# More better burgers like 5 Guys **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 11, 2024, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690 "2024-03-11T01:32:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/121 "2024-03-18T01:40:08Z")
In Seattle there’s a small (five or so locations) called Lunchbox Laboratory that does some really unique burgers. They use American Wagyu patties (which are admittedly overrated, but do taste better than your standard patty) along with some other creations like “dork” (50/50 duck and pork) and beef/buffalo patties, and they have a wide array of housemade sauces and unusual toppings. It’s worth checking out if you’re in town. I’m fond of their “burger of the gods”, which comes with caramelized onions, bleu cheese, and Gorgonzola spread, to which I add tomato and bacon. ---
**Author:** ![SaSaLeLe2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@SaSaLeLe2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaSaLeLe2011)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/122 "2024-03-24T01:18:46Z")
What about dicks burgers lmao ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/123 "2024-03-24T01:22:34Z")
> [@SaSaLeLe2011](#): > > What about dicks burgers Dick’s isn’t “better burgers”. Dick’s is “it’s 12:30 AM, the concert just let out, and nothing else downtown is still open” burgers. They’re edible, but don’t get your hopes up. ---
**Author:** ![SaSaLeLe2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@SaSaLeLe2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaSaLeLe2011)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/124 "2024-03-24T01:55:57Z")
Yes, dick’s is not the best thing ever but damn. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/125 "2024-03-25T00:25:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m considering making today a full assault on my aging belly and hitting the Original Tommy’s up in LA proper on Rampart for a chili burger too. Way too late to save you all that driving, but there is a Tommy’s about a mile from The Hat in Lake Forest. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/126 "2024-03-25T00:36:03Z")
While at The Hat I checked Tommy’s website and was surprised to see how much they’d expanded. I needed to go to central OC for another reason, and needed my The Hat experience to settle a bit. So I ended up at the Tommy’s at roughly Warner & Magnolia. Didn’t have any nostalgia for the location unlike Rampart. But the burger was ok. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/127 "2024-03-25T03:12:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No one shall besmirch the name of Culver’s! My kid’s girlfriend visited from NYC, and had a list of Things She Had To Try In The Midwest: - A Friday Night Fish Fry - Steak at a small town Supper Club - A soggy Italian Beef - A Spotted Cow - An Old Fashioned… - and Culver’s. Before she left, she had to go to Culver’s again. She got to go to the very first one that time, tried different things, including their Frozen Custard, loved it all. I do love their burgers, crispy on the edges and lots of good toppings on 'em. And their Diet Root Beer is the best, tied with Sprecher’s. And they have a great Kid’s Meal. But they also have great salads… the Strawberry Fields is huge, and has lots of berries, pecans and bleu cheese. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/128 "2024-03-25T16:34:29Z")
> [@digs](#): > > A soggy Italian Beef That’s “wet” young missy. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/129 "2024-03-26T18:09:18Z")
I ate at Five Guys once. The burger tasted just like the ones I used to get at Wendy’s back in the late 70s. The fries were limp, oily, and soft. That does not make for a good fry, IMHO. The price was triple what I’d spend at another burger joint, and the good burger didn’t make up for the lousy fries! ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/130 "2024-03-27T01:29:55Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > the good burger didn’t make up for the lousy fries! You probably want something else in your fry, because it’s by far the best fast-food fry in my opinion (and many others in this thread.) “Limp, oily and soft” is not the way I would describe them, but they are not ultra crisp like McDonald’s. They have a satisfactorily crisp exterior, with a soft, potatoey interior. They taste like actual potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/131 "2024-03-27T01:45:57Z")
I think part of what’s going on here is that none of these “fast-ISH food” places are absolutely consistent. I’ve had the odd soggy fry at 5 Guys, but most of the time they’re pretty good… and certainly copious. And speaking of Culver’s, I was driving home from Back East today, and my wife texted me “Can you pick me up a Cranberry Bacon Bleu salad?” I got myself a Butter Burger with everything, as a handling charge. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/132 "2024-03-27T02:25:06Z")
> [@solost](#): > > 8 posts in and no mention of Red Robin? I had a mushroom-Swiss burger at a Red Robin years ago that was a thing of delicious, sublime beauty. Or maybe I was just really hungry. In any case, as chain burgers go, I’d say Red Robin is up there. Red Robin isn’t bad, but we dont like thick fries. The menu has lost of stuff, and we can always get a good meal there, however. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’ve been disappointed the 3 or 4 times I’ve been to Five Guys; For some reason, they despise and hate 1000 island dressing for burgers. My fave is still In & out. Low prices, and yes I skip the fries. I cant make one for that price, as it would mean stocking lettuce and tomato. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > One name I notice that is missing: Fatburger. Fatburger is pretty decent. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m considering making today a full assault on my aging belly and hitting the Original Tommy’s up in LA proper on Rampart for a chili burger too. I used to work security there- a long time ago. About 2-3Am, you’d see gangbangers, Hollywood stars & starlets, bikers, dudes in tuxedos- all lined up for a chiliburger. Amazing people watching. The parking lost were so small, before they hired me, they had knife fights over parking. I assume they still have security, unless they have more parking. I now have one about 15 minutes away, right off I5. Still great- “No onions, extra pickles please!” > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Now you’re talking. At a certain point it comes down to the toppings/condiments, and you can’t do better than a Tommy’s dripping with chili and American cheese. And a big slice of tomato- great pickles too. They also have California style with lettuce and 1000 island rather than chili, but nope, gotten get that heartburn. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/133 "2024-03-27T03:14:48Z")
