With an ever-present queue outside the front door on one of the most popular shopping streets of London, Five Guys has quickly built up a significant buzz amongst Londoners. Albeit nothing else than a (successful) publicity stunt, the queue does move along pretty quickly so do not let that deter you.
Once inside, you'll be faced with an army of burger-builders (see below) and a choice 15 toppings that you can freely add to 'personalise' your burger. Apart from bacon and cheese, all additional toppings (from grilled mushrooms and jalapeno peppers to HP sauce and mustard) are free. Five Guys proudly boast that this lends itself to over 250,000 possible burger-combo's. You'll also have to decide whether you want a regular burger or a 'little' burger. In Five Guys' speak, this translates into "do you want one or two meat patties?". A question with an easy answer surely..
I went for a fairly orthodox combination of toppings - adding bacon, American cheese, lettuce, grilled onions and tomatoes to my two meat patties (totalling at £8.75 excl. chips). Once unwrapped from its foil, the Five Guys creation cuts a rather unusual and messy figure with melted cheese everywhere, the fairly thin bun and very meaty middle. However, looks aisde, Five Guys do serve up a cracking burger. Apart from the tomato, which was far too tangy and cut too thick for my taste, it was a messy delight. Although the sticky cheese might not be too everyone's taste, it helped to balance out what otherwise would've been a very meat-heavy burger. With the extra patty, I did also find that the bacon got slightly lost (not a bad place to get lost in though mind you).
In addition to the many different kinds of delicious burgers on offer, Five Guys is also home to the wonderful Coca Cola Freestyle drinks machine which allows you to customise your drink as well. If you do want to experiment with the many flavour combinations on offer (such as Fanta Peach, Coke Zero Lime and Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla) make sure you only fill up your a little bit at a time unless you want your dentist to hate you..
Five Guys are also famed for their chips, cooked in pure peanut oil to keep cholesterol levels down. 'Every little helps' I believe Tesco call that.. I did slip up a little when ordering my fries, asking for the plain Five Guys Style chips rather than the Cajun Fries (which I've since learnt is the thinking man's choice). Just an(other) excuse to go back then I suppose!
After all, I'm only one down, with over 249,999 to go...
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| The assembly line of Five Guys, Covent Garden |
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