I finally had a chance to try out the Oak Park outpost of Five Guys this morning. I ordered a little cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, raw onions, pickles, jalapenos. It was a solid burger. Mine was not overcooked and actually even had a little tiny bit of pink left in it, despite the sign warning that all burgers are cooked to well done. It was a perfectly serviceable burger, with a very clean taste. My only complaint is the bun is a bit "gummy" (for lack of better descriptor) for my tastes. It's nowhere near as good as In 'n' Out or Fatburger to me, but it is a respectable chain hamburger. I still prefer Culver's to Five Guys, but it's close.

That said, all these chains I've mentioned put out a respectable product, and there's no real sense in trying to claim one is objectively better than another. Try them all and see what you like. I could see how some people swear by these burgers, and were I living in Oak Park, Five Guys would be a routine stop for me. However, I'm not going to go out of my way for it. Now, an In 'n' Out I would drive many miles for....

I read all of this Five Guys stuff and saw one at the University Park Mall in Mishawaka,In.It was OK.I don't know why they would only have american cheese.Nice to get mushrooms and grilled onions for no extra charge.The fries were better than expected but no where close to Al's or other Chicago icons.At least they weren't previously frozen or worse yet one of those examples of those coated monstrosities that have gotten popular lately.Someone mentioned a good point about the decorations being nothing but rave reviews which is way overdone.For some reason I felt the bun was just right. I liked it much better than any of the Culvers ,Schoops, Miner Dunn crispy edge burgers.All in all I would rather have a Redamaks.On another note Jimmy's Place in New Buffalo makes a pretty good burger.Mickeys in Union Pier just opened with a pretty average burger and just terrible coated french fries.

i just had some 5 guys yesterday. i had the bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, grilled onions and jalepeno. large cajun fries. i also tried the bacon cheese dog and thought it tasted pretty good. i would prefer the bun unbroken, but otherwise the taste was there. here's where i'm at regarding five guys and in n out:

burger for burger, fry for fry, i give five guys the edge. meaning, a five guys burger and fries versus an in n out burger and fries ends up with five guys edging out in n out. however, when you start throwing animal style burger and fries in, along with maybe 3x3 or 4x4 and you add in the cheaper cost, in n out edges out five guys. the customization and lower price point gives in n out the edge in that regard, but all things equal, i think five guys tastes better.

I paid another visit to Five Guys last Friday. Had a double bacon burger. It was delicious. I love the crisp bacon. The fries unfortunately were a tad undercooked for my liking. I appreciate fresh cooked fries anytime, anyplace, but I may have to request well done, or extra crispy in the future. While I was in there, there was a reporter and cameraman from Channel 7 doing a story on the place. It does irk me a little that a burger and fries has to cost $10 with a drink, especially when I'm low in the wallet lately!

Tried 5G's again on Friday and things seemed a bit better. I watched them make my burgers like a hawk, making sure I got exactly what I ordered. Alas, it was unnecessary as they got it right.

I have a problem with their grilled onions which are not really grilled, more like steamed in a crock-pot. I dunno, they might spend a few seconds on the grill before they are thrown in the crock-pot, but whatever the case they are seriously lacking. I will be getting raw onions from now on.

Re Goldy's in Forest Park (mentioned above):

I used to go there all the time--absolutely loved the place (burgers, atmosphere, people, everything)--but the last few times I was there, probably a couple years ago now, the drop-off in food quality seemed so dramatic (dry, tasteless, lifeless, etc.) that I haven't been back since.

Should I give it another chance???

epistrophy123 wrote:Re Goldy's in Forest Park (mentioned above):

I used to go there all the time--absolutely loved the place (burgers, atmosphere, people, everything)--but the last few times I was there, probably a couple years ago now, the drop-off in food quality seemed so dramatic (dry, tasteless, lifeless, etc.) that I haven't been back since.

Should I give it another chance???

The cons are that Goldy's is cold in the winter and the burger is basic. I'm not sure they even salt and pepper the beef. But it is what it is - a basic, simple serving of unadulterated hamburger. And sometimes, its exactly what I crave. It's not my wife. It's more like my mistress. (I'm neither married, nor would i have a mistress. Nor am i comparing the female species to ground beef. . .i digress)

I only hit Goldy's when the mood strikes, as i generally prefer other spots in the area" 5 Guys (if you keep the toppings simple), Culvers, even Portillo's. For a pleasant surprise, try Sneakers Bar and Grill on Grand in Forest Park. Many people at work swear by it and I'm glad I recently found it.

