Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Food Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Normally when I get back to my dorm room, oops I mean hotel room, after a day of training I will sit down, read through the various blogs, do a little work for my former employer in Virgina, and then settle in and watch TV until I fall a sleep. Yeah I know I lead a pretty exciting life.

During the training day food is kept in front of us all day (and I must say it hasn't been to bad either) so when I get back to my room I don't go out for anything to eat. Not so tonight. While I was reading through tonight's blog posts (which by the way is my days highlight)I got a craving for some warm food, I mean good old burger and fries type warm food.

When me and the wife lived in Arlington up to road from us was a place call Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I never really knew what it was all about but I was sure they served burgers and fries. And naturally I assumed it was fast food type food. I try to limit myself on the fast food because it is one item I can really do without. If I eat it once a year that is a lot. The wife and I talked about going to the Five Guys joint but we never got around to it and I always wondered what kind of burgers they had. When I took a walk the other night up to the local college hangout area I saw the Five Guys place and thought maybe I will try it while I am here. So tonight when I got that craving you know what popped into my head, yep Five Guys Burger and Fries.

I threw on my coat and it was about a 5 minute walk and I was there. I went inside and it was just what you would expect from a college hangout. Loaded with college kids getting their nightly nutrition. This place was packed and the ordering line was long but I thought "I am here, I don't have anywhere I need to be and I am going to get my burger and fries." The menu? Burgers and fries. That's all, maybe there was more but that is all I saw. What type of burger do you want? They have it. Toppings? What do you want, they probably have it too. My choice? Double bacon cheese burger with grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, hot sauce with Cajun seasoned fries (hey if you are going to the hospital you might as well make it worth the trip.)

I know this all sounds like a fast food restaurant but it is not. You place your order like fast food and you pick up your order like fast food but in between it takes about 10 minutes to get your order. From what I could tell everything was cooked after you ordered. While you wait there is a large box of peanuts that you are free to help yourself to eat.

When they called my number for my meal I grabbed it and went back to my room since it was only 5 minutes away. Once I got back to my room my stomach was growling from the smell coming from the bag of food. I opened up the bag and the first thing I tried was the Cajun fries. Not bad, made from fresh potatoes, (I know this because they pile up bags of fresh Idaho Potatoes in the store they use for the fries)I would rate them up there with Micky D's. (I compare all fries with Micky D's because they are still the best out there.) I should mention when they pack the food in the brown lunch bag they put the burger on the bottom and the they put a Styrofoam cup full of fries on top of it. Once both of these items are in the bag they then dump in another small pan full of fries on top of everything. You don't get cheated on fries.

Now for the reason I really went there, the burger. I unwrapped the the burger from the foil and set it on the table and admired it. Two beef patties, check, grilled mushrooms, check, grilled onions, check, melted cheese, check. If this thing taste as good as it looks I will be in heaven. I picked it up and bit into it, mmmmmm, good flavor, a little sloppy (all good burgers are a little sloppy from the natural fat in them), love those grilled onions and mushrooms, the cheese is melted throughout the burger, all in all this is a pretty darn good burger. I would have to say maybe the best burger I have had in a long time. Most places I go and have a burgers anymore serve near fat free burgers and I am sorry to say they just don't have the taste of a good ole greasy burger. My only disappointment was the bacon. Not really anything to write home about. The next time I think I would order it without the bacon.

Overall I would have to give it 4 out of 5 forks. While it is not the best burger I have ever had (this honor still goes to the Yukon Inn in Paradise Michigan) it would rank right up there. I would put it on par with Clyde's Drive Inn in St. Ignace and the Boulevard in Midland. If you ever get the chance to go to a Five Guys Burger and Fries go, you won't be disappointed.

7 comments:

carriegel said...

i have never heard of that place. is it a regional thing or national?

Unknown said...

I don't think it is regional because the first time I saw it was in Arlington and also here in Wisconsin now. I have seen it in other places but I can't remember where.

I just checked for store locations on the web and there are two locations in Pitts. I also found some reviews that pretty much said the same thing I did.

carriegel said...

i am going to have to look for one and give it a try.

jporterGOP said...

I still wish we would have went to the one in Arlington, but I will get to one some day. Grandma had a great idea the other day. She thinks I should go live in Arlington and work for META this summer by just telling them I still want to study engineering.

Unknown said...

Rent would cost you more than you would make.

jporterGOP said...

that's where you come in, right?

Unknown said...

Yeah right.

NOT!!