When Five Guys was first established, it was great. But over the past few years, the restaurant has slowly decreased in quality, leaving an overpriced, limited, and honestly bad version of its menu. It has gotten to the point where even unlimited peanuts cannot save the restaurant.
Five Guys is praised for its simplicity, but that simplicity is actually one of the biggest flaws. If a customer wants anything other than a basic burger and soggy fries, then Five Guys is not the place. “Go to the menu, and it’s basically like; do you want cheese or bacon? Those are your only options,” freshman AJ Kessler said.
Five Guys is also comparatively inconvenient. The reason similar chains exist is because of the speed and ease with which people’s hunger is alleviated. However, Five Guys often feels like a sit-down restaurant, not because the design or customer service makes you want to stay longer than you have to, but because the food takes so long.
Speaking of sit-down restaurants, Five Guys’ prices reflect that as well. A cheeseburger at Five Guys costs close to double the price of similar fast-food burgers. According to 3KRTV, “A McDonald’s single cheeseburger costs $5.18, Burger King’s costs $5.49, Wendy’s cheeseburger costs $4.64, and Five Guys costs $11.58.”
Five Guys does give significantly larger portions than almost all other fast-food places, which justifies the price slightly. However, this often creates unnecessary waste because customers can’t always finish their meals. “I’ve seen people throw away burgers with like three bites in them before,” former Five Guys employee Peter Van Wagonen said.
Another common issue is the smell. Because of the open layout of the kitchen, the restaurant usually smells like a combination of grease and food. “I don’t actually mind the food from Five Guys, but the smell is what puts me off,” junior Cole Morton said.
An additional complaint is the long wait time. Since everything is made to order, people spend more time waiting than they do eating their food, even when the joint isn’t particularly busy. This is the main reason why Five Guys sits between fast food and the lower-end of more traditional restaurants.
The atmosphere at Five Guys is chaotic. This is because it’s often crowded, loud and smells like grease. “When I go to Five Guys with my friends, I have a good time, but when I go by myself or with one friend, it can be overwhelming,” sophomore Ethan Chen said.
The quality is inconsistent and varies a lot between locations. Some visits might deliver a decent burger, while others will not be as good. This is not just a Five Guys issue, as every fast food restaurant struggles with the guarantee of quality, but because of the high expectations set by the brand, getting a bad burger, especially from Five Guys, can be quite disappointing.