Sneakers Bar and Grill
9721 Grand Ave
Franklin Park, IL 60131
(847) 455-4444

FYI, the Lincoln Park location officially opened today.

2140 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-327-5953

I stopped in the LP location for a burger around 930p last night. There were a few people finishing up and a couple of the employees were ordering dogs but other than that it was quiet. This wasn't my first time at five guys but was my first time to a five guys location other than the D.C airport. I didn't know about the peanuts and bags and bags of tato's in line. The potato's were from Sugar City, Idaho if you care where where food comes from.

Food wise I thought the burger was what a fast food burger should be. It was actually better than the couple time's I had it at Dulles airport. I got a junior which I think is a great size for a snack burger and the patty may have been a little under seasoned but that can be fixed and I enjoyed the topping selection and the soft bun that fell apart a third of the way thru. The fries were good but way, way under salted but that wasn't a biggie for me because I took it home. My only problem was the size of a small fries, I'll never eat that many so I always throw half of them out because they give you so much, a small is enough for 2-3. One thing I thought was funny was a sign above the cashier saying "we cook our meat juicy and well done" huh? impossible.

In the end I'll for sure return a few times a year when I get that hankering for a fast food burger. I would put these ahead of the others who recently moved into Chicagoland (Sonic & FatBurger) and maybe even ahead of Culvers for one of the best burgers from a franchise. Its still not better than Schoops or my favorite...White Castle.

...and speaking of Schoops. If people like their style of burgers, smashburger out of Denver is the next to march into Chicago. I love that style but its owned by Quizno's so I'm hesitant. We shall see.

First a disclaimer: We don't eat a lot of fast food and we're likely older than the target market.

We stopped by Wednesday at the LP location for lunch. Both the burger and cheeseburger had a steamed/grilled quality reminiscent of Wendy's. The fries were undersalted - easily remedied - but many were also underdone as well, judging from the translucent look. We walked right up and ordered so the issue was not pressure on the staff. Not a bargain at $20 for a hamburger, cheeseburger, and two small fries and drinks. The biggest deal breaker was the volume of the music; we couldn't carry on a conversation comfortably.

Next time we have a taste for hamburger and fries we'll go back down the street to What's the Beef. Better food, a couple of dollars cheaper, and a long-time local business.

Stopped by the LP location - second time patronizing the Five Guys chain.

A burger much better than McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's and the like. But thats about as far as it goes. The bun leaves a lot to be desired - someone said "gummy" - i guess thats the adjective i would use for it.

Mushrooms - leave em off. Burger patties don't have too much flavor to em, but the fries are noteworthy. I wouldn't think, ever, to try a dog - they might just want to abort that item here in Illinois yeah? It's refreshing to see crisp lettuce, quality pickles and tomatoes on a fast food burger - more than the national chains can claim.

Let's put it this way - i'm excited that there's a decent burger joint on my way to work (I take Clybourne). I will stop there on a decently regular basis, however, i think i'm done going out of my way for it. If i do make a drive for a fast food burger, it's to Muskie's - a great local place worth supporting.

Muskie's
2878 N Lincoln Ave
(between Diversey Pky & George St)
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 883-1633

djenks wrote:Let's put it this way - i'm excited that there's a decent burger joint on my way to work (I take Clybourne). I will stop there on a decently regular basis, however, i think i'm done going out of my way for it. If i do make a drive for a fast food burger, it's to Muskie's - a great local place worth supporting.

Damn, that little dump is still in business? I loved that place. But it's been at least 14 years since I've been there. I can't believe it's still there. Probably sounds strange, but in addition to the burgers, I kind of liked the Buffalo Wings.

I stopped in for lunch today to try Five Guys for the first time, since I work near Clybourn & Fullerton...

Thought the burger was pretty decent. Went with a fairly standard cheeseburger this time -- with onions (raw and grilled), lettuce, ketchup, mustard.

It's funny that Rick T. thought the fries were under salted -- I had exactly the opposite issue with mine. Perhaps I got his dose of salt? Is the heavy salt I got an anomoly? Because I liked the skin-on fries and mine were cooked enough. Potential to be among the best fast food fries this side of Smoque. But $2.59 for an order of fast food fries? Smoque only charges $2 for slaw and a side. Granted, the "small" was pretty generous, but I'd rather have a smaller/cheaper order of fries and keep my lunch under $10.

My other issue is with the space itself... I wish they had some sort of vestible because it was chilly in there every time somebody opened the door.

Overall, it's the best burger in the areas I usually venture for lunch so it's yet another to add to the rotation.

