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Burgers and fries fresh at Five Guys

The Columbian
Published: January 1, 2010, 12:00am
2 Photos
Five Guys Burger and Fries? offers a selection of burgers and toppings. The Little Cheeseburger is made with a single beef patty. The fries can be ordered Five Guys or Cajun style.
Five Guys Burger and Fries? offers a selection of burgers and toppings. The Little Cheeseburger is made with a single beef patty. The fries can be ordered Five Guys or Cajun style. (The Columbian/Zachary Kaufman) Photo Gallery

Why: The Five Guys Burgers and Fries chain, which got its start in Virginia in 1986, promises to focus on serving fresh, flavorful food. Speedy service comes second.

Burgers and fries are the specialty, but hot dogs, grilled cheese and a vegetable sandwich are also on the menu at this family-style fast-food restaurant which opened its first Clark County location in Vancouver last month.

Atmosphere: The restaurant’s dining room is cheery with red and white tile walls and a gray tile floor. Red ducting stands out against a black ceiling and pendant lights are topped with red-and-white shades. Between the classic rock coming in through the speakers, orders being called out and the conversations of diners all about, the restaurant is bustling. It would be a great place for a casual first date for young people. Seating is exclusively at tables and chairs, and free peanuts are set out for waiting customers to munch on. In keeping with the casual vibe, customers are invited to toss the shells on the floor.

What I tried: I settled on the Little Cheeseburger, which has a single patty, as opposed to the Cheeseburger, which is made with two patties. At Five Guys, customers get to build their own burger from a selection of toppings. I adorned mine with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickles. My dining companion had the Little Bacon Burger with barbecue sauce, grilled onions, green pepper, lettuce, tomato and pickles. We also had an order of fries.

The burgers at Five Guys are individually wrapped in foil. I found this caused the freshly made burgers to sweat. Upon unwrapping, both appeared a bit squished and the hamburger buns were somewhat wet, though they dried out in short order. Still, I wondered what the result would be for those who get their orders to go.

The ingredients on the burgers were fresh and flavorful. Other than the grilling method, the burgers have an outdoor picnic quality about them. They also were also a bit tricky to eat. My dining companion and I both had difficulty keeping the lettuce pieces under the bun and would have preferred a single large leaf.

The bacon on the Little Bacon Burger was applewood smoked. It was thicker than what I’ve found at other fast-food establishments. The grilled onion was slightly caramelized, which gave it an appetizing presence.

French fries at Five Guys are freshly cut, fried and then served in cups. They reminded me of the variety served at the In-N-Out Burger chain based in California. If you’re not familiar with In-N-Out, their fries have a soft interior, a trace of skin remaining and a slightly crisp exterior, which sheds salt too easily. The fries at Five Guys were marginally crispier than what is standard at In-N-Out and they are deep-fried in peanut oil.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Five Guys offers some burger toppings that go beyond what you’d expect at a fast food chain including A-1 Sauce, jalapeño peppers, grilled mushrooms and hot sauce. In addition to the plain variety, fries come in a Cajun style. Hot dogs are kosher. The Veggie and Grilled Cheese sandwiches are basically the same. The Veggie is built with the customer’s selection of fresh vegetables, and isn’t grilled.

Other observations: The restaurant says the beef it uses is never frozen and all of its menu items are made to order, so there are no heat lamps or microwaves. The wide selection of Coke products extends to such options as Mr. Pibb and Mello Yello. Although fast service isn’t the priority at Five Guys, I received my food as quickly as I typically do at other fast-food establishments.

Cost: Burgers with two patties are $4.59 to $5.89. Little Burgers, which have a single beef patty, cost $3.59 to $4.49. Fries are $2.89 for the regular size and $3.59 for large. Hot dogs range from $2.99 to $4.19. Beverages are $1.79 and $1.89.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Contact: 360-574-2810 or fiveguys.com.

Where: 310 N.E. 78th St., Vancouver.

Health score: Five Guys Burgers and Fries passed its pre-opening inspection. It has not yet received an inspection for a health score. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.

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