Today for lunch my students and I walked down to a brand new Five Guys Burgers and Fries that had just opened. Five Guys has been rapidly expanding across Canada over the last two years and now has more than 30 locations with more on the way. This was the first time that I have eaten at Five Guys, even though one opened near our office in Dublin last year. I had heard mixed reviews, so was interested to try it out when my students wanted to go.

I made a standard order for a burger place. Cheese Burger, Fries and a drink. The price came to just over $15.00. Now before you think that the Canadian dollar is worth less than the US dollar, I will let you know that it depends on the day which one is stronger. I did check on line to see how much my meal would have cost at the Five Guys by my office back home. They have an on-line ordering system available and you can check the prices at most locations. Back home it would still have cost me over $12.00.

Now, the question, was my lunch really worth that much? I will start with the burger. The beef was good, but nothing special that you can’t get at any other good burger place. The choice of toppings was good, but again not too special, especially if you are someone like me that likes just a basic burger. What I did not like was the cheese that they used and the oil and cheese bits that remained in the wrapper when I was finished with my sloppy, oily burger. The fries were good, but they gave you way too many. Perhaps they are trying to justify the value since they are way overpriced. I would much rather have had half the fries at a normal price. If I ever go again, I will definitely share with someone else instead of ordering individually. The peanuts that you could shell and eat while waiting in line were a nice touch, as the ordering process was very slow.

So, will I eat there again? Maybe, but it would have to be with friends and at their suggestion. I would much rather go to In-N-Out and get a more sensible serving size at a more reasonable price. Plus, they have better tasting burgers and fries.

What’s your favorite Burger Chain?

Steven