Review of Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries

I'm not a burger person. I usually usually order a salad or some type of chicken sandwich if I go to a burger place, but occasionally I get a craving for a really good burger. That was the case this afternoon when I noticed the new Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries restaurant, a new burger joint in Pinellas Park, Florida, near St. Petersburg.

Upon entering, customers are greeted with an exuberant, "Welcome to Five Guys!" by employees. The restaurant itself looks clean and fresh and is decorated in bright red and white throughout. The kitchen is open; the grills and fryers are placed conspicuously behind the cash registers with no machines or partitions to block your view. The restaurant has a corkboard on the wall for customers to post greetings, compliments, and drawings on 3"x5" index cards. Just reading these testimonials alone is enough to convince you that these guys really have something here.

For those who have a difficult time with complicated menus that have too many selections, Five Guys is the perfect restaurant. The menu is simple. They sell burgers, hot dogs, fries and sodas. The simplicity of it ensures that the highest quality is delivered in the product. The burgers are made with fresh, never frozen meat with no preservatives. The patties are hand formed and cooked to order. Toppings are free and include the basics - lettuce, tomato, ketchup, etc., plus a selection of specialty toppings like sauteed onions or mushrooms, jalapenos, green peppers or hot sauce.

The fries are also sliced daily from fresh potatoes. They taste just like home cooking and are available in regular or cajun spiced. A large order of fries provides an ample side dish for two, maybe more.

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries has received many local awards for "Best Burger" and "Best Bargain" in several of their locations. It was rated in the top 40 restaurants for the Washington D.C./Baltimore area in the 2005 Zagat survey.

The menu is reasonably priced, though will cost a bit more than your average burger in a box from you-know-where. A regular hamburger is about $4 and includes a double patty burger on a sesame seed bun. A regular order of fries are just over $2, and drinks are $1.69 with free refills. The resulting flavor is worth the extra cost and may even turn a salad lover into a burger connoisseur.