My442

Tried a burger at Five Guys, the new chain for burgers and fries.

A lot of hype, expensive, and not a good deal/meal.

FYI

stevengerard

but they have Mr Pibb

mmurphy77

The couple of Five Guys we have here are great. If you get a Large Fry, they fill the container, set it in the bag, then practically fill the bag on top of that with more fries.

Ice

Yeah man. Those fries are prettty good.

rocketraider

It's like everything else that's franchised. Some are better than others. The two Five Guys I've eaten at (one in Raleighwood BTW) were pretty good but a little expensive compared to, say McDonald's or Wendy's but about on a par with Arby's.

As far as fast food, I probably see the greatest difference between stores at Wendy's. I like the food and the way they make it, but some of the worst service has been at Wendy's. One in a town about 30 miles from here absolutely cannot get my order right, ever. One of the three here has trouble with it too.

I think the worst ever was a Burger King in Front Royal VA last year, when I ordered a standard chicken sandwich and waited almost twenty minutes for it while two of the counter help argued about whose job something was, in full view of the people waiting to order. I startled the whole restaurant when I laid the teenage shift manager out in front of a restaurant full of people. Told him he needed to straighten those two out, now, and if he couldn't do it, that 800 number on the wall could. I probably was not a very popular person there, because he told one of them to punch out and call for her schedule the next day and put the other one on trash duty. He apologized, fixed my food himself, refunded my money and threw in a dessert, so I couldn't grumble about that. The point is I should never have had to raise my voice to get a simple food order completed.

citcapp

I don't like any of the fast food places for Hamburgers and/or fires. I always find that the Mom and pop places make both better and just as fast and many times cost less. Just my opinion. The "Ranch" in Bothell, WA has been around for close to 60 years and makes the best burgers around. Has held a tradition of hiring nothing but high school kids and has remained family owned.

rocketraider

I like local-owned joints too, but when you're on the road and not sure where the good local places are, you figure a chain is at least consistent. Yah right...


Just noticed Steven mentioned FG has Pibb. Now Pibb, ewww that's nasty! But that's because I'm not a Coca-Cola products fan in general. Except for Tab and the original formula Coke, Coke is like the Asian carmakers. Most of what they produce is a knockoff of someone else's success story.

Gimme Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper (or even better Cheerwine!) over Mello Yello and Pibb any day of the week!

Diego

This is the third site in which I've seen this thread. Slow day?

Olds64

BLASPHEMY!

5 Guys is EXCELLENT food! I'm surprised to see it compared to fast food joints such as Arby's, McDonalds, and Burger King.

I ate at the 5 Guys in Killeen, TX earlier this summer. It is the best burger and fries I have had from a restraunt!

70 cutlass s

I want a hamburger now.

I always give a new restaurant a few months before I go to them, so they can have time to get everyone trained and get the bugs worked out. Go back after the first of the new year and give them another try. Then if they are still bad then don't waste your time again.

We had a Backyard Burger in my town. It never did get good. They only reason it stayed open as long as it did, was because you could go to it when every place was packed and get a table without any trouble. It closed last year.

rocketraider

As said before, a lot of it is individual franchise. The Backyard Burger here was great and did good business until the economy here tanked. All restaurants got hurt, just some couldn't ride it out. There's a barbecue joint in the building now but it closes at 8 PM and on Sundays, and I'm rarely back in town that early so I can't say whether the 'cue is any good.

The good thing was that prices on some things came down. Stuff here was always priced according to Goodyear pay which meant a lot of stuff was way overpriced to start with. Even the local Chev-Cad dealer crooks had to cut their markup nearly in half to stay in business.

We have a local joint, "Bogie's Burgers" which is pretty daggone good, along with a few mom-n-pop greasy spoons that make good ones. What we don't have are many places that can make a truly good hot dog. The best one closed last spring after fighting for its life for five years- another victim of the economy and plant closings. It had been in business since 1921, and long as Dan River Mills was open, Schoolfield Lunch did great. When the mill closed, the Kirios family held on long as they could.

You would not believe the ripple effect NAFTA had here. Some Indian conglomerate bought the rights to the Dan River name, promising they'd keep the local mills running. Six months later they were shut down. A year later the mills themselves were gone- they tore them down and salvaged the bricks. All they wanted was the Dan River Fabrics name recognition.

inthedirt

I found $35 to feed my family of 4 unacceptable for a burger joint.

