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Was missing In-and-Out Burgers in Southern California UNTIL I had one of Five Guys' great fresh hamburgers.
Forget In-and-Out's monster style! Five Guys piles on fresh toppings on a great hamburger. Awesome french fries too. Just wish Five Guys offered milksakes.
The best hamburger I've had on the East Coast!
Before I found out Five Guys had expanded to NYC, I used to come back to Virginia just for the burgers. People cal it the east coast In-n-out and I think thats a fair description.
Few things to remember. The single burger is big, the double is for fat people only.
Share fries with someone in your party, not even a fat kid could eat an entire small fry themselves.
It's ok to put peanut shells on the floor.
Napkins napkins napkins.
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This is my neighborhood Five Guys - previously that designation belonged to the Courthouse location. Comparatively, this one is older and a bit dirtier, but parking is easier and service is quicker (in my experience). The cashiers are friendly and will joke with you/ask you about your day/etc. As others have mentioned, if you are waiting to get your food to-go, there is pretty much nowhere to stand where you aren't in the way of the line...so if you are dining in, move over to the seating area. The staff is pretty good about calling numbers out loudly so you can claim your food. My only complaint about this particular location is that sometimes their fry person is a bit stingy with the fries, by which I mean a large fries (to be shared) only takes half the bag, as opposed to the usual 2/3rds. Tragic, really :P
So why is this a five-star review? Because when you absolutely need a fat, juicy, unhealthy meal, Five Guys is your place. I dragged my wine-hungover self here on Saturday evening and 30 minutes later was kicking myself for not having gone sooner. Sometimes a cheeseburger and fries are just what the doctor ordered, and no place is more consistent, fresher, and tastier than Five Guys.
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I love Five Guys' burgers and fries. They are made fresh to order and are extremely generous in terms of portions. There are many fresh toppings to choose from (my personal favorite combo: fried onions, mushrooms, mayo, ketchup, jalapenos.) The fries are made from real Idaho potatoes (the sign tells you where in Idaho). I like them with a dash of vinegar, then slathered in ketchup. While you wait, pop in some peanuts, shell on and all. I miss the original on the Pike, but the expansion proves you can have a chain without compromising quality.
Went here at like 3 on a Sunday.
The place was PACKED. Our food took forever. It was cramped and there was nowhere to stand that was out of the way of people ordering.
I don't think I really need to add to the reviews about the food... there are about a bajillion other reviews of that out there. It's a tasty giant burger. The cajun fries are good. Never, ever order a large fry.
Food: good
This specific location: slow and small
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I became quite the fanatical Five Guys nut while living for the summer in Washington, D.C.
I spent an afternoon wandering around in Alexandria and found myself craving a little burger and fries, so I whipped out the Blackberry Googlemaps app and found the King Street Five Guys.
Service was good, tables could have been cleaner (they had the help) and I of course enjoyed my burger and fries! Always a lot, but had no one to share, oh how I hate throwing those fries in the trash.. :(
Always tasty! I noticed we have one (maybe two) in Indianapolis, so I'm looking forward to scarfing Five Guys in Indy!
Needed something to eat today around noon. It was a little before noon (thankfully) and this place can be packed around lunch time.
Sent a Twitter Tweet on the way about some 'red meat' lifting contest. Was in the mood for carnivore behavior.
Ordered the cheeseburger with standard trimmings and Jalapeños. Love the Jalapeños on hamburgers. Got the fries and a Diet Coke. Go figure... why Diet? Hmmmm.
French Fries and vinegar. Pepper in the ketchup.
It was a great lunch. This is one of my favorite places (and it is NOT Hell Burger).
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How hard is it to take a place seriously? A place that puts peanuts in a box near the door, so you… Read more »
Ya I really liked this place.the fries are cooked in peanut oil I def liked that.The burger was awesome,i had a double bacon cheeseburger.It was good,but I couldnt finish it.I loses a point for being expensive
omg, this is waaaay better than In n' out back at home..
i wish we had this over on the west coast!!