But where do you shell your peanuts? Doesn't seem like anyone was going with old Comeback In approach to throwing them on the floor.

I went to the Oak Park location earlier this evening with family. I had visited a Five Guys location in NYC when I was there last summer. I will say that the burger in NYC was notably better. The cheese was melted, the burgers were nearly identical and stacked properly and it seemed as though they had it down. It's understandable that the Oak Park location still needs to work on the kinks. You could see all the employees feeling their way through orders to try to time everything right. The meal was great. The fries were some of the best I've had in quite some time. I would have liked the burger to be a bit less cooked (I realize it's policy, this may have been a little past 'done'), the cheese melted a bit more, and have the patties be slightly more even so one of them didn't fall out halfway through .

They were quite busy with a nice mix of young and old (senior citizens) patrons which was refreshing. I will assuredly be visiting again. I'm quite thankful that I don't live in Oak Park anymore, I would have surely visited this place ALL the time, which my belt line wouldn't appreciate.

If you page back a ways, you'll find a post from me about how godawful the food and service is at Five Guys. I haven't been back nor have I changed my mind. What I find ironic is that I got a mailing to invest in this chain. Only a little over 1.4 million for a franchise. So, all of you who think these burgers are great, put up or.....

After nearly a month of no new data, thanks for reminding us to go back and look at old data.

djenks wrote:I wouldn't think, ever, to try a dog - they might just want to abort that item here in Illinois yeah?

I know this is the tendency due to both the different style of dog compared to the traditional Chicago/Vienna Beef style and, quite frankly, it isn't one of the menu items listed in the name of the place, but you should resist the urge. 5 Guys makes a very good East Coast style dog. In fact, I think it is one of the better approximations of a CT Shore style hot dog that I have immense affection for.

Perhaps a visual aid is in order:

Stopped in the OP location the other day. It had been years since I'd had one. All I can say is I could have ate twice at Mickey's around the corner and been much happier. Only alright.

I had a need for a hamburger indulgence yesterday, so I thought I'd combine chores over near the Webster/Clybourn corridor and try out Five Guys. I'm not a burger afficianado although I do love a good burger (who doesn't really?) and I thought i'd see what all the fuss was about.

I ordered a cheeseburger with various toppings (nothing exciting folks -- I'm a purist when it comes to burgers -- ketchup, mustard, onion, tomato and pickle -- i think lettuce should go nowhere near a burger) and I will say that if I ever go back (depending really on the economic downturn since this meal was akin to a mortgage payment), I will get extra onion -- not enough to suit my tastes. Lots of pickles though -- and they were crisp and garlicky, which is key. Though I'm more of a medium rare to rare burger lover, i thought the meat was tasty -- although not unforgettable and certainly not worth what they charge for a burger. It was messy -- it felt like 3 patties -- 1 being broken up and stacked strangely -- that made it kinda difficult to eat in a neat manner -- I did require a lot of napkins. But it was tasty and I did eat it all. I would not call it juicy but it wasn't dry either. It also had a good moldable bun which gets just a bit soggy with juice or condiments but generally holds together. A solid b for bun.

Now the fries -- those fries are totally excellent. And they give you so many of them -- i couldn't believe that they filled up my cup and then proceeded to pour probably another cup of them over the filled cup in the bag. Wasteful in my case since I couldn't even begin to eat them all and they weren't exactly fries you'd take home (are there ever fries like that??). BUT...they did completely send me back to the County Fair fries of my youth -- and totally required malt vinegar on them.

Overall I enjoyed my experience -- it was a good burger and it met my needs for burger fulfillment for my week. However....the price was outrageous -- it was like $14 for a burger, large fries (rookie mistake!) and bottle of water. If that's not sticker shock, I'm not sure what is. Also -- while I walked in with very little line (the place was jammed with customers though), i did have to wait almost 20 minutes to get my food. That seemed extreme to me -- and the waiting area is really narrow and uncomfortable.

If there was one in my immediate vicinity, i'm sure I'd scrape together the cash every once in awhile to indulge in a good greasy hamburger experience. But having it way the heck out of my area -- i doubt I'll go there again unless I'm in that hood. And in the money.

My wife and I went Sunday noon to the Oak Park store. I was underwhelmed. I thought the burger was under seasoned, I had with what they call "everything" maybe the burger was seasoned but the toppings weren't. Just tasted kinda flat. The fries were OK, must say I prefer Parky's. I'll echo what most others have said $22 for a couple of burgers, small fries and 2 cokes is more than I want to pay for "OK" food.