Jamesbo

Ya'll are missing out on the only fast food place worth a tinkers hurray

Chick-fil-a

Never opened on Sundays and kicks every burger joint to death.

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/#home

71 Cutlass

Hardly ever have any fast food...wife is a health food nut so family is not "allowed" to have it. But I do agree with Jamesbo on the Chick-fil-a... the best I have had when we have had it. As far as hamburgers, best was at a place called Max and Erma's, when we lived in Ohio. It was called a "Garbage Burger" b/c they literally put everything known to man on this thing, I mean all kinds of ingredients. Those who have had one can chime in. Now, here in TX. the best burger I have had is at JC's Burger house, perhaps Rob71 Lady 72 (lives nearby) has tried one?

stevengerard

I'll take Dr Pepper over Mr Pibb any day but I'll take Mr Pibb over anything else

rocketraider

Chick-fil-A's Spicy Chicken- yum! Bojangles and Wendy's just think they have a spicy chicken sandwich!

There'd be a war in that house daily. A good burger is one of life's true pleasures. Woe, woe to anyone who tries to deprive me of having one once in a while. That or a slice of good country ham on a biscuit. I'll be good and eat salads and fiber and low fat all week, but when I want that burger...

Jamesbo

Rocket,

You forgot to mention Chick-fil-a's mini breakfast biscuits with that special butter on the chicken biscuits. I don't have a clue what it is but it's Y-U-M-M-Y

71 Cutlass

Rocket-R,
She actually allows us (me and the kids) to have burgers, they just have to be cooked on the grill and the meat has to be from Whole Foods Market, where (and I quote), "They don't use antibiotics in the animals, and they are fed on organically grown grain." I make up for all of this by drowning it in Bar B -Q sauce, etc. Oh, and any hotdogs have to be Hebrew National Kosher dogs...We're not even Jewish. Who knows, maybe I'll live to be 100 this way

Jamesbo

We refer to it as "Whole Paycheck"

71 Cutlass

You're preaching to the choir $$$$ I look in the "Environmentally recycled" grocery bag and think, "That's all I got for $48??

wmachine

That's exactly the way to do it! That's why there is cheese sauce for broccoli and cauliflower!

I insist on the home grilled burger too. "Stuffed Burger" is the way to go. A pocket of cheese and mushrooms and a slice of onion in the middle of the burger.

cutlassgal

.....Ya'll are missing out on the only fast food place worth a tinkers hurray

Chick-fil-a


Jamesbo.... Chic-Fil-A is delicious!!! I love their grilled chicken sandwich. I'll have to try the breakfast biscuits.- I haven't yet. They have nice tart lemonade too which tastes really good when it's hot outside!! I like Mr. Pibb when I can't get Dr. Pepper, but I'll take Pepsi over them both if I can get it. Trying to go without caffine nowadays, so I've been drinking Root Beer which I really don't like unless it's in a frosty cold mug at the A&W!!

Oldsguy

Mom and Pop's are the best, I agree. A local spot has a wonderful burger called the "firehouse" because the owner is an ex firefighter; loaded with jalepenos, cheese, and two burger patties, good!

But back to the subject. I like 5 Guys, the one in town is well managed. I also like Backyard Burgers, again, well managed joint. Worst ever experience was a Burger King which is now closed, due to poor management. There is one near where I work that is great though.

aliensatemybuick

I've had 5 Guys food twice, liked it fine. But for my money, the best burgers and fries here in central NJ are sold at White Rose System in Edison. I'm betting that those who know of the place will agree.

Jamesbo

Sandy,

It's the best thing on the menu. My Super model can eat a gallon of their carrot and raison slaw.

To me it looks like a rat got in the shreaded carrots.

cutlassgal

I never had their slaw - I always get the wafer fries. We don't have any 5 Guys Burgers around here, least I never heard of them before.

citcapp

There is a place on east side of the mountains the makes a 1/3 lb burger with a slice of ham, a fried egg, and jalapenos, cheese plus all of the fix-ins. Its a breakfast/lunch/dinner burger. When ever I am over there it's were I go. Damn have to make that trip soon.

TK-65

Its called garbage burger for a reason, its garbage.

mmurphy77

Can't get into Chick-fil-a, sorry. Who the hell puts pickles on a Chicken Sandwich!!! Always loved Arby's Chicken sandwich and LOVE the new tenders at Hardees!!