FYi- EVERYTHING IS MADE WITH PEANUT OIL
so i you're allergic to peanuts.. you'll never enjoy the goodness of 5 guys!
anywhooo.. i ordered a little bacon burger.. which is waay more than enough.. it'll fill you right up!
they have a list of things you can put on it.. with no extra charge.. except a few special sauces..
mushrooms and grilled onions are actually free and are part of "the works"
i also had the cajun fries, which has enough spice to get a little sweat going.. definitely good!
if i could eat this everyday and not get fat, i would!
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I am amazed by the extreme reactions to Five Guys. I live within walking distance of the original location, have been going to it before they franchised, and now see them multiplying like cockroaches nationwide and the reaction seems to be either "OH MY GOD WE'RE GETTING A FIVE GUYS!!!" to "What's the big deal?"
To "get" Five Guys, I think proper perspective is required. The basic concept is a limited menu with fresh ingredients made fresh, just like Chipotle and other chains that have been gaining popularity which is summed up on their web page "We follow the philosophy of focusing on a few items, and serving them to the best of our ability."
The lack of frozen patties or fries, along with fresh toppings means you'll get a better burger than at McDonald's or Burger King, but they're not making it from dry-aged USDA prime sirloin and they cook their burgers well done, so if you come to Five Guys with unrealistic expectations you will cause you to fall into the "What's the big deal?" category.
The regular burgers are really double burgers, while the "little" is a single patty. What I like about Five Guys is that they offer the standard toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, relish, pickles, ketchup and mustard), some not so standard (jalapenos, green peppers, barbecue sauce and A-1), and some that other places would charge extra for (grilled onions and grilled mushrooms). The fries are great if you get them "cajun style" and they are done crisp, but every once in a while when I go they're a little limp. A "regular" is nothing of the sort and will definitely be enough for two people, whereas a large can feed four.
So if you're going to Five Guys expecting a foie gras topped Kobe burger with artisan roll, you'll be disappointed, but if you go expecting a better than average burger with fresh ingredients, a good selection of toppings, and good fries made to order while you snack on peanuts in the shell, you will like it.
Great burgers. I love the toppings on the burger and the fries are pretty good. This location can be a bit dirty and sometimes the flies get in.
But the burger is so good that I just bless my food, close my eyes, and take a bite.
On the bandwagon because damn it, the band is good.
Burgers are pretty much the only food that the DC area does better than the rest of the country and we have good reason to be fanatical devotees of Five Guys.
The, probably apocryphal, story goes that the owner of the first Five Guys in Springfield was in bed one night when his wife suggested he franchise. He promised to look into it and went to bed. Weeks went by and he did nothing. Until finally the wife fills his bedroom with Franchising for Dummies books so he cant get in. He takes the hint, and now there are Five Guys from Brooklyn, NY to the Outer Banks, NC.
Fantastic, fresh fries, juicy greasy burgers with tons of toppings, and birch beer! When was the last time you had birch beer?
So why did I deny the fifth star? Well you get a lot of food, but 10 dollars for a burger, soda, and fries? I'm sorry but that's just too much. This joint has the fun factor though. Maybe when I'm feeling less stingy I'll give it the boost.
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Ordered without really thinking and got two regular cheesebugers.
Got home and ate them both.
Ohhhhhh my god.
this is my neighborhood five guys. i live five minutes away and i think that's way too close because if i wasn't on this recent being healthy tip, i would be at five guys stuffing my face.
the five guys set up should be familiar to anybody who's ever visited this area so i won't bother with that. here's my normal order... bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, mayo, and fried onions. i rarely order fries and i never order a soda. the fries are good to great and many people go to five guys simply to eat the fries. i applaud you... get a cheeseburger, fool. j/k!
the five guys burger is an amalgam of well done patties stacked on each other, melting american cheese, reheated bacon, great buns, and your toppings which you have a list of, let's say, 20 items to choose from. for you purists, the actual burger is always overcooked and the buns are slightly buttery and fairly soft, but they rarely give way to your behemoth. the taste can only be described by a series of grunts, moans, and other sounds of supreme satisfaction. i have to say that the first bite of a five guys burger is almost level with a hell burger or shack burger.
