“Out of control”: Five Guys fan asks if $24 for one person is finally too much

“Five Guys prices are out of control. $24 for one person.”

That post, accompanied by a receipt photo, set off a debate on social media that drew more than 12,000 responses. The receipt showed a bacon cheeseburger at $12.49, a regular soda at $2.89, and a small fry at $5.19 – a total of $24.10 after tax. The poster followed up: “I was expecting about $12 to $15 per person. $22 without tip just seems to cross a line.”

Five Guys has never been cheap. That was always part of the deal – fresh, never-frozen beef, free toppings, generous portions, a burger that was genuinely better than what you’d get at a standard fast food counter. For years, the premium felt justified. A growing number of customers are now asking whether it still does.

The price trajectory

The numbers tell part of the story. One Reddit user in Ann Arbor documented the cost of their go-to order – a cheeseburger with ketchup – rising from $7.79 in early 2021 to $10.79 a year later. By 2025, a burger, fries, and soda at Five Guys averaged around $19.95, according to MoneyGeek – roughly triple the cost of the same combination at McDonald’s.

“Fast food becoming a luxury meal is a sign of the times,” one commenter wrote. The response wasn’t unsympathetic – many people acknowledged that ingredient costs, labor, and inflation had pushed prices across the industry. But acknowledging the reason doesn’t make the total easier to stomach.

Is it still worth it?

The honest answer, for many customers, is that it depends. Five Guys still earns genuine loyalty from customers who feel the quality justifies the cost – the portions are larger, the ingredients are fresher, and the customization options are real. The Tasting Table noted that longtime fans grumble about quality slip and point out you can pay the same for a better meal at a sit-down restaurant – but those fans coexist with plenty of others who remain perfectly happy.

What the price debate has clarified is that Five Guys no longer gets the benefit of the doubt the way it once did. At $24 for a solo lunch, every visit is a deliberate choice. And for some customers, the choice they’re making more often is to go somewhere else.

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