Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries, Manhattan

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Five Guys Burgers and Fries are a chain burger joint, and there are a lot of them operating around the US and Canada. They're not like most burger chains though - they don't heat any burger patties under any heat lamps. Instead, the burger patties are cooked for you when you order them, and so while they are always super fresh, they also take a little longer than other fast-food places to get in your belly.



Their menu is very limited. They don't go in for numerous sides and different burger options. They have four different burgers in what they call their regular size that come with two beef patties. They are: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Bacon Burger and Bacon Cheeseburger. Then they have the same choices in a 'little' size. The little burgers just have one beef patty. They offer french fries as their only side, and they come in two sizes regular or large, and Five Guys Style or Cajun Style. Then they offer three sandwiches: Veggie, Cheese Veggie or Grilled Cheese. However, none of these come with a veggie patty. The only other item offered are hot dogs in four kinds: Kosher Style Hot Dog, Cheese Dog, Bacon Dog, Bacon Cheese Dog. There's no salad in sight.



Once you decide what kind of burger you want, you can add your free toppings to make it your own. I like the number of toppings available for free, and you can ask for extra of any of them at no charge. I also like the freshness of the tomato, and that the lettuce is shredded by hand to eliminate the browning that happens when it's diced with a knife or machine. It's these little details that lift Five Guys a little bit above other burger places.



I chose to add lettuce, tomato, fried onion and fried mushrooms to my little bacon burger along with BBQ sauce. Other things I could have added for free include: mayo, pickles, jalapenos, green peppers, raw onion, relish, mustard, ketchup, A1 Steak Sauce or hot sauce. I wouldn't pay the prices of the burgers at Five Guys without being able to make these additions. A burger and fries will cost you more from here than many other burger joints.

The buns don't look like much but they're soft and slightly sweet. The patty on my burger was slightly crunchy on the outside and even though it was quite thin, it was moist on the inside, just how I like it. The BBQ sauce was smokey and the bacon crunchy and tasty. Next time I would ask for a little extra sauce to really maximise the flavours. I couldn't really taste the mushrooms but the onion brought in a nice little crunch to the proceedings too. And, despite the name, there was nothing small about the burger. My partner ordered a bacon cheeseburger and the two of us split a regular fries and it was the perfect amount of food for both of us.



There are barrels of peanuts still in their shells that you can enjoy at the locations, but they do not allow you to take any away with you. It's partly to do with spreading allergens apparently, but I'm sure it also wouldn't help their bottom line if people took wholesale amounts of peanuts home with them.



I'm pretty picky about my fries but I really like the way Five Guys do theirs. They're made from hand-cut potatoes, and each time you go in, the board states where the potatoes they're using that day came from. They heap them into the containers too. If you get a regular, the container will be overflowing and there will be a decent amount littered at the bottom of the bag.



In terms of surroundings, all the Five Guys locations I've seen are basic and similar. Red and white check patterns adorn some surfaces, the chairs and table are plain. The walls are lined with platitudes from different papers and surveys that have honoured Five Guys in their pages. It's a no frills dining experience but the burgers are pretty good, and I doubt anyone's there to soak up the ambiance.



Overall, although a bit pricier than some other fast-food burger options, Five Guys are of a slightly higher calibre, and so perhaps warrant the extra cost. A little bacon burger will run you around $6.50, while a regular Five Guys style fries is around $3.60.

#takeaway
#manhattan
#lunch
#food_wine
#dinner
#burgers
%wnnewyork