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Five Guys. Not so much.

No jazz hands here. Just tried it today for the first time and it was disappointing. Let me first state that I love a thick handmade, almost crumbly burger. I'm not at all into fast food, so I'm not comparing to that.

The fries were dry and although they were fried, they reminded me of baked (burnt) fries. The burger patty was thin and falling apart. And I got several pieces of bone in my meat.

Has anyone else tried this place? According to the dude behind the counter they have 500 locations and they're growing, which I found astonishing.

35 Comments:

Where is this five guys you went to? I go there all the time in philly. Its my go to quick dinner or burger. I love it.

The patty is thin but if you get a regular burger with two patties and not a little one its usually fine. I've never found bones in it though. That's actually shocking and pretty dangerous. Next time I eat there I'll have to be on the lookout for bones.

As for the fries, I like mine crispy and well done so I'm probably not the best judge on that one. On behalf of five guys lovers everywhere, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. You should give it another chance though. Maybe it was just that one location or maybe five guys is not your style. No biggie

I'm also sorry you had a bad experience.

5 Guys is absolutely my favorite mid priced burger. I love the fries, much better than anything at the fast food joints.

The ones I've eaten at are all in the south.

Just because they have 500 locations doesn't mean everyone loves them. I have eaten at 2 Five Guys in my area and never found any foreign objects in my burgers and I'm with @rumanddiet as far as the fries. I really like them and try to have one about once a month.

Hey, you talk to 20 different people and you get 20 different versions of a perfect burger and fries. Try another location if you want to give it another go.

I agree with finsbigfan - it really depends on the location. I've had EXCELLENT Five Guys burgers/fries at the Route 1/Woodbridge branch, terrible in the Montclair, VA and Chinatown (DC) branches, and decent at the King Street branch. Give it another try.

I have found the the quality of Five Guys varies dramatically based on the location. My suggestion is to not write it off just yet- try other locations because when you find one that does it well, they make one of my favorite burgers. I agree with @rumanddiet that you've got to get the double patty, and their bacon is always a must for me. After sampling several in my area, there are 2 Five Guys that I trust to make phenomenal burgers everytime. If I ever found bones in my burger, that would be a dealbreaker. Gross.

ew, bone fragments? I hope you let the manager know about that.

I've had consistently good experiences with the Five Guys I frequent. We probably have Five Guys once a month or less. There were one or two times when I thought the burger could have been juicier, but I've never had a bad batch of fries. I've also switched from topping the burger (Little Bacon Cheese) with all kinds of fixings and keep it simpler (and warmer) with sauteed onions and mushrooms.

I had a remarkable experience at the Chicago location. But I like griddled skinny burgers. That's my thing. And Five Guys does that very well.

Not consistent with my experience -- the very first time I ate at our closest 5 Guys (Watchung, NJ), the fries were soggy and useless, but all visits after that have been consistently good. Being on the wrong coast for In and Out, I have to say that 5 Guys is my favorite chain burger, by far.

Bummer! I'm a recent convert to Five Guys (we didn't have them in Minneapolis). I think it's a pretty good cheap burger-and-fries place when you're just having that craving. I tried it for the first time in an airport, and it was even great sitting on the floor of my departure gate.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience! Don't rule them out just yet ... I've eaten at 6 different Five Guys and they were all awesome. They make some of the best fries I've ever eaten! I'm guessing that particular one has some bad management/crew. I hope you complained about the bones!!

I went to Five Guys in Savannah in May and it thought everything was quite tasty. They did mess up our order but I was too hungry to complain. Haha.

I have not eaten at Five Guys, but if there is this much variance based on location, along with the competitive environment for burgers at this price point, why take the risk of getting a bad burger? Five Guys should work on quality control to achieve a consistent eating experience.

I love 5 Guys!

But it sounds like you had a really bad experience. I love their fries, but I've never notice them taste burnt. Of course, I've also no found bones in the burgers... I hope this is a one time thing and that you have better experiences in the future.