What is all the hype? Overpriced, greasy burgers. No wait staff. I had to stand in line to order my food, then sit and wait for it to be ready. If I'm going to spend this much on a burger I'd like some service. At least at McD's they get your food ready pronto.
Really? The fries aren't that great? I hate to start off my first Yelp review of a place in my new home state of VA by disagreeing with the other recent reviewers, but I have to. The fries are great, I just ate some! They're fresh, cooked just right, seasoned perfectly (I'm a fan of the Cajun variety)...what else could you ask for in a fry?
Enough on the fries though, you catch my drift- they're good! The burgers- wow man. I'd say the only thing that beats a Five Guys burger is one that you grill yourself in your own backyard. For a burger cooked on a griddle- these are good! The meat is good, no hard bits that can ruin a burger, these patty's were as good as the ones my mom makes by hand. The buns they use are great- nice and light, not too heavy. The cheese- American, also good. The various toppings I've tried have been pretty good, my only complaint is that the bacon wasn't freshly cooked. They're very generous with the toppings, which are free- who else does that these days?
Definitely try the hot dogs too. They're mouth watering. And Kosher! Feel free to enjoy it with a clear conscience. They're served on buns as light and tasty as the burger buns and again they're generous with the toppings.
I've lived in Virginia for three weeks and have been to Five Guys three times. I live right down the road from one of their locations...this could be a problem. Hope Santa brings me a treadmill or a gym membership for Christmas!
Now stop Yelping and get over to Five Guys! (You can Yelp again when you get back!)
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All those many years ago, this is where the love affair began. My dad would bring the grease-stained sacks of burgery goodness when he came home from work, and I'd be doing metaphorical culinary backflips waiting for him to get home. Then I got a drivers license and anyone who wanted a ride in this remote part of town had to deal with a stop at Five Guys. Then I started being hungover at least one day a week, which meant a bleary-eyed lunch run to Five Guys. Then I went to college and met people from far away who knew not of Five Guys. So I had to take them all, individually. Then I imported a girlfriend from across the country, and this became our guilty pleasure for date night at home.
Then it started franchising all over hell and gone and while I was excited that the deliciousness was being rewarded, I secretly mourned the old days where I had a personal stake and history with a local spot.
Now I live across the country and there's no Five Guys. And after several years, I still crave it all the time. When I come back to visit, I often have to stop at Five Guys between the airport and wherever I'm staying.
Five Guys makes a lifetime of good memories (fluffy ad campaign- go).
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As a native Californian, I really enjoyed my Five Guys burger and fries. I don't care what people say. Fellow Californians think that I'm blasphemous for enjoying Five Guys having had the In 'N Out burger and fries. No, I say! I will not pledge loyalty to one lone burger joint. That's just sad. I embrace all burgerdom; Five Guys, of which, is a great addition.
Yes, the Five Guys burger and fries are semi-greasy. But all in moderataion, I say. It's good, period. The fries are spiced with a cayenne pepper blend of some sort. And it's a nice occasional change to the purist-version salted fries. The burger is stinking good too. Big, juicy patty. Incomparable to In 'N Out... not in a bad way, though.
I am a fan. A fan from California. What's the big deal?
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As a former west coaster and In-N-Out fanatic it was hard for me to make an objective review but alas I have to relent and say that Five Guys is pretty damned good. If you live within 3 mile radius then FG can prove to a dangerous temptation to those of you that are constantly watching your waistline. I love how you can give your burger the Chi-Dog treatment by loading it with oodles of condiments (just a word of caution, jalapenos + burger grease + cheese = serious indigestion). Although In-N-Out still gets the nod from me for better fries I'm still a big fan of the seemingly endless Cajun fries that come with a "small" order. My first thought when I started eating them was that there was no way in hell that I could possibly finish it in one sitting. Well, I did and that's as much of a testament to my appetite as it is to how well the fries are prepared.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a two hour appointment with the treadmill due to my FG lunch.
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Five Guys rule. They offer lots of options for toppings to put on their savory, hot and juicy burgers; and the fries are, as James Carville would say, "Cajun style!"
