If you’ve ever visited a Five Guys restaurant, you might be overwhelmed by the choices.
The food is delicious, but missing out on the perfect meal is easy because of the many possibilities. If you’re on a diet or have an allergy, there are things to watch for too.
We’ve got the information to help maximize your experience at Five Guys.
Let’s go for a bite!
What’s Special About Five Guys?
A few things make Five Guys stand out from other burger joints. The number one reason is that the crew makes everything fresh to order. The company is so committed to freshness that every restaurant takes three hours to prepare the food before they open.
The staff is always friendly, and the food is consistently fresh, juicy, and tasty in every location we’ve been to. Five Guys employees follow a specific set of values to maintain this quality.
Integrity. Employees say what they mean and do what they promise, taking responsibility and being respectful.
Get it done. Actions are more important than words. Keep it simple, and don’t overthink things.
Enthusiasm. Five Guys is passionate about burgers and fries. They encourage their teams to be themselves, bring this energy to the job, and strive to improve.
Competitive. Don’t settle for second best. But be humble and work together.
Family is the final value. Five Guys shapes their crew into leaders by promoting from within and aiming to bring out the best in the team.
The staff has its own guidelines for making your experience excellent. Take a look at our rules to make your Five Guys visit even better!
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#1 Take Advantage of the Variety of Customization Options!
Five Guys isn’t the place to phone in an order thinking it’s your typical burger restaurant. It would be a big mistake to do that.
Even if you order at the restaurant, checking their website to see all the options is a good idea. This way, you’ll be prepared when you enter. With 15 toppings available, there are over 250,000 possible ways to customize your burger.
It’s not only burgers that you can customize. Five Guys also makes their fries fresh every day. The potatoes are washed, cut, and placed in a bucket of water to remove excess starch.
You can order fries well done or cajun style. Hungrier folks can also add cheese, bacon, and jalapeno slices to the pile. However, while most toppings are free, adding cheese might cost 50 cents, depending on the location.
Additionally, Five Guys serves hot dogs, sandwiches, and shakes. These can all be customized, and you can even add bacon to your shake!
#2 Expect Large Portion Sizes.
The regular-sized burger at Five Guys is a double, and the little is a single burger. People automatically order the regular burger and fry and get the big double and an insane portion of fries.
Large fry portions are one of the selling points of Five Guys. Topping the fries off by putting them in the bag looks like extra fries and provides a perception of value. Potatoes are cheap, so it’s easy to do.
However, the health-conscious will be happy to learn that every item on the menu lists the calories. This includes the toppings, so you can have a sense of control over the nutritional value of your order.
In addition, the restaurant offers its burgers as lettuce wraps or salad style to help you cut down on calories.
#3 Some of the Best Five Guys Offerings Aren’t on the Regular Menu.
Similar to another popular burger restaurant we won’t mention, Five Guys has a Secret Menu.
This menu has a belt-busting selection that we recommend approaching with caution. And they also have a few choices that will help you cut down on calories.
Here are a few of the secret menu items that you can order.
In honor of former President Obama, there’s the Presidential Burger. It’s a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, jalapeño peppers, and mustard.
The double-grilled cheeseburger isn’t for the faint of heart. Cheese lovers will appreciate the two grilled cheese sandwiches for buns on this hefty burger.
If you’re from the West Coast and want an animal-style burger, you can customize one. Order a regular cheeseburger, and add grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. You can mix up your own version of the animal sauce. Stir together mayo, ketchup, and mustard in a small condiment cup and slather it on your burger. Voila!
If you can’t decide between a hot dog or a burger, order the Artery Annihilator. Created by a Five Guys employee, it’s a mashup of a bacon hot dog and a bacon cheeseburger. Ask for a bacon cheeseburger with a split hot dog served on top.
Sloppy Joe’s and Chicago-style hot dogs are also on the secret menu.
#4 Don’t Expect to Order a Rare Five Guys Burger.
Although there are so many ways to customize your burger, one thing you can’t change is how well they cook your burger.
Forget about trying to order your burger cooked rare, medium, or anything in between. Employees at all Five Guys cook the burgers to well-done for customer safety.
According to the USDA, raw or undercooked ground beef can contain dangerous bacteria. Cooking hamburgers and other ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit reduce these risks.
Although some will frown at the idea of being forced to eat their burgers well done, Five Guys’ efforts can save them from foodborne illnesses. So don’t waste your time asking for a bloody burger. It’s not going to happen.
Pro Tip: Are you a foodie? You’ll love eating at these 7 Most Unique Restaurants in the USA.
#5 You May Want to Skip Five Guys if You Have a Peanut Allergy!
You’ll notice the barrels and burlap sacks of peanuts when you walk into a Five Guys restaurant. You can eat all you want and toss the shells on the floor.
While the food at Five Guys may be delicious, the restaurant can be a dangerous place for people with peanut allergies. You can’t just walk in and avoid anything containing peanuts. Nothing inside Five Guys is safe if you’re allergic to them.
The fries, which the LA Times ranked as #1 for taste, are cooked in 100 percent peanut oil. Additionally, every flavor of milkshake does or may contain peanut products. And because of the peanuts everywhere, everything has the potential to be contaminated.
Five Guys states that they use peanut oil to seal the fries’ flavor and that it contains no trans fats or preservatives. This gives them a melt-in-your-mouth buttery taste.
If you have an allergy to peanuts, we recommend eating elsewhere.
Healthy or Not, Five Guys is Certainly Tasty
No one in their right mind would go to Five Guys looking for a healthy lunch option. Ultimately, it’s a tasty burger, and the portions are large. So you’d be wise to review the nutritional content, especially if you have health issues. In fact, a Five Guys burger and fries might be best after a long hike.
When you do go for Five Guys, remember our five rules to get exactly what you want. Artery-annihilating or healthy-ish, it’s sure to be delicious!
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