One of the pluses for 5 Guys is that the only thing they do in their deep frier is fries, and there is no gluten in them. And, they have a non-gluten flat top. So it’s possible for a gluten intolerant person to get a burger and fries here. Here in the Twin Cities we have a “My Burger” chain. They do the smashed burger style. At first, the prices look high, but they include fries. Upcharge sweet potato fries, and decent milk shakes. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/134 "2024-03-27T03:31:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I used to work security there- a long time ago. About 2-3Am, you’d see gangbangers, Hollywood stars & starlets, bikers, dudes in tuxedos- all lined up for a chiliburger. Amazing people watching. The parking lost were so small, before they hired me, they had knife fights over parking. I assume they still have security, unless they have more parking. [Talking about Tommy’s, in L.A.] A bunch of us from Caltech used to go there regularly in the middle of the night. As you said, an incredibly diverse crowd. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/135 "2024-03-27T12:00:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I used to work security there- a long time ago. About 2-3Am, you’d see gangbangers, Hollywood stars & starlets, bikers, dudes in tuxedos- all lined up for a chiliburger. Amazing people watching. The parking lost were so small, before they hired me, they had knife fights over parking. I assume they still have security, unless they have more parking. > > I now have one about 15 minutes away, right off I5. Still great- “No onions, extra pickles please!” Oh yeah, no parking _and_ people used to getting their way. Always a fun combo. You just dredged up a memory. Back in my Tommy’s era (76-81) they used an outfit called “Rupp Security”. Not a company I’d ever seen anywhere else. Odd I remember that detail but here’s why … The regular guard was this guy that looked like Blaster of _Mad Max_’s MasterBlaster tag team. He was clearly mentally challenged, his head was crooked and one eye didn’t track well. Talking with him it was obvious he was “off”. But he was real big and you expected he’d go apeshit for random reasons. So folks did what he told them to do. The shoulder patches on his ill-fitting uniform were pretty simple and said “Rupp Security” in big letters. I often wondered if he _was_ Rupp; a one-man security force. This was decades before the internet, so answering idle curiosity questions like that wasn’t easy. Thanks for that. > [@DrDeth](#): > > For some reason, they despise and hate 1000 island dressing for burgers. As do I. If that shit touches my burger, it’s going back. > [@suranyi](#): > > [Talking about Tommy’s, in L.A.] > > A bunch of us from Caltech used to go there regularly in the middle of the night. As you said, an incredibly diverse crowd. Ditto us folks from USC. A must-do collegiate experience. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/136 "2024-03-27T14:27:44Z")
I just realized that there’s a “Fast Food Geography”: cities and suburbs where everyone drives (as fast as they can), and there are fast food places at every major intersection. There, if you want a burger, you move over a lane or two and pull into a fast food place that’s quick, or a full-fledged restaurant that’s not. I live in a smaller city where there are more pedestrians and bikes… and bars or cafes that make excellent burgers, every few blocks (downtown it’s two per block, farther out it’s up to a half mile between). So I can walk to three bars that’ll make me an awesome burger in a minute or two (probably in the time I’d be waiting in a long drive-through line) and I can take it to go or eat it at the bar. And my favorite bar has thick patties of beef from a local butcher, I can order it medium-rare but crispy on the edges, and they have homemade sauces (the brown mustard/garlic/horseradish is delicious… wonder if I can just get a cup of that to go?) I just realized that I don’t need to go to fast food places unless I’m on a road trip. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/137 "2024-03-27T15:20:39Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I just realized that I don’t need to go to fast food places unless I’m on a road trip. That’s also quite true in older cities and burbs. Such where I live. It’s the unfortunate folks living in newish suburbs where it’s a 15-20 mile drive to anything built before e.g. 2010 who live in a “restaurant food desert” where every eatery or drinkery, from humble to fancy, is a national or regional franchise. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/138 "2024-03-27T20:01:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > As do I. If that shit touches my burger, it’s going back. Well, you know, tastes differ. I think that ketchup and/or mayo is heresy on burgers. But, I have no issue with those being available for the people who want them. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2024, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/139 "2024-03-27T20:13:45Z")
But … thousand island often starts with ketchup and mayo. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690/140 "2024-03-27T20:17:17Z")
And Worcestershire sauce starts with fish , but I dont want anchovies on my burger. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-better-burgers-like-5-guys/998690.md?page=8)