Why all the fuss over Five Guys?

By Spencer Patterson

Thursday, March 10, 2011 | 6:22 p.m.

Twice I tried, and twice I turned away. From the line out the door at Five Guys, the Southeastern burger chain that has finally found its way to Henderson. No fast-food sandwich is worth braving that, I reasoned, though I couldn’t help circling back to see what I was missing.

I finally got in on Tuesday, beating the lunch rush by dipping in for an 11:20 a.m. meal. I made my way relatively quickly to the counter, where I was informed that location—at Eastern and Coronado Center Drive—had crushed the chain’s all-time single-store weekend sales record. I wasn’t surprised.

I ordered, pounced on a table as its previous occupant vacated and waited close to 15 minutes for my food. And then … I ate a hamburger. Okay, it was a bacon cheeseburger (cost: $5.99), but after a few bites I found myself wondering about the fuss. Sure, it was cool they threw in jalapeños, grilled onions and barbecue sauce at no extra charge, along with grilled mushrooms I didn’t actually order (other free toppings include relish, green peppers and hot sauce). But in the end, Five Guys still serves relatively greasy, almost certainly unhealthy meat patties that leave your hands scented after five soapy rinses. And don’t even get me started on the unmelted slices of orange American cheese or “Cajun-flavored” fries ($2.89 for regular size) that taste like, well, dull hunks of potato.

One neat touch: a white board revealing the day’s potatoes’ farm of origin (in this case, Randy Hughes’ farm in Rexburg, Idaho). Another: the free peanuts available to patrons as they wait to order and receive their food.

I might go back—and try ordering differently—sometime when the excitement, and lines, die down a bit. For now, I’ll stick with In-N-Out and Fatburger when I need a fast-food fix. Their menus are cheaper, their drive-thrus are easier and, to my mouth, their stuff just tastes better.