Screw Fatbuger, Five Guys is coming!

A little tidbit from today's Stew blog on the Trib that I just read below. Let me tell you, 5 Guys is the real deal. I actually prefer it to In and Out...

Five Guys bringing their burgers to Chicagoland

Posted by Kevin Pang, Cheeseburger Bureau Chief, at 4:20 p.m.

Following Fatburger's entrance into the Chicago market this month, another buzzed-about burger chain is coming, with some calling this the East Coast equivalent of an In-N-Out Burger.

Fiveguyslogo_2

Five Guys Burger and Fries, rated best burger by Washingtonian Magazine seven years running, is opening two locations in the coming months: in Oak Park at 1115 Lake St., and in Chicago's Lincoln Park, at 2140 N. Clybourn Ave. The Oak Park location is scheduled for early November; Lincoln Park should be up and running in December.

Molly Catalano, spokeswoman for the Virginia-based chain, tells me their burgers uses an 80-20 ground beef blend (meaning 20 percent fat, making the patties juicier, beefier). Their trademark buns, as Catalano describes, are "softer, richer ... if you toast it and add butter, it's almost like you're eating a croissant." Then there are the hand-cut french fries, cooked in peanut oil, with a "mashed potato" interior and served with salt or Cajun seasoning.

I have not tried said burger, but a trusted foodie colleague in Washington says it's "a notch below In-N-Out but very, very good." Another colleague from the east coast raved about its fries, and how there's a white board near the entrance informing diners where todays spuds came from, "like a low-rent potato sommelier." The restaurants are also known for giving out complimentary peanuts while you wait for your burgers.

Five Guys has 331 locations in 28 states nationwide. Currently, the closest restaurant is in Pewaukee, Wis., 20 miles west of Milwaukee.

I like Five Guys better than In-N-Out, frankly. Less fast foody, more real, the one regional burger chain I really would like to see come here. This is good news, though an annoying location (the way-down-in-no-parking-Lincoln-Park one).

Digamus wrote:...a trusted foodie colleague in Washington says it's "a notch below In-N-Out but very, very good." Another colleague from the east coast raved about its fries, and how there's a white board near the entrance informing diners where todays spuds came from.

Yep, that about covers it. Having spent many years in the DC area, I've had my share of Five Guys burgers. For a fast food-style burger, they are very good. Not quite In-N-Out, but very good. Lots of non-standard toppings available, like fresh jalapenos, grilled onions and mushrooms, and A1. A Five guys burger with "everything" is a sloppy thing of beauty. The fries are cheap, plentiful, and terrific.

I welcome Five Guys to the area. It's not so amazing that I'll be a regular, but when the mood strikes, I'll be glad it's here.

Apples and oranges, In-N-Out and 5 Guys. The latter has taken something like great greasy spoon burgers and fries and turned it into chain fare without transforming its character. Seems easy enough, but appears to have been impossible before 5 Guys.

If I had to choose one of the two to come to Chicago, definitely 5-Guys, because I think we have some area chains already that are in the same neighborhood in terms of "form" as In-N-Out, namely Culver's and Schoop's. I'd really like to see Schoop's in the city.

I have a soft spot for Fatburger going back to a time when there was only a tiny handful of them around LA, specifically the one on Vermont between Sunset and Hollywood. This is before Magic Johnson started opening them up in strip malls next to Starbuck's. But Fatburger doesn't hold up too well to either 5-Guys or In N Out these days, IMO. And in the strange land where they have been exported and have co-existed for some time (FL), 5-Guys has travelled much better.

I had an unusually good Culver's burger today. Absolute textbook crispy exterior, best one I've had there in ages, truly Schoops-worthy. The only problem was, it was the Culver's in Winnebago, Illinois, 10 miles west of Rockford. But if you're heading to Galena or the like, it's recommended, as long as the same guy's working the grill as today.

I pulled into a motel in Alexandria VA at about 9 in the evening, checked in and asked at the desk where I might find some food. She told me to drive north and I would find Chilis, TGI Fridays, etc, etc. A depressing list but it was late, I was tired and had just driven 750 miles so I drove north.

