Five Guys?

[Jzero]

Perknose has no idea.

I bet Perknose has eaten at one or more of the following.

http://www.hollyeats.com/Charlies.htm
http://www.hollyeats.com/Zacs.htm
http://www.hollyeats.com/CharcoalPit.htm

 

[Perknose]

I bet Perknose has eaten at one or more of the following.

http://www.hollyeats.com/Charlies.htm
http://www.hollyeats.com/Zacs.htm
http://www.hollyeats.com/CharcoalPit.htm

Lol, I don't go out of my way for a burger that often, so I've never been to the Charcoal Pit, and it's been decades since I lived in that area, so I've never been to Zac's -- although my buddies tell me its decent.

But, Charlie's, ahhhhhhhhhhh, Charlie's! I grew up with Charlie's and thank-you Jzero, for reminding me of the best damn hamburger I've eaten anywhere, ever!

PERSONAL PLEA: If you need to play self-appointed OT school-marm on me and disapprove of my topic like one poster OR feel the need to sling personal insults at me in defense of your views on . . . hamburgers! . . . like another, may I quietly request that you do us both a favor and stop reading this post at this point? It will only aggravate you further.,

Thank-you! For, what follows is a rambling, extended, personal paean to the best burgers from the best burger place I ever had the great good fortune to visit, Charlie's Hamburgers!

The Charlie's that still exists is the rump survivor of the original Charlie's. The original Charlie's had character out the wazoo! It was a loooong, narrow shack, a tired old wooden building at the corner of Baltimore Pike
and Woodland Ave. (Rt 420).

Baltimore Pike, also designated US Rt. 1, is one of the oldest major roads in the continental United States, having opened in 1701 as a toll road between Philadelphia and Baltimore, btw.

Anyway,I went looking for pics of the original Charlie's so you could see the "character" I'm talking about. I mean, the floor sagged a good one foot in the middle of it, NO exaggeration!

There was just a long counter, with a series of swivel stools, about four-five feet of customer maneuver room, and then, facing the series of beat up wooden framed windows was a built in eating shelf about two feet wide at most, with a series of wooden benches so you could also eat while looking out the windows at the traffic.

It was all so ramshackle and . . . worn . . . I loved it!

While looking for pics of the original (couldn't find any), lol, I came across the following, which gives you a slight, highly idiosyncratic, sideways flavor of the time and place better than I could. (Adm. Sestak just beat out Specter for in the Dem primary for Pa Senator candidate):

Sen. Arlen Specter has a new ad lambasting Joe Sestak, suggesting he was something less than a good officer during his years in the Navy. In response, Sestak has marshaled more than 100 fellow Navy veterans to claim Specter's ad is inaccurate and a low blow.

"We served with Joe Sestak in the U.S. military and we are proud to stand with the man we knew as a sailor of the highest caliber, a leader of tremendous character and an officer of uncommon compassion," they said.

As it turned out, one of the signatories of the letter vouching for Sestak is an acquaintance of mine. So I called him and he told me a story. (For reasons I'll make clear later, he asked me not to use his name.)

"When I was in high school," he began, "I was energetic, shall we say. I did a lot of crazy things, the least of which was to stand in the parking lot of Charlie's Hamburgers on the corner of 420 and Baltimore Pike and break $10,000 worth of windows of Dick Barone's Chevrolet."

Charlie himself was a tall, muscular even in old age, rough hewn guy who started Charlie's Hamburgers in 1935.

He was seldom there by the time I started going there as a teen in the sixties, stopping off to partake with my buddy while hitch-hiking our way to EJ Korvettes where he would shop lift and I would buy AMT car model kits.

He had bad teeth but a friendly dispositon. I saw him twice at the place, not working but just standing back behind the counter and quietly beaming out at the customers through his stained and crooked teeth, obviously pleased with what he'd created.

He used to shut down the damn shop entirely for a couple months in the winter so he could take his annual vacation in Florida. He didn't fucking care. No Charlie, no Charlie's, it was as simple as that!