I have not been to any of the locations here in Chicago, but I go everytime I go back to Florida and I readlly enjoy Five Guys. Maybe they need time to fix the kinks? I am a big fan of their fries, especially with the malt vinegar I add to them and their smaller burger is perfect for me.

I'm going to check it out tonight, so hopefully I'll be able to do a little compare and contrast on here tomorrow.

dukesdad wrote:My wife and I went Sunday noon to the Oak Park store. I was underwhelmed. I thought the burger was under seasoned, I had with what they call "everything" maybe the burger was seasoned but the toppings weren't. Just tasted kinda flat. The fries were OK, must say I prefer Parky's. I'll echo what most others have said $22 for a couple of burgers, small fries and 2 cokes is more than I want to pay for "OK" food.

I have overcome the common complaint of a seasoning deficiency by getting a small container of their seasoning and sprinkling it on. Works well and tastes good.

Panther in the Den wrote:I have overcome the common complaint of a seasoning deficiency by getting a small container of their seasoning and sprinkling it on. Works well and tastes good.

A week or so ago, during a mid-night bout of insomnia I was thinking about my burger from earlier in the day and I was re-tasting it in my imagination. I had a EUREKA moment and realized the burger needs salt! Yes, people had mentioned this many times earlier, but it didn't stick in my brain until I realized it myself. I guarantee that next time I will season my own burger.

Maybe they don't salt them because the bacon burger would be too salty?

I finally made it last night, about 8:30 and the place was actually full. I ordered the small bacon cheeseburger, with lettuce, pickle, tomato, etc., regular fries and drink and I have to say that my meal was pretty damn good. Now, I digress, my expectations of the evening was good greasy food and that is exactly what I got. My burger was seasoned perfectly for my taste, but I did get bacon so that could of covered up the unsalted burger and the fries were actually cooked pretty good. I asked for my fries to be well-done. My ONLY complaint was the heavy hand on the salt on the fries, but I drowned that out with a little malt vinegar, so all in all it was a good meal. Yes, the prices are a little steep, but would I come here before McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, etc? YES. Would I come here before Kuma's, NO. It's all on what your expectations are.

My girlfriend and I went to both Five Guys (the Clybourn Street location) and The Counter, and we found both to be unremarkable. The rather bland burgers were certainly not enhanced by the long wait times, noise, bland decor, etc. I much prefer Culver's for a quick and easy fast food-style burger.

My girlfriend and I went to both Five Guys (the Clybourn Street location) and The Counter, and we found both to be unremarkable. The rather bland burgers were certainly not enhanced by the long wait times, noise, bland decor, etc. I much prefer Culver's for a quick and easy fast food-style burger.

I concur with you on both restaurants. Both Five Guys are The Counter were average burgers with high-end prices, with a wait time of "too long" for a burger and fries. Maybe at Five Guys I was doomed from the start from choosing to eat in, as the place is way too small to sit and enjoy yourself when the place is busy as it was on my only visit. The Counter is not much better when it comes to space, but certainly one-ups Five Guys.

There are a few things I've done that have dramatically improved my experience at 5 guys, and people on this board have hit on them:

1) Stick with the single burger rather than the double. I usually double up but this place seems to be better suited for a single.

2) Keep it simple. This burger is easily overwhelmed and "lost' by toppings. I get mayo, mustard, jalapeno's, onions and pickle. The taste improves dramatically.

3) Salt. I said it. A sprinkle goes a long a way to improving the burger.

5 Guys is not my favorite burger. Not even on my top 5. But when i give it the Ghazi treatment, its a fine burger and satisfies my craving.

Ghazi wrote:5 Guys is not my favorite burger. Not even on my top 5. But when i give it the Ghazi treatment, its a fine burger and satisfies my craving.

Followed the 5 Guys Ghazi Method* to the letter and had a very satisfying burger. Meat to bun ratio perfect, neither dominating the other, bright crunchy jalapeno heat, pickle providing high notes, mayo the 'glue' that glides. Small order of fries was more than I could eat and the cost for a single burger and small fries was almost reasonable.

Had the pleasure of running into Kuhdo who was picking up for him and his son, though he opted to break open the bag and have his bacon/cheese dog while keeping me company.

Had Five Guys once before in DC, liked it fine, liked it fine again today, but nothing I'd go out of my way for. Today's visit was combined with a stop at Dirk's Fish Market, which is a few hundred yards South of Five Guys.

Enjoy,
Gary

*Single w/mayo, mustard, fresh jalapeno, onions and pickle

Dirk's Fish and Gourmet Shop
2070 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 404-3475
http://www.dirksfish.com/

That's awesome.