The first place I saw was an empty Five Guys with an empty parking lot. I had never heard of the place and the lack of customers was not promising but I went in. First thing I saw was a big pile of 50lb sacks of potatoes with a sign proclaiming "today's potatoes are from Sugar City, Idaho." That sold me on the place.

Got a giant buger with cheese and bacon and a huge sack of fries. Absolutely worth the 750 mile drive - a great meal.

And today I learned that Five Guys is opening in Oak Park, IL. A 2 mile drive for me.

This is great, great news. I've been a big fan since I lived in Alexandria, Va., in the early 90s near one of the original locations in a nondescript storefront next to a dry cleaner. Great burgers and fries, plus free shell-in peanuts to snack on while you wait. I wish there was one a little further north, but some distance might be a good thing for the waistline.

it's worth going over to donrockwell.com to see the decline in quality of their products- they are a true study in overexpansion with too little control

I dont know, but I have a hard time getting excited about any chain restaurant coming to town.

Different strokes I guess.

it's worth going over to donrockwell.com to see the decline in quality of their products- they are a true study in overexpansion with too little control

Lots of similar comments on egullet as well.

I don't know a thing about Five Guys, but I do know that someday I want a job where I am "Cheeseburger Bureau Chief."

I'm sure the duties are largely ceremonial, but I bet you get a cool hat.

Ouch, the level of expansion is pretty worrying. I think when I ate there this time, they still only had something like 7 stores-- now over 200, apparently.

This is a bit surreal to me. When I lived in DC in the early-mid 90s I believe there was only 1 or 2 Five Guys' locations outside of the district. The nearest one was a pretty good drive and I would regularly borrow a car for a hangover lunch: cheeseburger and fries off of the trunk of a car.

I haven't had a burger from them since they expanded beyond 2 locations. I'll be very curious to see what this new national-mega-chain has in common with the tiny local favorite of 15 years ago.

Best,
Michael

5 Guys is good stuff. WHen I was working in Avon, CT they opened a branch up 2 minuets down the road. We all gained about 5lbs in 2 weeks. Just recently, when I was in NC for the summer, they opened a Greenville, SC location down the street from my internists (perfect location so see the effects!).

I don't know if I would compare them to In-n-Out. 5 Guys is quick food, not fast food in taste. The burgers are ticker than most any fast food place. On the down side they do cook them all well done but the meat is fatty enough to not dry out. The toppings are always very fresh and well balanced in their application. The bacon is deep fried... should I continue ? The Cajun frys are some of my favorite crispy spuds out there. One item that is often overlooked are the dogs which some folks i know find better than the burgers. A bacon dog is split down the middle and griddled with the bacon placed in the cut. Smothered with fried onion, relish and mustard it is a great approximation of a CT shore dog!

5 Guys is certainly no frills but I'm pretty glad it appears to be following me around the country.

Chicago, IL Coming Soon
Location: Clyborn-Lincoln Park
2140 Clyborn, Chicago, IL
See Map Location

Oak Park, IL Coming Soon
Location: Oak Park
1115 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301
See Map Location

Hellz Ya! This may be the only reason i decide to keep my job near Oak Park.

Ghazi wrote:Hellz Ya! This may be the only reason i decide to keep my job near Oak Park.

To clarify - I like Oak Park. But not my job.

hahaa

I'll keep an open mind, but my experiences with 5 Guys have been universally, um, sub-optimal (read:awful). I have never experienced them in the Washington area, and I have heard that their locations are highly, highly variable. Fatburger, In 'N' Out, and Culver's all rule for me when it comes to chain, fast-food burgers.

Is this the place with the peanuts? Where they have a big bin full of them for snacking & then you just toss the shells on the ground?