I've always had good burgers at 5 Guys. I go to one regularly, and have tried 3 others in the Baltimore area. Occasionally the fries are slightly less done than I would like. Bone in the burger is not acceptable anywhere, so I can see why you're unimpressed. I wouldn't give up on all 5 Guys, just that branch.

We have 2-3 Five Guys in my area with 3 more on the way. I really like the one I go to a lot. It's actually amazing how much business they do. My husband and I always dine in and there are usually 30-40 orders that go through while we are there for ~35 minutes at off peak times. Amazing.

You get a pound of fries when you order a small...

They aren't my favorite burger joint though. I'd have to say Brown Bag Burgers are the best. Not being a fan of bread, I am really picky about it. Their burgers are good, but their bread wins me over (fresh baked on the premises, if I am not mistaken)...plus they serve mushroom bisque. :P They also have more and better add-ons. If you're ever in the Cleveland area, check BBB out. Oh, I don't work for them, I just adore their burgers.

I hope I didn't offend anyone with my rant. Now that I'm reading everyone's feedback, I probably will give them another try sometime. @Jammin83, I was very tempted to get the double with bacon. Maybe next time.

Our 5 Guys in Salt Lake City is great. I'd send anyone there.

@yayfood: Haha you didn't offend (me). We all have our flavors and styles we enjoy. You could have visited an awesome Five Guys minus the bones, but it's just not your style. Or you could have visited a nasty one. The thing I don't like about the one I have visited is the music is very loud, and I think it's cheesy when restaurants pipe music outside their entrance. I think I'm getting old.

I agree that consistency is key throughout any franchise to remain successful.

I've tried the Five Guys in Watchung, NJ, and the one in Westfield, NJ. The burgers were cooked well and juicy, but the buns are soulless, generic white bread, like Wonder Bread. The burger was not worth the 15 to 20 minute wait for them to cook it "to order", which, in itself is ridiculous, since all they do all day long is crank out a steady stream of well-done burgers.
The fries were terrible. Dry, limp, and starchy. The cajun seasoning was gross, it tasted like a mouthful of stale paprika.
I miss the old Fudrucker's on Rte. 22 in Union.

I've tried a Five Guys in DC (years ago, so I don't remember which one), the one in Brooklyn and one in Queens. The Queens one is by far much better. I also really liked the peanuts. And I don't get the regular fries, I go for the cajun fries which have a tad bit more flavor. If you're disappointed w/the fries, try those next time.

While I enjoy a Five Guys burger for what it is and respect fans of flat-top burgers, my preference will always be for a thicker char-grilled patty. Putting aside my personal patty bias, the only thing I've found consistently disappointing about FGs is that their basic bun simply can't stand up to the burger and toppings without totally disintegrating in my hand. That always leaves me trying to eat the last half of it without a bun or benefit of a fork and knife. All that having been said, it's still better than nearly every other fast-food burger out there, primarily because of the quality and selection of available toppings.

But for me, it's the fries that are the standout product on the menu, if you do them with vinegar.

It's a shame that yayfood managed to encounter an epic fail on both burger and fries on his first try. I go about once a week and have been to at least a dozen different locations over the last few years. Sure it hasn't always been perfect, but there were never any raw ingredient issues such as bone fragments. That's something to bring up to the attention of corporate, I believe their meat is from one supplier.

Looks like you got a bad five guys franchise. I'm not huge on their fries but generally the burgers are consistently good.

That really is unfortunate. I've been to 5 Guys all over the eastern US and find them consistently good. In fact, the folks around the office have had a couple "5 Guys Challenges" where you're required to eat a 5 guys burger (not the little burger) and a large fry ASAP. I typically find the fries so good that I can eat the entire bag full. My preferred burger is one ground and made at home, but 5 Guys is a good substitute in a hurry.

