So after going to the beach, my friends and I decided to experience the hype of the new (at least to the bay area) burger joint. Upon walking in, I noticed that the décor was strikingly similar to that of In N Out. The red and white colors relayed along the walls of the restaurant down to the polo shirts the employees were wearing.
The menu seemed simple enough – burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, and fries. However, what set this place aside from other restaurants was the options of what you’re able to add for free. The list goes as follows: mayo, relish, onion, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grill mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A1 Sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce. Considering that I’m paying $6 for a burger, I think being given the option of adding as many toppings to my burger as possible would suffice.
The service was like any other fast food burger joint. The wait time was about 10-15min. Upon receiving my bag of food, I immediately thought of elementary school where I was packed lunches in brown bags. When I opened the bag to see its contents it reminded me of elementary school even more, except that rather than my mother packing my lunch, it was me who did it haphazardly. The fries looked like they were slam dunked in there and some where hiding was my foil covered bacon cheese burger(again, a nostalgic memory of my elementary past).
After unwrapping my burger I took my first bite and desperately tried to experience the same bliss others have. Nothing. I continued on all the way to my last bite and halfway through my fries and still nothing. I thought the burger was “ok” at best. Not exactly something I’d crave for and definitely left me unsatisfied with respect to its hype. Everything about the burger was good, but if you line your walls, including your bathroom, with every single award winnable to making cheeseburgers, I need to experience a wow factor – something that will set you above the rest.
Collectively, as a total experience, I’d give this place an 82%. The place was incredibly clean, especially the bathroom. The décor felt more like a cafeteria rather than a restaurant. Would I recommend this place to a friend? Sure. In comparison to In N Out, 5 Guys is good change, but I’m still rooting for the home team and In n Out outdoes 5 Guys.
-Romulus
