By BlueZero
17 Jan 2012 06:41
Tonight was my first time ever going to the Five Guys Burgers and Fries chain. There has been extensive debate whether In-N-Out or Five Guys has the best food. My roommate had kept mentioning the chain had opened up nearby South Coast Plaza. I decided to go to the Irvine District shopping center location since it was closer coming from Spectrum. Let us see how this new West Coast contender fares against our beloved In-N-Out:
Ambiance:
The District Five Guys interior did not see much different from the prior burger joint which occupied their location. I enjoyed being greeted by the peanut box at the front door though since it was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there wasn't a line that evening. The tables and floor were clean, with just small amount of peanut shells on the floor which is to be expected.
Here's what I had:
Regular Fries
The fries were very tasty, it was probably the peanut oil which made them stand out. They give you a large portion of fries, so much so that sharing between two people, we still had some to take back with us. Plus for $3.09 for the regular size, it beats the pants off other fast food prices and fry quantity where a medium is like $2.50 and they are gone in seconds.
The Five Guys' fries are equivalent to the tastiness of In-N-Out's. There each have their distinct taste and texture, so I'm happy with eating either. I usually get two fries at In-N-Out, so the portions are probably chose with Five Guys giving you a little more in quantity for your money.
Burger
Five Guys does not have any "pre-defined" burgers, so I choose all the black text ingredients (mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard) plus A.1 Steak Sauce from the red text ingredients. Next time I go, I'll choose to add on jalapeno peppers.
When I picked up the burger, I noticed there was a lot of grease, more-so than found in traditional California fast food restaurants. The grease is very transparent and stealthy. I was very satisfied with the first few bites on my burger; I could taste the homemade patty which always adds a lot to a burger. As I continued, the onion taste came through a little too much over the other toppings, so next time I'll probably order the burger without onions. The A.1 Steak Sauce really shined and complemented the burger nicely. I couldn't taste the grilled mushrooms on my burger, which is disappointing since I love sautéed/grill mushrooms on meat.
The orange cheese is probably standard fare for any burger joint in the midwest, though I would have appreciated a more natural flavor. Perhaps the option for pepperjack? Yeah, I've been spoiled with nice cheese options on my burger and Five Guys could offer more choices since it has to compete with custom-burger places. From a cheese standpoint, In-N-Out wins the cheese topping battle.
The size of the burger was much larger than the In-N-Out cheeseburger. The portion was just spot-on for me today since I had a huge Mexican lunch four hours before I eat here. Overall Five Guys has a delicious burger. My nitpicking above does not diminish that they have developed a higher quality burger with a mid-fast food price ($6.09 + tax in California).
Peanuts
Free peanuts in a fast food restaurant would normally seem out of place. With enough people mentioning this prior to me actually seeing it, I gladly welcomed the peanuts. I started eating them near the end of my meal to keep the peanuts from influencing the burger and fry taste testing. Peanuts are always tasty and helped push my fullness over the top. Now after experiencing the free peanuts, makes me want to say In-N-Out should do something similar.
Overall
At the end of the meal, I was completely satisfied. I was more impressed with the burger taste than the fries. Both were tasty. Since my roommate paid for the meal, I'm not going to be as concerned about the cost. For a $6 burger, I'd be more tempted to get two cheeseburgers at In-N-Out since it's more food. For fries, I'd choose the huge portions of Five Guys.
As for the verdict of which burger titan reigns supreme, there is no clear winner. If I were craving more ingredients on my burger, I would go to Five Guys. If I wanted the grilled bun and thousand island style sauce, I would go to In-N-Out. Both chains do a superb job of making fresh burgers and fries. For me, location is the deciding factor so I'll go to the one which is closest to where I am. Each company is targeting a different client, at a different price-point and portion size. So in the end, Californians benefits from having to make the final decision.