If I'm going to sacrifice 500+ calories and 30+ grams of fat worth of my arteries and waistline for a burger, my burger must be beyond "good." This kind of food is a rare treat (or should be, given the incidence of obesity and heart disease in the US). When I go for a burger, I want a hunk of medium-rare char-grilled beef, oozing with juices, not a thin, griddled patty, no matter how much better a job Five Guys may do with that than McDonald's or whatever.

I am also a Five Guys lover, and hope you try it again with better results. I love crispy fries too, and Five Guys are more like "fair fries" (as in county fair) which means they can be a little softer, but with vinegar they are some of my favorites.

I usually give foods and places 2 tries, unless the experience was beyond awful.The 2nd time usually seals the deal if the food/venue is consistenly bad or I just had a bad experience the first time. I will say the Akron, OH Five Guys has been consistenly good, in my experience. It's hard to choose them over Swenson's burgers, but sometimes we do. Only thing I wish Five Guys added to their menu would be milkshakes.

I go to the Five Guys in Carson, CA (1 of 2 within 100 mile radius of L.A.), and I'm wondering if the burgers are the same as the ones in east coast. Overall, the burgers are pretty decent (if a little over done). But the patties are not thin at all. They seem like good 4 - 5oz patties. As for their fries, they have never been anything special. Not bad, but nothing to rave about. Has anyone from the east coast been to the one in Carson, CA? Was the food the same as the Five Guys on the east coast?

I've been to Five Guys in Wayne and East Rutherford in New Jersey, and 55th St. NYC and have had consistently good experiences. They are my favorite "fast" burger and the fries with the Cajun spice are the way to go. On occasion the fries have been a little dry, but the burgers have always been excellent. Bones? Dry? Falling apart? That's criminal.
The bun is nothing special, but then again they are just a burger stand trying to do it fresh, not make brioche fanciness. A kaiser roll would be nice, but I don't mind the backyard style buns one bit. The burgers have always been juicy and while they certainly don't lean to rare, I've never had a dried out well-done patty.

i am a DC native (the home/cradle) of the Five Guys empire, and it does pain me to say that i believe Five Guys is expanding faster than their ability to maintain quality control from location to location. it's hard to admit (but it is true) that you have wildly different experiences depending on the location (and i've tried many). don't get me wrong, even a mediocre five guys is better than most other burger joints, but if anyone with five guys headquarters is listening... from a loyal die-hard... be careful with the expansion for fear that you might dilute the brand and the burger's reputation if you grow to fast. i would be wise to follow the more careful In-in-Out model. contrary to my Five Guys experiences, you almost always get a consistent offering at In-n-Out.

Good peanuts, great fries, disappointing burgers.

My Five Guys experience in Chicago wasn't anything special. I was especially disappointed with the fries. The burger was fine, but nothing more. I think that's a pretty new location, so I'd be more than willing to give them another shot somewhere else.

I've been to 5 Guys in PA and MD, and I wasn't overly impressed. Better than fast food ANY DAY, but I don't like the fries either. I did find one place in MD that serves the best burgers and condiments I've ever had, Burger Bros. in Towson, MD. Their baconcheeseburger is big, very juicy, and perfectly cooked. I top mine with mayo, sauteed mushrooms, raw onions and feta cheese, and it's to die for! They also have chicken sandwiches, onion rings, salads, and a nice selection of sodas. Next time you're in Baltimore, look them up. It's worth the trip.

We've eaten in 5 Guys in Raleigh NC a few times - the experience was pretty good but after reading the article about ground meat in the NY Times I will never eat hamburger again unless it is made from meat that I have ground at home.

If you want a consistent, well-made burger that satisfies on every level, I've found that "Islands" is a great chain. The fries are twice-fried (and endless...just keep asking for more) and the quality is superb. I've never tried 5 Guys...are there any in LA? I thought I knew every burger purveyor in Southern California!!!

Pittsburgh: 5 Guys burgers are good but hot fries are incredible. Don't attempt to take them home. They don't travel well. Anymore,after reading NYTimes article, I'm trying to avoid beef. Home beef, maybe Cosco..

Try, try again. I have found Five Guys to be consistently excellent.

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