It was said he treated his employees well, and I totally believe that. Charlie's was a genuine working class place that did one thing, did it very well, and everyone involved took basic pride in that fact.

The original Charlie's sold only hamburgers/cheeseburgers and genuine milk shakes given to you in the giant stainless steel container in which they'd been mixed before your eyes along with an iced glass which you could fill from that 3-4 times.

They sold NOT . . . ONE . . . THING . . . ELSE! Even as I say that I can't believe they didn't sell sodas, so maybe they did, BUT I can't summon that visual memory of a machine or bottles or anyone around me having anything else besides burgers and a shake.

And . . . their burgers were, hands down, THE best I have ever tasted until this very day!

They automatically came with a dollop of ketchup, a dollop of relish and some raw diced onions in perfect, non burger taste overwhelming quantities.

Just like the restaurants in England when I was there (do they still do it this way), who gave you tea with milk unless you specifically requested otherwise, Charlie's made you burger this way without asking unless you specifically requested otherwise!

[Come to think of it, this was maybe one of FiveGuys failings for me. I ordered my large with their full standard array of toppings, and, while I love toppings, in retrospect they all were cumulatively too much and fought the burger itself for taste supremacy. What you put on a good burger should enhance and complement it's natural flavor, not dominate it. That was my mistake.]

Anyway, sometime in the mid seventies, Charlie retired, shut his restaurant down, and sold the property. The shack wasn't worth squat, but his location at the corner of two very bush roads was prime commercial real estate. Actually, I think Dick Barone's Chevrolet bought it so they could expand.

My Dad bought a Corvair Monza in 1963 as a go to work car (rear engine, rear wheel drive outperforms FWD for traction in the snow, you know) from Farmer Dick Barone and, as we were driving away in it, the salesman leaned in the window and said, "Btw, these Monza's run better on premium fuel, kthxbye" . . . but that's another story. :sneaky:

Well, when Charlie's shut down people were devastated. That may sound funny to you, but the place was a treasured institution!

Charlie himself didn't give a shit. He was Charlie, his place was Charlie's, and he was done so his place was done as far as he was concerned.

No Charlie? No Charlie's! Just like when he'd shut the place down for two full months every winter when he went on vacation. To him, it was as simple as that.

Months went by, maybe half a year, and I don't know the particulars and don't know anyone who does, but the employees of Charlie's somehow finally got him to consent/sell/I don't know the rights to the name Charlies Hamburgers and, 35 years or so ago, they opened at the present location.

I haven't been, but my homies tell me the burgers and shakes are as good as ever, done the exact Charlie's way.

And, of course, their menu has wildly expanded! It now includes hot dogs (cooked on the same grill and put on the same buns as the burgers), grilled cheese, soda, and chips in a bag if you must.

Still no fries! There have never been fries at Charlie's! Just the best burgers in our particular solar system,imho.

Looking for pics and history of the old Charlie's, I came across reviews of the "new" one, which I will now quote endlessly because this blog post of mine lacks sufficient length, imho.

I first found out about Charlie’s from George Motz’s amazing book Hamburger America. Charlie’s was one of two entires for the state of Pennsylvania and I had never heard of it.

Charlie’s doesn’t much look like an impressive place. In fact, when you go inside, there is a grill, some space for condiments, an ice machine, an ice cream freezer, a milkshake machine, and a fountain drink machine.

Charlie's Front View


There are about 5 stools on a counter overlooking the action and some other stools along the wall where you can wait after placing an order.

These are very thin burgers and they are smashed down with a spatula as they are placed on the grill. The burger patties are made from fresh ground beef and are pre-shaped, ready for the grilling. As you watch the process, you realize that these may not be the healthiest of hamburgers.

The shake was of the old fashioned variety, chocolate ice cream with milk added... And, it was amazingly flavorful.

The meat ended up being very loosely packed and the burger was very thin, but incredible. One of the best burgers I’ve ever had.

