Food Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Allentown, Pennsylvania

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a privately owned franchise company that began in 1986 with its first location in Arlington, Virginia. Currently, Five Guys has over 550 franchise locations in 35 states with 200 more planned this year alone, making use a booming and growing franchise.

Unique Features

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is unique from most burger places in several ways. They only use fresh ground meat, nothing is ever frozen -- rather, everything is stored in coolers, not freezers. They also only use peanut oil that is free of trans fats. (Be warned if you have peanut allergies.)

The one thing I like the most that sets Five Guys apart from most burger restaurants is the fact that they give you unlimited free toppings for their burgers and hot dogs. They offer 15 different toppings which results in 250,000 possible variations of topping combinations. However, they do offer grilled cheese and veggie sandwiches, which use the same 15 toppings as the burgers.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries only sell burgers, hot dogs and fries because they want to specialize in only a few items and focus on trying to do those few things as best as they can, rather than making several items mediocre. This can be an advantage or disadvantage, depending how you look at the end your preferences.

Gift cards are available and Five Guys is testing online ordering at select stores. Unfortunately, there is no online ordering available in my area at this time.

Menu

Burgers

(Note that Five Guys cooks all of their burgers well done to maintain a consistent product and meet or exceed health code standards for ground beef.)

hamburger
cheeseburger
bacon burger
bacon cheeseburger
little hamburger
little cheeseburger
little bacon burger
little bacon cheeseburger

Dogs & Sandwiches

kosher style hot dog
cheese or bacon dog
bacon cheese dog
veggie or grilled cheese

Fries (regular or large)

Five Guys style (plain)
Cajun

Drinks

Coca Cola (regular or large with free refills)
Bottled Water

Toppings

Mayonnaise , Relish, Onions, Lettuce, Pickles, Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Ketchup, Mustard, Jalapeno Peppers, Green Peppers, A-1 Sauce, Bar-B-Q Sauce, Hot Sauce

Roasted Peanuts

I find Five Guys strangely unique in that they offer free roasted peanuts in bulk containers inside the dining area. All customers are allowed to take as many roasted peanuts as they want.

My Order

I specifically ordered from the Five Guys on 914 Airport Center Drive, Allentown, PA 18109 (Tel: 610-266-5135, Fax: 610-266-5137).

I tried to sample a little bit of everything, so I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, hot dog and large Cajun fries.

Bacon Cheeseburger

The bacon cheeseburger cost $5.79, which was a bit higher than I'm used to for fast food burgers, so I really wanted to pack the toppings on to get my money's worth and I went with: Mayonnaise , Lettuce, Pickles, Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Ketchup, Mustard, Jalapeno Peppers,

This burger was huge! I'm talking gargantuan size at over 11 ounces -- it seemed like even more. With the whole "salad" of toppings I put on top of my burger, it probably weighed almost 2 pounds! They definitely don't skimp on the toppings, which is nice for a change.

I could definitely tell that burger was handmade because its edges were uneven and the whole surface of the burger was not smooth, like you see at most fast food places. It is nice for a change in to see freshly made burgers without all of the fillers.

The burger itself tasted pretty good but it definitely would not be as good without the toppings. If you've ever made homemade burgers with unseasoned ground beef, this is about the same. The toppings add most of the flavor.

The bun was your standard bun. It was fresh and soft, making it the perfect bun for a good burger like this.

After actually eating the bacon cheeseburger, $5.79 is a very reasonable price considering the size and amount of everything about this burger.

Hot Dog

The Five Guys hot dog was pretty much your standard grilled hot dog, nothing unique or memorable. It is a little bigger than usual at about 6 ounces.

It tasted like a Hatfield hot dog that can be bought in stores in my local area. At $2.99 each, this was somewhat pricey but, if you get enough toppings, that makes up for the price.

Being someone who wants to actually taste the hot dog and not the toppings, unlike for hamburgers, I only got grilled onions and mustard. In hindsight, I should have gotten a ton of toppings and I'm probably would have liked it more. As it stands, the hot dog tasted a bit salty but otherwise was fine.

It was freshly made and obviously did not sit on the grill for hours, like some places, and the roll was very fresh and soft, just like the hamburger rolls.

I don't plan on buying hot dogs at 5 guys again but don't let that make him you automatically refuse to try it because, like I said, it's not bad but not great either, sort of mediocre. I might consider buying it again if the price were lower.

Cajun Fries

The Cajun fries were terrific! They cost $2.59 and I received a whole pound of fries plus more. I ordered takeout and everything came in 1 large bag -- the fries container was filled to the top plus even more fries were tossed into the bag, so there was well over a pound of fries. The workers were definitely generous, unlike many fast food places.

The potatoes were perfectly fried and I could really taste the potatoes, the oil could not be tasted very much at all, which is a very good thing. Often times, the oils used by restaurants overpower the taste of the potatoes. I ordered the Cajun fries and the seasonings tasted good without overpowering the flavor of the potatoes, instead blending together in such a way that each of the components could be tasted.

$2.59 is a great price considering I probably received almost 2 pounds of potatoes, enough for 2 or even 3 people! I definitely recommend the 5 guys fries (Cajun or regular), you won't be disappointed.

Nutrition

For the health-conscious people out there, unlike me, Five Guys is probably not for you. The Bacon Cheeseburger had 920 calories, 62 g fat (29.5 g saturated) and 1310 mg sodium. The Hot Dog had 545 calories, 35 g fat (15.5 g saturated) and 1130 mg sodium. The Large Fries had 1464 calories, 71 g fat (14 g saturated) and 213 mg sodium.

This is a healthy food by a long shot. The healthiest item would be the veggie sandwich but most people do not go to Five Guys.

Calling In or Faxing Orders

Many Five Guys allow you to call in or fax your orders in advance to have a shorter waiting time, especially during busy times, such as lunch. You might not expect it but Five Guys is generally very, very busy, so, if you are in a rush, it is a good idea to call or fax your orders at least an hour ahead of time.

Check with your Five Guys location about advanced orders and see how they handle and to get their fax number, if necessary. When I first used their fax number that I found online, the number did not answer. I called them up and they turned the fax machine on, so do not assume that the fax machine is always on.

Environment

The environment of Five Guys, at least the one I went to and another in the area that a friend of mine went to, is very, very friendly. When you go to pick up your order after calling or faxing it into your Five Guys location, all the workers will do what they are doing to yell out hello and your name in greeting. Of course, all of the customers eating there will look up at you. This is definitely not the place to go if you are trying to keep a low profile!

The building, tables, etc. were all very new, bright and clean.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a great up-and-coming burger restaurant with a bright future of spreading across the country. I would not be surprised if their iconic red and white colors one day become as recognizable as McDonald's yellow arches.

Do not expect gourmet or the healthiest food at Five Guys but do expect a huge handmade burger with tons of fresh toppings and tons of flavorful fries. If this sounds like something for you, go and try it ASAP!

Rating 4/5