The greatest injustice in history: Five Guys beats In-n-Out

[zinfamous]

Every Chipotle restaurant I've ever been to...EVER...has a ridiculous line around the restaurant. Waiting in line is the Chipotle experience. It's even acknowledged in that fluffer documentary.

Those lines always run fast as hell though, that's why I think of Chipotle as incredibly fast. At least, at the well-managed franchises. Chik Fil-A is the same if you try to go at lunch--they have those double drivethroughs with 2 parallel lines of cars wrapping around the store, and lines inside, but it moves quick.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Touche. The boutique places around here have switched to boxes, which I much prefer (especially considering it somehow takes the drives half a damned hour to drive like 5 miles).

 

[DigDog]

I live in New England (The good one, in America) and a double cheeseburger at 5guys costs me about $7. Heres a protip, be really nice to the guy taking your order, and he will put your order in as 2 patties, but charge you for just 1. I got a double cheeseburger with everything I wanted on it for $7.20, after tax.

i lived there for quite a while, and if i was living in NE now, i sure as hell wouldn't go to 5 guys. I'd WAY much rather have a chowda than a burger. Or clam bake. or mussels. or crab cakes. or lobster.

if NE had ribs, it would be heaven. (i mean ribs that dont suck)


before you accuse me of not being NE enough, just know that i pronounce water "woa".

 

[JM Aggie08]

Whataburger > *

Opposing viewpoints are nothing short of utter blasphemy. You god damn heretics.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I live in New England (The good one, in America) and a double cheeseburger at 5guys costs me about $7. Heres a protip, be really nice to the guy taking your order, and he will put your order in as 2 patties, but charge you for just 1. I got a double cheeseburger with everything I wanted on it for $7.20, after tax.

$7.20 for a bad greasy burger is not a win.

 

[Xstatic1]

I eat at Five Guys maybe once every two years, whereas In-N-Out gets my money at least once a month.

 

[Ns1]

I eat at Five Guys maybe once every two years, whereas In-N-Out gets my money at least once a month.

I feel so dirty - I've been to shake shack more times than in n out this month

 

[Xstatic1]

I feel so dirty - I've been to shake shack more times than in n out this month

I just checked-- Shake Shack will be opening in my city later this year.

 

[Smoblikat]

$7.20 for a bad greasy burger is not a win.

Good because I lied. After posting that, i literally drove to 5guys and bought a burder just to make sure im not overhyping myself. The burger was good but they use American cheese and I dont really like it, but a double patty cheeseburger actually cost me exactly $6.49, after tax. The burger is well worth $6.49 IMO. Thats what a gross whopper of big mac costs.

 

[zinfamous]

I feel so dirty - I've been to shake shack more times than in n out this month

I don't even know who you are anymore!

 

[Ns1]

I don't even know who you are anymore!

shake shack has chicken sandwiches, bacon, and beer....

 

[zinfamous]

shake shack has chicken sandwiches, bacon, and beer....

oh shit they have beer? is that only on the WC?

 

[GoodRevrnd]

In my experience, both Five Guys and Shake Shack can be better than In n Out. Unfortunately reality has demonstrated they're unable to deliver with any consistency. Especially Five Guys.

I'll also note I've never gone to In n Out because I wanted a burger, I go because I specifically want an In n Out burger. It's cheap, it's good, it's simple, you know exactly what you'll get. If I want a more oomphy burger, then all these other chains have to compete against all the random local places that cost the same or a bit more. There's a dive bar near me where I can get a 1/2 lb burger and fries for $7 and they grind their own meat and will actually cook it medium rare. Five Guys fries are awesome if you can actually get them not soggy, but their burger can't touch this place.

 

[MrSquished]

I think they did extremely well since there are only 80 some odd Shake Shacks and over 1500 five guys. IMO Shake Shake absolutely blows the rest away by a HUGE margin, but most people have never had it therefore they couldn't vote for it.

yeah I kinda thought it was a numbers game but still thought it was an injustice a bit.

I do agree that the Shack is not just the best but by a large margin. I've tried burger joints all over the country and just remember those first bites of a double shackburger being like a revelation 'THIS is what a burger has been supposed to taste like this whole time'

 

[MrSquished]

oh shit they have beer? is that only on the WC?

nah they have beer at east coast locations as well. at least some that I've been to in the NY metro area like the one at Battery Park City. I've been to a few more locations in the city but can't remember the beer situation cause I don't drink beer, so don't seek it out.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Good because I lied. After posting that, i literally drove to 5guys and bought a burder just to make sure im not overhyping myself. The burger was good but they use American cheese and I dont really like it, but a double patty cheeseburger actually cost me exactly $6.49, after tax. The burger is well worth $6.49 IMO. Thats what a gross whopper of big mac costs.

So a shitty burger costs as much as a different shittier burger? So what? It's a $6.49 shitty burger, that's not something to be proud of. Do you understand how easy it is to make a great burger at home and how little decent ground beef costs?