The burgers are fairly small, maybe a little larger than a McDonald’s single cheeseburger, though Charlie’s bun has a little more heft to it.

I’ve taken a few people to Charlie’s since the initial visit and the experience is very consistent.

I would be lying to myself if I didn’t put Charlie’s into our Hall of Fame. I love coming here for both the experience and the burgers.

I grew up eating at Charlie’s.

I defy anyone to eat just one of their burgers. It can’t be done!!!! Everyone eats at least 2 on a visit. I heard that Zac’s (Burgers) actually worked for Charlie for years and then went out on his own. Zac’s is good BUT not as good as Charlie’s.

Do yourself a favor and a treat and go to Charles and experience 2 cheeseburgers “loaded” with a Black and white milkshake. You won’t regret it.

Wow, found an entry that goes into some good (if sometimes wrong) detail. After all these years, I finally know Charlie Convenry's last name!

The errors are right at the beginning. The route is 420, not 402 and Charlie's wasn't "forced" to relocate anywhere! Charlie shut it and sold the property on his own damn terms, and it was at least a half a year before he could be persuaded to let his employee use his name at the "new" place.

Charlie’s Hamburgers was first opened by Charlie Convenry in 1935. When the restaurant was forced to relocate further away from Route 402, Charlie sold it to long-time manager, Bernard “Bunny” McDonald, who opened the new Folsom, PA, location in 1986.

One juicy bite of a Charlie’s hamburger makes it easy to understand how they have maintained a loyal fan base despite a no-frills attitude and an influx of fast-food chains— little besides the location has changed. The same family of Jewish butchers has supplied the restaurant since 1935 and aside from the ice cream, nothing is frozen. The secret behind the beef is that they use meat from the front portion of the stomach. When asked about the smaller than average burger size, it’s explained that things are done the way they were first done and that, “people had smaller appetites back then.”

To compensate for the smaller patty size, most customers order doubles (above). Cheeseburgers are topped with thick slabs of yellow American cheese cut the old-fashioned way, from a giant brick. At Charlie’s, hot dogs (right) mean Philly Franks sliced through the center and weighted so the insides get blackened and extra crispy. Burgers and dogs are served on Baker’s Touch Sandwich Rolls, and the buns are always grilled on the greasy flattop. Condiments include ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, tomato, onions, but you also have the option of ordering “à la Charlie,” with pickles, tomato and fried onion (top). Charlie’s has always used Potts Ice Cream to make their super thick milkshakes. It’s said that this is in return for Mr. Potts having lent Charlie Convenry part of the stake he needed to originally open the restaurant.

It might seem easy to saddle up to the counter and consume burger after burger with a cool Black-and-White milkshake, but if you’re the competitive type, keep in mind you’ll have to best the current record of 28 burgers if you want the title for most eaten. According to the folks at Charlie’s, this record is the legacy of Pat Ryan, who played the Mayor in The Toxic Avenger. Considering the cult following for these hamburgers, it’s fitting that an actor from a cult classic holds Charlie’s hamburger-eating title.

Cool story brah? ()

 

[Jzero]

Wow that was epic!

I am too young for the old Charlie's, but a friend of mine who is says the burgers are just as good as he remembers. The current ones are amazing at any rate. There is nothing like them.

 

[venkman]

Tl;dr

 

[cheezy321]

TL;dr

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Holy fuck

 

[ussfletcher]

D:

 

[zerocool84]

Overpriced and not that good. It's not terrible but would choose and In-N-Out burger over it any day.

 

[mb]

Wow a cheeseburger snob.

If not liking shitty tasting, overly greasy food makes me a snob then so be it.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Our local 5 Guys finally opened yesterday. I went in there about 5:30 and it looked like a riot was going on. So many people. I wonder if that will change? I'm not a big fan of waiting in long lines.

Anyway I got a the little bacon cheeseburger and small fries. Delicious! I'll be going back. IMO this is on par with In and Out. Very good fresh fast food.

