Wednesday, May 04, 2005
How many guys does it take to make a great burger?
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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The Washington area's highly popular FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES will soon come to the Roanoke Valley: Salem, specifically. You'll want to try it for yourselves. I recently did while up the Shenandoah Valley in my teenage stomping grounds, Woodstock.
While the place wasn't busy the weekday I ate there, I assure you that once Woodstock and the Roanoke Valley get a taste of these freshly-formed and cooked-to-order burgers and fries, you'll have to beat them off with a stick.
FIVE GUYS has built their reputation on freshness (yes, everyone says it, but they really mean it) by sticking to a handful of items that they do well. You want chicken? Forget it. You want hummus? No way. I think that there are more toppings offered than entree items.
The staff is young, bright, cheery and more than helpful. I've not seen this many smiles in a restaurant since Aunt Mildred's bloomers fell down at the Woolworth's counter. I was being a bit cautious and going for "just a cheeseburger," but the bubbly order-taker had a suggestion: "Get brave and try the cheeseburger, but with A-1 sauce on it. You'll love it." By gum, she was right. It was just different enough to be a lot more interesting than a mere cheeseburger.
Here's exactly what they offer: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, bacon cheeseburger, little hamburger, little cheeseburger, little bacon burger, little bacon cheeseburger, 100 percent kosher hot dog, cheese or bacon dog (I hope that bacon's not served on a kosher dog -- that would be, well, NOT very kosher), veggie or grilled cheese, and fries. That's it folks. The whole shebang.
To be more specific, the regular burgers are actually doubles and the "little burgers" are singles. Fries come two ways Five Guys style or Cajun in regular or large. The large, by the way, was a half bag-full with cups to dish 'em out. After scooping two cups out, my hungry carpenter friend snapped up the rest of the bag and declared them "dinner."
Toppings for the burgers are extensive, a FIVE GUYS specialty apparently: mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms (had them, yum), ketchup, mustard, Jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce (try it, you'll like it), barbecue sauce, hot sauce. All toppings are free, but many are "by request only." Could one supposedly put ALL the toppings on a burger at no charge at one time? I guess. But what a mess!
To show you how Washington, D.C., covets its FIVE GUYS, they've been "survey rated" for five years in a row by Zagat Guide and voted "best all-American burger" by readers of Washingtonian magazine. One of my favorites is this one: "Memorable Sandwich" by the Washington Post magazine. It's a wacky bunch up there.
FIVE GUYS is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m., 7 days a week, so you can always satisfy that burger or wiener craving most anytime. It's clean, affordable ($3.89-4.89 range) and fun.
Why is it fun? Well, there are the nuts. No, not the customers ... the roasted peanuts in the shell that are always free to eat while you're awaiting your "to order" items. I made a huge mess at my table, throwing the shells all over the place with abandon. But when the burger arrives, it's no time for play. These are thick, juicy burgers worth putting your teeth into.
So there you have it. Something to look forward to. And coming to our neck of the woods soon.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Interstate 81, Woodstock exit
Woodstock, Va.
fiveguys.com