 

[MrSquished]

So a shitty burger costs as much as a different shittier burger? So what? It's a $6.49 shitty burger, that's not something to be proud of. Do you understand how easy it is to make a great burger at home and how little decent ground beef costs?

it's good to go to a local butcher and experiment with mixing up different cuts of beef. I went through my whole life just making burgers from the 80/20 chuck at the grocery store except one time I ground it fresh at home (and it was delicious) until I tried Shake Shack. It was so much better than any burger I've had previously so I did some reading and voila, turns out they use a secret blend of 3 cuts of LaFrieda beef. So experiment is all I'm saying, even if you are just cooking at home.

 

[Anubis]

honestly 5 guys wins simply because their frys don't suck, even dbl cooked in and outs frys taste like fing cardboard. the burger is fine but honestly i like piling stuff on my burger and 5 guys lets me do that

normal burger id say they are equal but quality of frys and amount of toppings puts 5 guys miles ahead

also 5 guys has a bacon wrapped hotdog

 

[GagHalfrunt]

it's good to go to a local butcher and experiment with mixing up different cuts of beef. I went through my whole life just making burgers from the 80/20 chuck at the grocery store except one time I ground it fresh at home (and it was delicious) until I tried Shake Shack. It was so much better than any burger I've had previously so I did some reading and voila, turns out they use a secret blend of 3 cuts of LaFrieda beef. So experiment is all I'm saying, even if you are just cooking at home.

Oh, no doubt you can come up with some tasty blends if you experiment a little. But even if you're lazy and/or cheap that basic 80/20 chuck from the supermarket can make a really good burger as long as you cook it properly. And it's 1000 times better than the beef that McD, Wendy's, BK and Five Guys use. But let's be honest here, the way most people eat burgers, the quality or taste of the beef matters very little. Once it's loaded up with ketchup, cheese, bacon, pickle, onion, lettuce and tomato it could probably be rat meat and nobody would notice. That's how McD, Wendy's, BK and Five Guys survive in the first place, the burger is just a platform to deliver the condiments. And that's fine, if that's how you like your burgers, go for it. But if that's how you like your burgers you might as well go for cheap bad beef instead of overpriced bad beef and that's what Five Guys is: Overpriced bad beef.

 

[Ns1]

^^

The beef is the easiest part. Finding a quality bun that doesn't cost $1/bun is hard.

And after that's all said and done, you've spent $20 + 3 hours on 1 burger.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

^^

The beef is the easiest part. Finding a quality bun that doesn't cost $1/bun is hard.

And after that's all said and done, you've spent $20 + 3 hours on 1 burger.

So true. The perfect burger bun is rare and elusive.

 

[MrSquished]

So true. The perfect burger bun is rare and elusive.

the perfect burger bun is a Martin's potato roll. It's been discovered. I always used those for over a decade. When the shack opened, they chose that roll as well. They chose well.

Oh, no doubt you can come up with some tasty blends if you experiment a little. But even if you're lazy and/or cheap that basic 80/20 chuck from the supermarket can make a really good burger as long as you cook it properly. And it's 1000 times better than the beef that McD, Wendy's, BK and Five Guys use. But let's be honest here, the way most people eat burgers, the quality or taste of the beef matters very little. Once it's loaded up with ketchup, cheese, bacon, pickle, onion, lettuce and tomato it could probably be rat meat and nobody would notice. That's how McD, Wendy's, BK and Five Guys survive in the first place, the burger is just a platform to deliver the condiments. And that's fine, if that's how you like your burgers, go for it. But if that's how you like your burgers you might as well go for cheap bad beef instead of overpriced bad beef and that's what Five Guys is: Overpriced bad beef.

Agreed. I like few toppings. I like my burger usually with just onion and mayo with a hint of ketchup. Once in awhile I'll have a burger with a few toppings, like an egg and bacon but I don't really like all those concoctions with all sorts of crazy toppings. Although there are gourmet burger places that use great quality ingredients including the beef who have burgers with lots of toppings - what do you think of that option? They aren't trying to hide bad beef with toppings. But, I'm just a creature of habit, even when I go to those kind of places I stick with my simple burger.

But I do like Shacks lettuce, tomato and shack sauce as well (think similar to a 1000 island)

 

[Ns1]

^^

thanks for the protip. Do you get those at a mass market or...?

Although there are gourmet burger places that use great quality ingredients including the beef who have burgers with lots of toppings - what do you think of that option?

I pay them to be the goddamn chef.

Are you referring to places like The Counter?

 

[purbeast0]

Both In-and-Out and 5 guys are overrated IMO. I'm from the east coast and rarely go to 5 guys. It's not that it sucks or anything, it's just I'd rather go eat somewhere else most of the time.

In-and-Out I always hit up when in San Diego though for the simple fact that they don't have any around here and I like how it tastes. I also always hit up MXN and a bunch of other taco shops while out there, just because we don't have all that shit here either.

Both of them are good though, just nothing really special about either of them to me personally.

 

[purbeast0]

the perfect burger bun is a Martin's potato roll. It's been discovered. I always used those for over a decade. When the shack opened, they chose that roll as well. They chose well.

That is pretty much the only rolls I buy as well when I'm making burgers on the grill.

And to make them even better, toast them on the grill for a little bit to get that perfect crisp on both sides of the inside. Best damn rolls out there.