 

[Codewiz]

Overnighted from somewhere else? Lolololol @ your idea of fresh!

You make "lots of bread" and yet can't even match their McDonald's grade bun? How much fail is that? What IS your idea of a good roll, anyway?

Ahhhhh, South Carolina, NOW I understand! I've been down your way. You can't find a decent roll in the supermarket! Except for the transplants who know better, you folks still thinks hoagie rolls should be the pale, featureless, fall apart consistency of a 99cent bag of generic hot dog buns from the FailMart!

I live in an area where we KNOW about rolls. The cheese steak and the Italian hoagie originated in our area, and we know a good premium sammy requires a chewy, high-gluten roll that won't fall apart if you just look at it and adds, not detracts from the sammy!

No wonder you think Five Guys bread is delicious. You just don't know any better! And, again, massive, massive fail at your idea of "fresh"!


If you're supposed to start eating them in under 1 minute, WHY do they take the then unnecessary and consistency destroying step of wrapping them in tin foil in the first place?

C'mon, genius, riddle me that!

You needlessly personally insult me -- over a burger chain thread, no less! -- you get it right back, asshole.

Let me start with, you are a douche. Mod or not, you are a douche.

Now to your post. Oh so I am from South Carolina(so original). Do you know where I was born? Do you know where I have lived? Do you know that I travel all over the world? Oh yeah you don't know shit so you can shove it up your ass.

As to most burger joints, mom/pop or otherwise, very very very very few make their own bread fresh daily. You can go enjoy your subway though as I am sure you think that is high quality bread. Most either ship it in or use off the shelf stuff. And most that ship it in don't do it overnight.

And since you have reading comprehension issues, no where did I saw you had to eat your burger in one minute. I said OPEN. Your complaint was about steaming the bun. Open it up and there is no steaming.

So you can take all your "fail" and go fuck yourself.

--------------------
Name calling in the sandbox is all well and good.

When one takes it out of the sandbox; the first one is responsible and gets slapped.

You are the guilty one in this regard. - that earned the infraction
There was no evidence of Moderator power/usage in anything Perknose posted. - that earns a week off

Anandtech Moderator
Common Courtesy

 

[shortylickens]

Let me start with, you are a douche. Mod or not, you are a douche.

Now to your post. Oh so I am from South Carolina(so original). Do you know where I was born? Do you know where I have lived? Do you know that I travel all over the world? Oh yeah you don't know shit so you can shove it up your ass.

As to most burger joints, mom/pop or otherwise, very very very very few make their own bread fresh daily. You can go enjoy your subway though as I am sure you think that is high quality bread. Most either ship it in or use off the shelf stuff. And most that ship it in don't do it overnight.

And since you have reading comprehension issues, no where did I saw you had to eat your burger in one minute. I said OPEN. Your complaint was about steaming the bun. Open it up and there is no steaming.

So you can take all your "fail" and go fuck yourself.

I'd like to be the first to congratulate you on your premier ban.

When you come back, let us know what burgers you had.
:awe:

 

[kranky]

Perknose, that was masterful. I can completely relate to the admiration that a great burger can create. And the quirky owner added to the story as well.

We have two joints in town here which trigger similar feelings in me and they are just a mile apart on the same street. One started as a pizza place, moved up the street then sold only hoagies. The other is a bar and their kitchen sells only hoagies. Both have not been updated/remodeled since the 1950's as far as I can tell. At the one with the bar, it's not unusual to see someone passed out (er, let's call it "taking a nap") with their head laying on the bar.

The bun... the bun... it's just as important as any other part of the sandwich, yet so few places will do the right thing. There are joints that can put together a great cheesesteak or grill a great burger, but don't use the right bun.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Five Guys is the taste equivalent of buying low-grade, high fat beef from Wal-Mart and cooking it on a George Foreman grill, and then putting all the grease drippings back on it.

