the 2nd cash register. And he did come by and ask us how we liked everything as did the assistant manager. That's very unusual, IMO, for this type of restaurant.

Well worth the 3 hour round trip although I may wait to eat at Five Guys again when they open their Cerritos, CA location closer to my house.

I'm a huge FG fan for three reasons:

They are the closest "fast" fry to a true double-fried Belgian fry.

They provide a product that is zero BS and executed well *each* *and* *every* *time*, else they will a) admit it b) apologize c) recompensate you (I eat there 1x a week if at all possible, once early on they forgot my father-in-law's order. Manager gave me his business card, and a "free meal" card, and said if I ever have another problem again, call him anytime. It could have been an answering service in Bangalore, but that level of personal service was exceptional).

Aside from the (factual) self advertising, the store is done inexpensively and to reduce cost. The efficiency in the franchise gets me all hot and bothered -- aside from the simple plastic and sticker signs, and the cups, there are no waste-of-money duratrans, inexpensive industry standard tile, well laid out, and overall a process that is committed to fresh, inexpensive food done right the first time. The paper bags, the styro cups, hand cut chips, hand made patties -- all are commitments to a "drive out the excess cost at all areas and focus on product and delivery" model that should make any business nerd weep.

It's like someone took all upsides of franchising (solid brand with a winning concept) and threw out the bull (wasteful marketing gimmicks and pointless "experience" concepts) and actually delivered for once.

If I didn't spend all of my time on the road doing other things, FG is actually a franchise concept I would heavily consider moving to. I'm that hooked. Everyone who visits me in Richmond gets a visit to the one nearest my office, from co-workers, family, friends, to business associates. Heck, we had a celebratory lunch after closing a very large transaction at FG!

Cheers,

-Andrew

Mark,

Don't forget you have Fatburger over here in JC one the corner of Columbus & Washington.

I know it is not In-N-Out (not much is) but I think it is better than Five Guys.

- HF

I don't know about NYC but there is one in Levittown, NY on Hempstead Turnpike.

Five Guys Manhattan locations
 

HarleyCat and everyone... at this time there are THREE Five Guys eateries in Manhattan..

From the Five Guys website (because as a Journalism major attribution is very important ;) )


Location: LaGuardia Street
496 LaGuardia Street, New York, NY 10010
(This is the one in Greenwich Village)

43 W 55TH Street, New York, NY 10019

296 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014
(This is the one by Christopher Street on the corner across from Bleecker Street pizza which according to Food Network is the best pizza in NYC.)

Oh one more thing about Five GUys: their "gear" (clothes/t-shirts) are OK but In and Out comes up with some very nice back shirt designs and a new shirt yearly. I also got as a birthday gift an In and Out Aloha Shirt (which I believe they don't make anymore.)

GOing OT: some have wanted a Five Guys get together. Well post it on COMMUNITY (and if you can come to HOboken I can jiggle my work schedule and stop in.)

I'll make the trek from my office on 48th & Park to the one on 55th once or twice a month. I like their food, but won't trudge up their on a regular basis. I always enjoy the one at DCA, though. Makes the Shuttle flight that much better.