The guys are always friendly and happy dudes. You get twice the taste euphoria as a Wendy's Baconator and none of the chest pain! Just be forewarned, tons of other people like Five Guys just as much; and on an afternoon the small space is usually packed with people. It's worth the wait though.
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We have to support the finest American tradition. The bacon burgers were awesome with all those extra topping. It is the best place to get a quick bite, but not daily meal.
However, I only saw four guys on that day when I walked into the shop. Where were the fifth guys?
I'm looking forward to go the one at Manhattan...
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I LOVE Five Guys burgers. They are dirt cheap, taste fantastic, and have loads of options (like jalepenos). Plus the fries are fab.
I would give Five Guys five stars if the ambiance was better at this location. The acoustics are horrible! Now I just do take-out.
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I lived near this place for 3 years. YOU CANNOT go wrong with 5 guys. The wait time would be the only negative. The burgers are the best and the fries with their seasoning are PHENOMENAL!
They are cheap, have any option you could ask for, and have great peanuts for you while you wait....YUMMY!
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If you're looking for a homemade type of burger, made to order, with your choice of a huge variety of toppings, you want Five Guys. Their fries are just as tasty as the burgers. I like them plain or cajun. If you want to try both, just ask for the cajun spices in a small container, and put as much on as you like. Though the wait may be long during the lunch rush, it's worth it, and if you like peanuts, just munch on some gratis peanuts in a shell while you wait.
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I read about this place here and only had the chance to try it out when I was in Dulles. This is a 4-star place for a BURGER JOINT... I don't think it's fair to compare a burger place against a fancy celebrity restaurant. Okay, here is what I think - I agree with the other reviewers that it is like the east coast version of In-N-Out... or In-N-Out is the west coast version of Five Guys. The Five Guys burgers have an edge over In-N-Out. You can customize the burger with mushrooms, green pepper, jalapeo, etc. One serving of cheese burger with small fries probably fill you up for quite a while. I think there are no other places that have 5-dollar burgers with so much to offer. Fries are good and freshly made... but I personally like In-N-out fries a bit better because In-N-Out fries are unique. I have not been able to find anything like it.
Overall, this place is definitely a great place for a fast and stuffing meal for everyone who is craving for burgers and fries.
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I now live in LA, but I moved from DC and let me tell you, In-N-Out has nothing on Five Guys. In-N-Out has this weird flavor and the fries are bad, but Five Guys is a beefy masterpiece. The fries are delicious and they offer a decent variety of sandwiches. so if you're on the east coast and you're feeling low because you can't partake in all the In-N-Out hype, don't fret. You have a better alternative in your own neighborhood. I hope the people in LA don't read this. I'll be strung from the highest palm tree....
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Great burgers (had the bacon cheeseburger). Great fries (Cajun style, always). Dirty surrounding, but who cares? Go for the food!
Oh, and while you wait, you get to munch on peanuts. Don't be like some people and discard the shell on the floor, though, K? K, thx! :)
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I have to agree with yelpers here. This place makes a damn good burger, but the fries are nothing spectacular. They feature all the toppings you could possibly think of. I like mine with cheddar and bbq sauce....yum yum
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So I finally tried five guys after many trips out to Va. I must admit the burgers are pretty good and i would definitely come back, However the fries kinda put me off which is why one star was taken away :( sorry guys i prefer In-N-Out animal style well done fries! mmmmm makes my mouth water thinking about it! But if you don't have a five guys around you i suggest you find your way to the east coast or to the nearest one around you and give the burgers a try! you wont be disappointed!!!
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So deliciously bad for you!
One recommendation: there is no need to pay extra money and order the "large" fries. They give you almost just as many with the small order.
Three cheers for free Malt-Vinegar. If only they weren't required to cook the meat until well-done.
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I have been eating Five Guys burgers since 1997. I never get over their burgers.. so juicey and delicious! I never tried their hot dogs but I did hear others that have rant and rave about it. The fries can be oily sometimes but I still love them! Always fresh ingredients in the burgers. The fries are always made to order so you never get old fries.
