Five Guys hamburgers chain

This chain will be opening in the Hackensack NJ(about a mile from White Manna) area shortly. Give me your opinion of their food.

I read on another post that there is supposed to be one opening in CT, any idea of where and when?

quote:

Originally posted by exsquidao

I read on another post that there is supposed to be one opening in CT, any idea of where and when?

they have at least one in CT already (Avon?) try their website for locations

Check this post: http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13661

Anyway, there are three in CT already: Avon, Newtown and Orange.

Hi,
I just ate at their newly opened Brick, NJ location. I'd heard/read about them and was excited to try them. I went a little after 9pm Sunday night, and they were open until 10. There were no other customers inside when I arrived, but it still seemed to take a while for my burger. The bun was awful, It was obvious that it has been toasted previously and left to sit out. I only know because we used to do this at a restaurant I used to work at. It makes it easier to close if you can take apart and clean the bun toaster earlier in the night. The burger was nothing special either, and I didn't like only one choice of cheese. They seem to be more of an upscale burger joint as compared to McD, BK, and Wendys, but I think the others are better. And they don't in any way compare to my two favorite burger chains, Fuddruckers and Cheeburger Cheeburger in that order.

DPuro329

Five Guys started out with 2 or 3 stores in Alexandria, Va but are now a pretty big east coast chain and some stores are feeling the growing pains.

I like their burgers and love their fries, but you have to make sure what you get is fresh and hot. I've gotten old fries a few times but there has never been a problem with getting fresh fries right out of the fryer when I brought back the stale ones. As for the stale bun, I would have asked for a whole new burger and bun and there shouldn't have been a problem. If there was contact management.

The burgers are nothing special (they won't cook to order such as medium rare) but while not super juicy, I've never had one bone dry and they're always fresh cooked. Not fast food and not fancy, but somewhere in the middle.

Thanks,

Kevin

http://www.fiveguys.com/

I had 1 yesterday for lunch and the bun was squashed onto the meat. Didn't care for that at all. Unfortunately I had gotten it to go.

Mike, sometimes it gets squashed just by the huge number of those wonderful ff'S they pile on top in your bag! Oh well, life is full of trade-offs.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

quote:

Originally posted by MikeS.
I had 1 yesterday for lunch and the bun was squashed onto the meat. Didn't care for that at all. Unfortunately I had gotten it to go.

I should also have included in my post that I NEVER get it to go. The fries have a short half life and there's no chance to correct errors (if any).

Kevin

Too all,

One hundred years ago, give or take, my wife and I lived in Alexandria, Virginia. Two blocks away from the "Five Guys" at Beauregard and Braddock. Back then they did not have a sit down area so you took the meal home or ate it on the curb. (Mostly we ate it on the curb). They also advertised where their hand-cut potatoes were from. Sometimes it was Idaho or Maine or New York or wherever. They do not do that any longer. I do miss the singularness of the small company, just as I do Ledo's Pizza. Having said that my wife and I have the good luck of having a "Five Guy's" about 2 miles from our house in Annapolis, Md. Right across the street from Ledo's. Maybe I'm just getting older but the burgers are every bit as good as they were in Alexandia. The service is excellent and the fries are terrific. (I guess it really doesn't matter where they come from as long as they are good). Besides where can you go to get a grilled cheese sandwhich and a birch beer. They have franchised and become a chain but I would go to "Five Guy's" before I would greet the King, say hi to Dave's daughter or walk under the golden arches. But thats just me. I could be wrong.

BB

My teenage boys would happily eat at Five Guys every day; in fact, when they had summer jobs in Old Town Alexandria VA last summer they did eat lunch there almost every day!

I ate at the Hackensack Five Guys a few times, Overall I think they have a solid burger and like the fact that their standard burger is a double and that they always give you extra fries, although I think that they are a bit pricey.

Interestingly enough, another Burger place opened up in the area called Burger Boys in Fairview, NJ on Broad Ave and to my surprise they have pretty much the exact setup and menu as Five Guys except no grilled cheese on the menu, they use canola oil instead of peanut, they have onion rings and a pretty awesome Cheesesteak other than that the menus are exact, the decor is similar, everything is made to order and comes in a bag, and the standard burger is a double. Anyone know if Burger Boys is related to Five Guys or are they just a copy???

check out my Five Guys recent thread ... with pics.. went to the Somers Point, NJ location, (by AC)

I just thought the burger was "okay".
The fries tasted dried out, like sawdust...

