Five Guys burgers are legitimately awesome!
They are probably my personal favorite burgers because they’re so juicy and the topping choices are unbeatable. Plus, the bun to meat ratio is perfect.
BUT experience has shown me that my love of Five Guys isn’t universal. Everyone has their favorite burger (it’s one of 7 American national foods, after all), and it’s usually one of these other options.
To be fair to the fans of those places, here are five burgers that may be better than Five Guys.
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By far the biggest complaint I hear about Five Guys is the price.
To be fair, you can easily get to $20 for a burger, fries, and drink.
Yes, that’s a reason to maybe only go on special occasions, but I don’t think that dings the taste of the actual burger…
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Five Guys doesn’t have the ambience of other burger places. And it’s on purpose…it’s all about the food!
Some are overwhelmed by the size of the burgers, but you can downgrade to a Little Burger to get just a single patty. I can’t help you on the fries, which come in an overflowing cup and brown bag, though.
On taste alone, burgers are a greasy, messy experience. Especially if you go wild on the toppings. And the bun can get soggy if you transport it.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the burgers that may top Five Guys…
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The bull case: If you want the warm fuzzies while you eat a delicious burgers, this is the place!
Based in Vancouver, Washington (a Portland suburb), you can only find Burgerville in Southwest Washington and Oregon. They do a ton of fundraising for their local community, they focus on sustainable practices like being 100% wind-powered and sending fry oil to become biodiesel, and they source over 3/4 of their menu in the Pacific Northwest (i.e. within 400 miles).
Big props for having burgers for all palettes, from the classic 1/2 1b. Colossal Burger (Big Mac-like) to the No. 6 Burger (features things like two-year aged white cheddar and a brioche bun). Plus sliders!
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The bull case: Mostly in Colorado, Good Times focuses on making “better fast food in every way possible.” Their thick patties are made with all-natural Angus beef and they even have spicy guacamole as a topping choice.
Bonus points for having Bambino cheeseburgers (aka sliders), and both a Bambino sauce (a rich, classic burger sauce) and a West Coast cheeseburger sauce (yup, similar to In-N-Out’s “Spread”).
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The bull case: If you hate Five Guys’ prices, you’ll like Carl’s Jr’s prices a bit more (especially when there’s a deal going).
What Carl’s Jr.’s burgers have going for them is the smoky, charbroiled flavor and the sheer variety. I count 18 that they currently feature on their menu (and, of course, you can customize to whatever you want). Think of choices like the Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger and the Big Angus Guacamole Bacon Burger.
If you want to indulge, Carl’s Jr. is a great choice!
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The bull case: Fuddruckers has maybe the greatest name in burgers to go along with their claim of having the “world’s greatest hamburgers.”
The buns are baked fresh each day, the burgers are “fresh, never frozen,” and it’s grilled to order. Plus, there’s the toppings bar, so you can make it just how you’d like. Want five tomatoes? Awkward at a counter. But at the toppings bar? No problem!
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The bull case: Shake Shack is the burger chain for foodies who might pooh pooh a place like Five Guys.
Born out of the kitchen of a New York City Michelin-starred restaurant, Shake Shack makes delicious smashed, buttered patties that are put on butter-toasted potato buns.
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Whatever, I still think Five Guys’ is the best, but the cases for the other places above are strong!
You likely disagree with me, but we can all agree that a burger sounds amazing right now!
Can these other burgers compete with Five Guys? Did I miss any (sorry, In-N-Out)? Let us know in the comments section.
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