I could understand this post if you were a tr00 burger connoisseur that only went to the smallest, hippest, most hole-in-the-wall-secretive burger joints in the world, but you think that "In-N-Out pwnz all". Any store bought beef cooked on any form of grill will come out tastier than In-N-Out, provided you have enough experience with electronics to properly operate a timer. They are great for a franchise, but come on.

EDIT: And that was the greatest Perknose post I've ever read. :awe:

 

[scott916]

Interesting. There's one opening up in Sacramento soon. However, it's all about Squeeze Inn. I feel sorry for you non cheese skirt-having sad sacks.

 

[Kelemvor]

Seen a lot of talk about 5 guys lately. Have one 10 minutes from my house, another at a mall about 20 minutes away, another going up at another mall, etc. They just came into our market (Milwaukee, WI) a year or two ago as far as I know, and I have yet to go there.

Everyone I ask says the burgers are awesome though.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

Let me start with, you are a douche. Mod or not, you are a douche.

Now to your post. Oh so I am from South Carolina(so original). Do you know where I was born? Do you know where I have lived? Do you know that I travel all over the world? Oh yeah you don't know shit so you can shove it up your ass.

As to most burger joints, mom/pop or otherwise, very very very very few make their own bread fresh daily. You can go enjoy your subway though as I am sure you think that is high quality bread. Most either ship it in or use off the shelf stuff. And most that ship it in don't do it overnight.

And since you have reading comprehension issues, no where did I saw you had to eat your burger in one minute. I said OPEN. Your complaint was about steaming the bun. Open it up and there is no steaming.

So you can take all your "fail" and go fuck yourself.

Wow. No. Most burger places do get fresh bread daily. Because restaurants either make it themselves or get it from a local bakery. Local bakery is the most common method. Getting bread shipped in is some lazy ass bullshittery. Day old bread is not fresh bread.

The meat at 5Guys is literally the worst hamburger I've ever had in my entire life. You cannot legally serve worse meat in this country. They slam their burgers with a huge weight and press on them. It's shitty. It's the worst possible way of cooking the meat. It ruins the meat. It is bad. It is not good. BAD. IT'S BAD. You want a nasty dry hamburger, go to McDonalds or 5Guys. If you want a good burger, go ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYWHERE else.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Ok, just got back from them. Quick summary: not worth the hype by any means.

Burger: The burger was actually very good. I can also see where some of the toppings that I'm not into would be a total selling point for others. But it wasn't better than any of the mom and pop places around, just the big chains. Trouble is, it's twice the price of the big chains, and it's not twice as good, just much better. I can get a much better burger for 2/3 the price by going to a cafe or Cap'n Yobi's (a local small chain).

Fries: Not the worst I've had (that goes to Burgerville), but they're the second worst.

Portions: Very generous. I will admit that they give you a pretty big burger, and a huge heap of crappy fries no one should even want one of.

Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[eits]

Absolutely great. The best burger joint around, period.

this

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

I didn't know so many people liked 5 guys in their mouths.

 

[ichy]

I had Five Guys for the first time in several months yesterday evening. Oh god it was good.

 

[SP33Demon]

5 Guys is good if you like greasy burgers. Better than the other fast food chains but I wouldn't say it's the best. Basically just an overpriced but decent burger.

 

[dbk]

Yeah the burgers ok.. Crappy buns and well done only. The fries are money, though.

 

[Fritzo]

5 Guys is good if you like greasy burgers. Better than the other fast food chains but I wouldn't say it's the best. Basically just an overpriced but decent burger.

You can get a single burger, fries for 2, and a drink for under $6. Where's the overpriced part?

 

[darkswordsman17]

Ate at one a couple weeks back, thought it was great.

For people complaining about the buns, I honestly can't say I've had any burger ever that had what you'd call good bread. I could see if they took forever and the buns got really mushy, but it wasn't a problem at the one I ate at.

I loved their fries, my favorite style. I also ate at Red Robin for the first time and while I liked them ok I hate their crappy steak fries (they can't at least season them?).