5 Guys Burgers and Fries

To quote Man vs. Food host Adam Richman, 'oh my goodness, oh my goodness'; this review was a long time coming. I was first blessed with this place when they opened up a few miles down the road from my college in Utica, NY, and there was no looking back. It's a bare bones place and because of their limited menu, they are able to give their products the royal treatment... mmmmm burgers. 

It's NOT fast food!

Every 5 Guys has a unlimited quantity of free peanuts, monster orders of fresh fries and BIG a** burgers! It must be noted that I have never eaten a hot dog there because it's not called 5 Guys Hot Dogs and Fries [just doesn't have the same ring to it.] Another side note is that when ordering a burger or a bacon cheese burger you must say you want a 'small' if you only want a single patty on your buns. Toppings? They have quite a lot and they put them on... no they stack them... no they pile them on for you by the handful. And when this burger creation is done it kind of sings.... metaphorically that is, other wise that would be creepy.

What did I like? Lets start with the fries. They are always cut, blanched and fried fresh for every costumer. They aren't sitting under a hot lamp waiting to be chucked into a cup. A regular order of fries is good enough for even the most robust consumer; while, a large order is good to split. Basically a large is a big cup o' fries and then they dump another serving into your brown bag. Now comes the burger- your topping choices are vast: mayo, pickles, relish, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A1 Sauce, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, extra cheese... phew! And then there is the burger. It's a fresh hand patted patty grilled up special for you. Nice char on the outside allows the patty to have some bite to it while the inside is juicy and full of good-old-meaty-flavor BOOM. Finally, the time it takes from ordering to indulging isn't at the machine gun rate of a major MAJOR chain yet not restaurant wait time. Even at 12pm rush time I have never waited more than 5-6 minutes for my burger.

No you don't get a plastic plate with your order...

What would I change? The burgers themselves do not need any modification by any means but there are a few things that I would change. It's the consistency of burger assembly [seems like a reach right?] But, what I mean is that sometimes I would order my favorite and it would be a towering mass of toppings and cheese and sometimes it would be a flat line squish burger. I realize it can't be the same all the time but some consistency? The only other fault I can even muster is the fact that you should NEVER EVER order the Cajun fries. BLAH. I have never ordered them but have sampled others and they taste like chemical cardboard... what? Yeah, chemical cardboard. No need to drench these wonderful fries in anything other than an occasional dip in ketchup. Please avoid!

Recommendation? What do I get everytime? Bacon and cheese burger with ketchup, mustard, relish, grilled onions and lettuce, quite the misha-mosh as my Nana would say. But, no matter what you order you must try a burger and don't go too conservative with your toppings. Also, try to avoid this bad boy at rush lunch/dinner time; yes, I said ordering and receiving was at a good pace... that was NOT factoring waiting in a 20-30 person line FYI. But, they offer ordering by phone and newly added, online. Last side note, it's not chain fast food cheep, example bacon and cheese burger $6.38, but it's worth it!

Five Locations in the Charlotte, NC 28262 area: 5 Guys Burgers and Fries in Charlotte