my visit to Five Guys burgers today...

I took a drive down to Somers Point today, (NJ). 10 miles from me, in the Shop-Rite shopping center on Route 9

It was about my 3rd time to Five Guys, which opened here less than a year ago.



It is located right next to a "Ritas" water ice place, a popular chain.
And a new "philly pretzel company" in the same shopping center. (had some "3 for a buck pretzels" after my lunch. They were excellent)

I was greeted very warmly at the Five Guys register, by a nice red-haired man, like I was entering a 4 star restaurant.

The inside is very "bare bones". The wooden chairs are'nt the most comfy, but they're do-able.
There are clippings all over the walls , saying nice things about their burgers



Heard a lot of sizzling going on by the grill.
Then, alas, my number got called, and my "fresh to order" food was ready.


Had the big cheeseburger ($4.49), and the cajun fries.


My verdict?
While the burger was very fresh tasting, it does not taste too different than the kind I make in my pan every once in a blue moon when I cook. I thought it was a good burger, and there was nothing wrong with it, but it was'nt an extraordinary burger.

The fresh made fries were okay, I prefer mine a little crispier.And I found them a little too dry.
(the portion size is definitely enough for 2 people. I still had plenty of fries still stuck in the bag, that did'nt make it into the pic)

All in all, it was a nice overall experience. The Five Guys gal in the red shirt even asked me on my way out how everything was.
I like those extra little touches.
The pleasant attitudes of the workers (they were almost too nice to be hourly employees) (maybe they were even some of the franchise owners?!?) helped make up for my "okay" burger.

And the reason this isn't in the chain section is ...?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

And the reason this isn't in the chain section is ...?

oops, my bad.....

I was just thinking "hamburger" section, not fast food chain section..
(it definitely was'nt fast food, anyway, as it took a good 10 minutes..) (but it DOES qualify for the chain; albeit a small regional chain, the "heirarchy" of chain types, IMO)

also I was'nt thinking of it like a huge Mcdonald's type of chain, as there are probably only a few dozen or so locations.
(so ideally that means the quality and the caring get monitored better)

Sounds like they treated you well. What were you wearing? BTW the one in Myrtle Beach looks identical to that one. Nice pictures.

quote:

Originally posted by ellen4641

I

My verdict?
While the burger was very fresh tasting, it does not taste too different than the kind I make in my pan every once in a blue moon when I cook. I thought it was a good burger, and there was nothing wrong with it, but it was'nt an extraordinary burger.

The fresh made fries were okay, I prefer mine a little crispier.And I found them a little too dry.
(the portion size is definitely enough for 2 people. I still had plenty of fries still stuck in the bag, that did'nt make it into the pic)

All in all, it was a nice overall experience. The Five Guys gal in the red shirt even asked me on my way out how everything was.
I like those extra little touches.
The pleasant attitudes of the workers (they were almost too nice to be hourly employees) (maybe they were even some of the franchise owners?!?) helped make up for my "okay" burger.

Ellen et al, they're going to be "huge" pretty quickly. Their deal on franchises is that the franchise buyer must purchase a minimum of a 5-store operation in any given area. They have expanded up and down the east coast alarmingly fast and I expect RF-ers will start seeing them in the midwest and beyond before long.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL
p.s We just had one open about 15 mins from my house in Naples, FL and I'd say my reaction was similar to yours--not extraordinary, but I would go back.

Five Guys is indeed expanding rapidly and often to mixed reviews. A couple of times I've had fries that weren't fresh, but they were always great about exchanging them for fresh made ones.

Five Guys started out in Northern Va with 2 or 3 locations but must have well over 100 on the East Coast (locater link below). They aren't cooked to your liking burgers (no medium rare) but they're a step or three above fast food (IMHO). I think a lot of people go there expecting it to be much better than it really is. It is good, not great, and if things aren't right, I've never had a problem getting it fixed. And they have malt vinegar for the fries.

Thanks,

Kevin

http://www.fiveguys.com/store_locator.aspx?s=MD&c=

Five Guys original location was a circa mid-'80's in-line take out two doors down from the late, lamented Brenner's Bakery at the corner of Glebe and Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA. Their "differentiations" were Brenner's buns, fresh ground meat, fresh-cut ("boardwalk-style") fries, and all the in-the-shell peanuts you could eat while your burger was cooked-to-order and topped with a wide variety of stuff, including my favorites: grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, and A-1 Sauce.

The store pictured above is a nice evolution from the original which closed years ago due to the fact that the "customer area" was only 100 sq. ft. of "standing room only". Before moving to Dallas in 2005 I ate at several other "evolving" locations and their food was consistent. I congratulate them on their near-astounding growth rate (I was taken by surprise during my last visit to the the "Double O" in Pittsburgh that they had opened a store right next door!).

As one of their original customers I had complaints about their ambience and presentation. The overwhelming loud rock music is thankfully gone. They now have seating. They now offer malt vinegar. BUT THEIR BREAD IS STILL SOGGY! I despise wet bread; soaked buns often diminished my pig-out pleasure. Every burger is placed with all the yummy, wet toppings on a fresh bun, wrapped tightly in tin-foil, and put in a poke with the steaming fries. (I'm a native of Pittsburgh: poke = sack/paper bag; tin-foil = aluminum foil).

Just toast the buns, or at least offer the dine-in patrons the option of having their food served on a paper plate! (Did I mantion that I HATE WET BREAD???!!!).

Just this month a new restaurant with franchising aspiration opened in Plano, TX: Mooyah. IT IS A COMPLETE RIP-OFF OF FIVE GUYS, COMPLETE WITH THE SOGGY BREAD! Their only differentiation is that they offer shakes (and for all I know, maybe the Guys offer them now,as well).

FIVE GUYS: get to Dallas ASAP and bring plates and a toaster!

We don't have any Five guys here in San Antonio.They did have a backyard Burgers on Loop1604 and USHwy 281,but it's now a mexican place. MetroPlex Jim,what's the name of the one that opened in Plano?
Oh I see it Mooyah.Will have to look it up on the web.

quote:

Originally posted by jeepguy

Sounds like they treated you well. What were you wearing?

denim shorts and a v-neck tank top....

quote:

Originally posted by HollyDolly

We don't have any Five guys here in San Antonio.They did have a backyard Burgers on Loop1604 and USHwy 281,but it's now a mexican place. MetroPlex Jim,what's the name of the one that opened in Plano?
Oh I see it Mooyah.Will have to look it up on the web.

Check out and compare the menu sections of www.mooyah.com and www.fiveguys.com. The only difference is that one offers over-priced shakes and the other free peanuts in the shell.

My wife and I ate at Mooyah a week ago and the food was really good (except for the wet bread!). In fact, I liked their fries a little better than Five Guys because they have found a way to make a fresh french fry slightly crispy.

Next time (and there will be "next times" at least until Five Guys hits the Big D) I'm going to take my own plate. (Did I mention that I HATE soggy bread?).

Okay, to be fair, In N' Out predates both of them and they're all mostly doing the same thing. Burgers grilled to eat, unfrozen meat, cutting their own fries, keeping the menu and the decor simple. In N' Out has shakes but no hot dogs. It's not rocket science exactly.

I'm partial to 5 Guys but I don't go there often. It's not quite good enough to be a yen.

Thier fries are good. They burn all thier burgers. The prices are high for a fast food joint. And, they are slooooooowwwwww. If your going to cook all your burgers "well done", they why cook them to order? All the flavor is gone by that point.