Five Guys originates from Washington DC where their first diner was opened in the 80s. Since then they have been talked about everywhere, and are very often dubbed by the press (as well as by many people I know) as '"the best burger ever". It was both the reputation and the laid back relaxed diner style really drew me in. The décor is classic American fast food style without looking too kitsch or making you feel like you'd just stepped onto the set of Grease.
Upon ordering I was a little confused because the menu looked quite limited. Then I noticed the 'Toppings' section at the bottom which included a variety of tasty accompaniments to go inside your chosen burger or hot dog, free of charge. From burger staples like mustard and pickles to fast food firsts like steak sauce to jalapeños, you can pretty much design your meal to be exactly how you want, and that's the beauty of it.
After much deliberation, I went for a cheeseburger with ; ketchup, mayo, lettuce, grilled onions and gherkins, just to keep it simple (if you can call that many toppings simple!). I was a little surprised to see there wasn't a meal option, but chose to have one refillable drink and fries as well, would've been rude not to.
Although I chose the 'little' portion of fries from the menu, the portion was in fact not little at all but actually very generous! (I guess that's the American heritage shining through) So generous that I failed to finish them, which is a rare occurrence for me. The chips were perfect. Not too crispy or greasy, and they had their skins left on which is always a winner for me! The only criticism I have is that they were slightly too salty, but that didn't stop me from enjoying them.
As for the drinks - amazing! They have the self service drink machines stocked with every type of soft drink you could ever want, and that is no exaggeration. CocaCola in orange, vanilla and lime flavours, cloudy lemonade flavoured peach or strawberry, raspberry Fanta, Powerade and even water if all the choice was just too much to cope with. I'm pretty sure I could have stayed there all day trying all of the flavours.
The burger, the star of the show, lived up to my expectations and more. Fresh ground beef handmade patties are cooked in a way that makes them so amazingly juicy, I don't think any other burger can match their standards. Combined with the classic melting American burger cheese and all of my chosen toppings, heaven in the softest of buns.
Although the meal was really really good and was everything you want and more from a fast food joint, a fast food joint is just what it is. I thought a total of just over £13 was a lot to pay for what some people may see as a glorified Big Mac. Saying that, I did thoroughly enjoy it and it was a good feeling to eat in the knowledge that all of their food is fresh and made with high quality ingredients. If you ever have a fast food craving, I would fully recommend Five Guys, and although the price is slightly steep, it's so worth it, even if it's just for unlimited raspberry Fanta!
No comments:
Post a Comment