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Tried this place on my East Coast swing because I heard it was one of the places to try in DC. It was OK. Tasted like an East Coast version of In-an-Out (first time that's been said, right?) Although, some things were different and original, like the different flavored fries and the free peanuts. I prefer In-N-Out, but confess I am biased, so find out for yourself, you probably won't be disappointed.
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Five Guys, I heart you. All five of you. The bread rocks, the burger rocks, all those amazing fixings rock, those fries rock, the peanuts rock.....need I say more? This is my ultimately most favorite meal. Only sad thing is they don't have milk shakes. They still get 5 stars in my book.
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Great hamburgers - get the "little hamburger" unless you want to eat a burger the size of your head. The cajun fries are yummy, too. The only downside is the wait time. I could've run 2-3 miles in the time it took for them to make my burger. Come to think of it, I should have ... then I could say that I earned my meal. :-)
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Had to take the Metro and then the free bus to find this place. After all this work on a 100 degree day this is all I get? Only the best burger I ever had in my life. Damn the five of you for being 500 miles away from my house. Really though, it was one of those hazy, HOT, humid DC days when you don't feel like moving much less eating. I got to 5G and the inside was packed so I ordered my Bacon Burger and ate outside looking down at King St traffic. One bite and I forgot the heat and enjoyed the greasy goodness. I also kind of enjoyed watching a local police car pull up to get lunch and get a radio call as he stepped through the door. I think cops always know the best places to eat and the disappointment on his face after getting the call was priceless. "Step away from the hamburger, sir!" I hope he got to go back. The Cajun fries were great, too. A real gem and a real bargain. Very highly recommended.
UPDATE: 5G is in Connecticut. I haven't had the pleasure yet but will have very soon. One is even coming to Mystic, about 20 minutes from my house. Yummmmmmy!!!
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coming from California, i do love my in n out
but five guys is pretty good.
surprised at how much business it gets!
love to see where my potatoes are coming from! :)
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Hole in the wall. Best burgers in DC Metro area. Normally I hate chains. Everything is fresh. Potatoes fried in peanut oil. Total gut bomb. Blackboard or white board tells you where potatoes were grown. Eat free peanuts and throw the shells at each other then on to the ground. Peanut shells on the ground are a lawsuit waiting to happen, so enjoy it while you can. Don't eat at the newer Five Guys establishments, they don't seem to be as good.
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i think i started eating at five guys (not this particular location but I have been to it) about six years ago and have kept coming back as often as possible. i have been to several locations since including a 30 minute drive from my undergrad to Staunton, VA to get one of their delectable burgers. a true northern virginia original although this is not the first location. They tell you were the potatoes came from and you can choose from either cajun or regular. I enjoy both.
I have not known someone to be able to eat the regular sized burger so go with the little burger if its your first time. Fries come by the bag full so be sure to bring a friend. Some locations accept credit cards, some don't, but they usually have an ATM inside.
Since I moved to massachusetts for grad school, I'm totally at a loss. Five Guys, you've spread across most of the east coast, its time to hit Boston!
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Good but not great. Their burgers are made to order with a lot of topping choices (such as mushrooms, onions, jalapenos, etc.) and sauces (A-1, BBQ, etc.). Their regular fries are very good and better than their cajun flavored fries, and they give you a lot of it. The wait can be 10-15 minutes since they're very popular on the east coast. I still prefer Fuddruckers burgers more b/c of the bun and more flavorful meat.
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Not much to choose between this burger and a double at Wendy's. Both feature thin, taste deficient overcooked patties. These guys don't make a great burger, but they appear to be marketing geniuses. Somehow they've talked people into paying $10 for a meal featuring a relatively tasteless burger. Fuddruckers is a far superior burger joint for cheaper (assuming you're in one that does medium rare). And Port of Call in New Orleans is much better than Fuddruckers.
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Falls Church, VA
Category: Burgers
Alexandria, VA
Category: American (New)
Alexandria, VA
Category: Latin American
Arlington, VA
Category: Fondue
Arlington, VA
Category: Latin American
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