Grew up in Alexandria, VA, and my family always got our burgers here, back from when little Brenner's Bakery was supplying their buns. I'm really happy that they're coming to the area (I was more than a little jealous that Madison, WI got one right after I graduated), but I'm prepared for them to be not up to par. I'll know after one bite. Thanks for posting this news.

pardon the interruption, but is donrockwell.com like the LTH of DC area??

my SO says five guys is overrated and just hyped because they're in areas where there's otherwise not a good burger? i need to try... :]

viaChgo wrote:Is this the place with the peanuts? Where they have a big bin full of them for snacking & then you just toss the shells on the ground?

Yup. That's the place. But I never tossed the shells on the floor -- they give you little bowls for your discards.

viaChgo wrote:Is this the place with the peanuts? Where they have a big bin full of them for snacking & then you just toss the shells on the ground?

Yes

Five Guys, Washington D.C.



Been once and liked it just fine, good fries and anyplace you can get fresh jalapenos on a burger is ok in my book.







Enjoy,
Gary

dddane wrote:my SO says five guys is overrated and just hyped because they're in areas where there's otherwise not a good burger? i need to try... :]

I'm not one to argue with anyone's SO.... but...

There is one of the best burger places in the country (IMHO) right down the road from the 5 Guys in Avon, CT. Joe Pizza in Canton, CT makes pretty damn good New Haven thin crust (though no where near as good as Harry's Bishops Corner) but it is the burgers that are the standout menu item. They are ground from fresh chuck every day and are massive. I can not describe how good these burgers are... however... we went to 5 Guys four times as often. Simply put, Joe Pizza burgers were too much for lunch. You needed a nap and a cool towel after finishing one. The point is, 5 Guys is good, not because there is no alternative, but because the fill a niche between regular fast food and a sit down pub style burger.

Well after finally trying Kopp's Frozen Custard and Jumbo Burgers in Milwaukee this week, I'm going to get a chance to try the Five Guys in Delafield, WI next week on my way to Minnesota. These pictures look amazing, thanks!

dddane wrote:pardon the interruption, but is donrockwell.com like the LTH of DC area??

my SO says five guys is overrated and just hyped because they're in areas where there's otherwise not a good burger? i need to try... :]

Yes, donrockwell is like the LTH of the DC area. Don Rockwell is also one of the top food critics in the DC area and runs the site for free. It's worth reading if for nothing other than his random commentary.

I hit the Five Guys in Delafield, WI last week. Everything reminded me of In'N'Out (burgers made when you order, fries made fresh, very small menu). The burger was wonderful, fresh, tasty, dense, great quality. The fries were excellent too - and they give you a TON of them! I liked the cajun seasoning you can sprinkle on them as an option (and the burger too).

On my way back from Minnesota, it was getting late on Sunday, and Five Guys was still on my mind, so I stopped again in Madison. Everything was identical to my last visit - everything freshly made for me, top notch. This place is amazing and they should do well in Chicago. This place is better than Fatburger too. Right up there with In'N'Out and Steak N Shake for me in the fast food style restaurants, although all four of these are not technically fast food like McDonald's or Wendy's which get you your food in a minute.

I stopped at Five Guys on State St. in Madison this afternoon.

I would agree that the hamburger was very good, especially that they do not charge you for each of the toppings. The toasted buns, the double patties and a wide variety of toppings made for excellent hamburger. Personally, I would prefer the smaller In and Out.

On the other hand, the fries were greasy and way overdone. I am not opposed to double frying french fries BUT you are not supposed to cook them fully the first try and then brown them off. They were a disappointment.

It took about 15 minutes to get the food as they had 28 people in front of me.

The peanuts were pretty good, much better than you would get at either baseball venue.

Next time, I will do the smaller burger and skip the fries completely.

Digamus wrote:...

Five Guys Burger and Fries, rated best burger by Washingtonian Magazine seven years running, is opening two locations in the coming months: in Oak Park at 1115 Lake St., and in Chicago's Lincoln Park, at 2140 N. Clybourn Ave. The Oak Park location is scheduled for early November; Lincoln Park should be up and running in December.

...

It is early November.

I wonder how the Oak Park location is coming along?

I might have to stop by and see.