Jamesbo

According to this article Mickey D's burgers will out last us all. They're indistructable


http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/0...almost_en.html

citcapp

Thanks Jamsbo, that burger really looks yummy

erke88

Best burger I've ever had was on an Indian Resort in the Badlands. Meat wasnt processed..I mean they had their own cows..Freakin delicious. Add that or a buffalo burger with their indian fry bread!!! my goodness..

Anyways. I ate Five Guys once. The price was unappealing, but I thought it was rather good Out here their comparing it to In-N-Out. I like In-N-Out better for their burger, but Five Guys has bacon! as well as a variety of other toppings and fries that In-N-Out doesnt have.

O's_Car

We recently got a Five Guys here in Wichita, I think it's a pretty good burger and fries. I like their hot dogs too. But to me nothing beats In-N-Out: that's one of the few things I miss about leaving Southern California.

In college we used to make late night runs to a nearby Tommy's Hamburgers: double chili cheese burger and chili cheese fries. Mmm I miss that too...

rocketraider

Well, there's nothing wrong with a Hebrew National or Sabrett's hot dog, but for true unadulterated hot dog pleasure, it's gotta be a Jesse Jones red hot dog! A Curtiss, Valleydale or Frosty Morn will do too, but I'm pretty sure they're all regional brands- I've never seen them outside Vajenya and the Carolinas. The aforementioned Schoolfield Lunch served Jesse Jones reds exclusively.

However, I have never seen the appeal of a Ball Park brand frankfurter. Can't get into the seasoning mix they use. I eat a Ball Park, I'll taste it for a couple of days.

In the meantime, enjoy the Valleydale Pigs commercials! http://www.valleydale.com/company/archive.html

Diego

I think In-n-Out is totally overrated, but for fast food, it's pretty good.

Five Guys seems to be the East Coast version of it.

Best fast food in my eyes is Chick-Fil-A. I wish they had more of 'em up North.

But if I want a burger, I go to a local joint. I'm sure every town has a place with a burger better than Wendy's, so why bother with Five Guys except to try it?

OLD SKL 69

Don't think there are any 5 guys joints around here. We have White Castle which is the NYC burger joint. I don't see what the big deal is, can barely see the meat on the bun, if that's what it is.

Chick-fil-a is good but I to go south to get to one. Fuddrucker's was a decent joint around here but i think their all out of business now.

71supreme

Big In-n-Out fan! It's a must whenever I head out west. Had my first Chick-Fil-A experience this past winter when I drove him to his new home in FLA. Great stuff! It's gonna take me a lot of trips to try it all though

I'm with Stevengerard on the pibb/pepper. either way its just good stuff. I have still not seen a five guys around here. We are kind of limited here in Maine, though there is a local family owned place called Roy's All Steak Burgers that is phenomenal!

Diego

Darrell, I believe White Castle is from IL. It has nothing to do with NY at all.

BTW, the White Castle in Williamsburg, Brooklyn must have the stupidest people ever, not to mention they wouldn't let me go through the drive-thru on my bike - bastards!

Olds luvr

We have a couple newer 5 guys around seattle but have not tried them yet. I like the Red Robin " Royal" burger it comes topped with a fried egg and is really good.

When I bought my car in Indy I was at the mall and was really looking forward to Chick-fil-a but it was Sundayso no go...

Cittcap another burger on the other side of the mountains and for anyone in washington there is a burger stand called Rusty's and we make detours to go there. *** many patties and cheese as you want

Col Wickham

Don't know whether it's the obsession with fast and fried food in the States, but hey, Congratulations ! Most obese nation on the planet. Whoever these 5 guys are they should be strung up along with their mate Ronald and Sanders and the Tobacco company chiefs. Australia is #6 (worse by now I've heard) thanks to the fast food joints and their crappy "food".
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/he...health-obesity
That said.....I love hamburgers (forget the fries)
The best burgers down here were from a place called Harties "where the burgers are bar-b-qued". They were owned by Kellogs but went out of business around 35 years ago when it was revealed that they were using kangaroo meat which was supposedly only good for pet food in those days.They were great burgers. Nowadays I occasionally indulge with a Big Mac.

Can't understand how that burger in Jamesbo's link wasn't mouldy after all that time?? Leave a slice of bread out for a few days and it goes green. How come not a Mac bun?