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26
2011

The Unaccountable Allure of Five Guys

Five Guys' Little Hamburger "with everything," fries, and regular drink

Road trip! A week ago today, my nephew "P" and I, finding ourselves without GFs, amorous prospects, or a social agenda, drove down to San Diego to see the sights. It's what you do when you're a L----, ha ha (no ha ha). We left home at four and got stuck in traffic for between three and three-and-a-half hours, which sucked of course. So by the time we arrived, we were ready to chow down.

Before leaving home, "P" looked online for a restaurant worth

eating at. We wanted something Mexican since SD lies so close to the border. (Going into TJ wasn't very convenient at that moment.) "P" looked up Lucha Libre Taco Shop. Unfortunately, when we got there, it looked like there was going to be a really long wait. Business was booming, which wasn't surprising given that it was Friday night. I decided to drive up to Hillcrest and see if we could find another restaurant. After cruising around a while, we ended up at Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

What I ate: 1) Little Hamburger "with everything" (around 4 USD) - a single patty hamburger with mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, and mustard. 2) Regular fountain drink (around 3 USD). I shared a plain Large French Fries with "P" (around 6 USD).

The burger was just okay. Like my previous experience at Five Guys, I was unimpressed with the presentation: it was haphazard and frumpy. Compare the Five Guys burger with any In-N-Out burger. I defy anyone who would argue that Five Guys' is better looking. As for taste, the burger was nothing spectacular. The toppings did nothing to bring the burger together and the bun - a crucial component - seemed rather dull.

The French fries were whatever as well. Even though Five Guys advertises it, it's no big deal that they're cooked in peanut oil. Most of the fries were limp and soggy - an unforgivable sin.

So what's up with all the love for Five Guys? I'm not saying Five Guys' food sucks: What I am saying is that it's not rave worthy. Even my local burger joint makes a better burger. Best French fries? You'll see opinions from various newspapers posted everywhere. I strongly disagree with those newspapers. The French fries I had at Five Guys Hillcrest were very ordinary, not to mention overpriced. I can't offer an opinion on their Cajun fries but if their plain French fries are an indicator, Five Guys does not deserve the accolade "best French fries".

There was one good thing about Five Guys Hillcrest: the super cool soda fountain. To select a drink, you touch the appropriate flavor on the touchscreen (!!!) and press "PUSH" to dispense. You can see discrete streams of carbonated water and syrup mix into your cup. There was something about the taste of the drinks, however. I got a Barq's root beer and it didn't taste like any

The soda fountain of the future. One of the coolest gadgets ever!

Barq's I've ever had. "P" got a Coke and he said it didn't taste like Coke. This might have been due to the syrups being dispensed from the same nozzle.

Parking: There is a parking lot right in front.

The Bill: For the two of us, the bill came to around 21 USD.

My Rating:

out of four stars (satisfactory to good). Open daily, 11 AM to 10 PM. Credit cards accepted. www.fiveguys.com/home.aspx

Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Urbanspoon

Last Word: After dinner, we stopped at McDonald's for soft serve ice cream cones. You know you want one.


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