I ended up with a good feeling from the place, anyway, mostly just cause the people working there were so darn nice.

There are 2 in the Myrtle Beach area where I live.
I have yet to try them, mostly due to the mediocre reviews here.

Rossy, they put out a tasty burger and I like the fries well enough. Try them at least once.

MikeS.

I love a Five Guys Burger....I started off going to the original Alexandria location over 10 years ago, I've only had the pleasure to visit two other NOVA locations since they've become a chain...one in Herndon, VA and one in Reston, VA.

I've never been dissapointed!!!

The fries are outstanding, but I agree that they have a short life after being placed in the bag....best to eat them right away!!

I've only been to the Five Guys on Beauregard/King St. It is exactly the kind of place I think most roadfoodie's would love. However, the explosion of franchises is bound to soil the name. Once you let other people start copying your product, it rarely meets the original. I'm glad to live in DC and be able to go to the original locations that made it famous.
I'm not sure if I'd got to a Five Guys in NJ or SC - somehow, it's just not the same - in my twisted mind anyways. So, I guess, if you really want to go to Five Guys - come visit the Capital City and go to the old ones.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeS.

Rossy, they put out a tasty burger and I like the fries well enough. Try them at least once.

MikeS.

Oh, OK.....

Burger Boys goes to war with Five Guys:

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/08/05/burger-battle-in-north-jersey/

I was in Georgetown just a couple of weeks ago and I saw a Five Guys place. I wish I had tried them so I could honestly comment but I had just had a great meal at a place where JFK proposed to Jackie, his future wife. Burger was super, atmosphere was super and I was full and could not do Five Guys.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Jason Perlow

Burger Boys goes to war with Five Guys:

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/08/05/burger-battle-in-north-jersey/

Good story!

I especially like the NYC/NJ style of calling everything "famous." They've been in business, what, two weeks you say?

quote:

Originally posted by Jason Perlow
http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/08/05/burger-battle-in-north-jersey/

Woo.....Jason Perlow is on Roadfood

Welcome, mr "off the broiler"

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I was in Georgetown just a couple of weeks ago and I saw a Five Guys place. I wish I had tried them so I could honestly comment but I had just had a great meal at a place where JFK proposed to Jackie, his future wife. Burger was super, atmosphere was super and I was full and could not do Five Guys.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I like Martin's Tavern too.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

quote:

Originally posted by Jason Perlow
http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/08/05/burger-battle-in-north-jersey/

Woo.....Jason Perlow is on Roadfood

Welcome, mr "off the broiler"

I've been here for a while. It's hard keeping up the post count, though. I'm kinda burned out on forums :)

I too, am delighted to see Mr.Perlow chiming in. Spent several hours last week catching up with OFF THE BROILER.

quote:

Originally posted by Jason Perlow

Burger Boys goes to war with Five Guys:

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/08/05/burger-battle-in-north-jersey/

Great article and pics. What is the old saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

I ate at Five Guys today in Turkey Creek which is in Farragut which is just west of Knoxville. My burger and fries were very good and apparently cooked to order. They overwhelmed me with service. The owner must have ask me several times if I needed anything or if my order was OK.

A friend and I split the fries and there was at least a huge handfull left. The burger was cooked exactly as I had requested.

A nice little thing is they had salted peanut in the shell to munch on while you waited for your order to be prepared.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I almost cried when I watch the cook squeeze all the juice out of the burger with the spatula when cooing them. I never trust a place that won't serve you a burger cooked rare.

I noticed a sign when I went in that indicated that they cook all their burgers well done. I personally do not prefer them that way but what they delivered was very good.

I am sure that the reason is E Coli. Cooking them well eliminates that possibility. I am sure that is the safest way but it does diminist the taste.

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

Had 2 of their Kosher dogs today, avarage dogs absolutely drenched[by them]in ketchup and mustard, then stuffed into a small bag, I guess to really make it messy. Pasadena on 5 guys in the future.