# Five Guys Burgers: What's the deal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445 "2012-12-18T19:25:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/121 "2012-12-20T19:12:32Z")
How do you eat a Flying Dutchman? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/122 "2012-12-20T19:15:19Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > How do you eat a Flying Dutchman? Very carefully. Or with a fork, which are available next to the napkin dispenser. I wonder what the draw for that particular order is, and why so many people ordered it that it became part of the menu, secret? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/123 "2012-12-20T19:17:18Z")
Atkins? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/124 "2012-12-20T19:20:26Z")
That was the basis for the Protein Style burger, wrapped in lettuce. But I suppose the Flying Dutchman came from the same desire for no carbs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/125 "2012-12-20T22:09:57Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Atkins? Militant anti-veganism? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/126 "2012-12-20T23:00:01Z")
Now that I can’t eat gluten, I’m kinda glad when places don’t insist on wrapping the burger in a dozen layers of limp, wet lettuce. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/127 "2012-12-21T00:26:23Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Also IMHO, perhaps it is the impact of the recession, but there seems to be a wave of expansions of various burger places, including 5 Guys, Smashburger, In-in-Out, and The Habit in CA, and other local burger joints. How many of these places do we need? Also, Cupcake places seem to be a recession business as well, but that is another thread. A lot of burger joints opened up relatively recently – 5Guys, The Counter, Smashburger, etcetera. They seem to consistently be more hype than quality and they also seem to emphasize the char over-cooking of the beef. It occurred to me a while ago that the phenomenon was perhaps not a coincidence; it seemed to me a manufactured fad of ‘let’s get people to buy beef again’ since the Mad Cow calamity that burned the burger and steak industries has mostly faded from the collective consciousness. It’s like an astro-turf version of an epicurian fad. Burgers are okay but, if ya just gotta have beef, there’s so many better ways to serve it. In&Out was popular in the Los Angeles area long before the mad cow scare, and their claim to fame has always been ‘order any combination and we’ll make it’ to the point that, when they first came to San Diego, they were hyping their 7-layer cheeseburger. Really? How gross! It’s not like a person could unhinge his jaws and bite into a burger like that. [And yeah, I’ve seen the 100-layer In&Out site. I found it thoroughly revolting.] And fresh-cut fries are interesting, but I tend to find them soggy. I still tend to think the best fast-food fries are from McDonalds – but they’re spray-coated with sugar before frying. [And, yeah, I’ve seen the rumors that they put beef broth in the frying oil, as well. I’ve never followed up on that one.] > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > They opened in the San Fernando Valley about a year ago now. > But my GF really likes them. Possibly because she cannot tolerate ‘rare’ or ‘medium rare’ of ‘still tastes like meat’ burgers. Her beef has to charred. Then she should try the Habit. They specialize in a Char-Burger. They also have decent fries and really good malts. One of the little irritations I had when visitinig 5Guys is that they didn’t have shakes or malts available to purchase. Apparently they refuse to consider it. What? No milk allowed with the meat? —G! I like getting burgers at Hooters – but it’s not about the food.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/128 "2012-12-21T03:22:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Five Guys was outstanding when it was two joints in DC, operating out of standing-room-and-takeout-only storefronts. I don’t care for them now, and there are far better options in Portland. > > But as far as comparisons, I have to say that all the talk on this board about In-N-Out burgers over the years had my mouth watering to try one. This past summer, I got the chance while driving through CA. Worst fucking burger/fries plate almost ever. I absolutely do NOT get the love for that place. It must be a nostalgia sort of thing, much like Burgerville here in the PNW. I’ve eaten at In-n-Out a few times. If I’m in the mood for a burger and they’re the only ones around, I won’t be having a burger that meal. Bland, horrible burgers and fries that you have to wait forever to get. Five Guys is ok. I tend to get their hot dog and fries. The food is overpriced, and they serve way too many fries and so I end up throwing about half away. Tasty, but I only go there because my gaming group heads there for lunch after Armadillo Willy’s changed their menu for the worse. ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/129 "2012-12-21T03:27:08Z")
Five Guys got me through college. A bacon cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, and BBQ sauce was comfort after some particularly demoralizing classes. Plus my friend always bought the fries to split. But if I got them on my own, Old Bay and malt vinegar. So perfect. There aren’t any close to me but I might be making a trip very soon. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/130 "2012-12-24T17:20:19Z")
I was in Five Guys the other day. They have a board where kids can write comments in crayon and post them. Well, one of the employees had to take a bunch of them down because some “older kids” were writing in comments like “Mmmm…Five Guys in my mouth!” and “Luv to get it on with Five Guys!” Bunch of savages. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445/131 "2012-12-24T19:05:16Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I was in Five Guys the other day. They have a board where kids can write comments in crayon and post them. Well, one of the employees had to take a bunch of them down because some “older kids” were writing in comments like “Mmmm…Five Guys in my mouth!” and “Luv to get it on with Five Guys!” > > Bunch of savages. The kids or the employees? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-guys-burgers-whats-the-deal/644445.md?page=6)