I was driving on King Street, west of 395, this afternoon, looking for a place to grab a quick lunch. As I pulled into the parking lot of TGIFridays, I noticed a sign for 5 Guys. I wasn't sure if this was the place that had been mentioned here for burgers but decided to give it a try. I'm really glad that I did.
5 Guys _definitely_ has the best burgers around. I was a little surprised that it was just a take-out counter, but decided to trust to your on-line advice. I ordered small fries, a burger, and large soda ($4.88) They cook the food to order, so it took about 5-10 minutes. While you wait, they have a couple buckets of peanuts in the shell for customers to nibble on. (I didn't try the peanuts, but several people were crowded around the barrels, so I guess that they were okay.) There is also a board where they list the source of the potatoes for the fries - today it was Lee, MD.
When I got into my car to try the food, I was impressed. The "burger" is actually two patties, with lots of free toppings to choose from. Cheese and bacon are extra, but grilled onions or mushrooms as well as the typical lettuce, tomato... are free. Both the burger and fries were great!
The only negative to the experience was the lack of tables - this is strictly carry-out. I tried to eat the over-stuffed burger in the car and ended up with ketchup on my shirt. The weather today was gorgeous, and it would have been a perfect lunch if there were a few picnic tables outside. If you do try 5 Guys, I recommend taking the food back home before sampling these great burgers. As I think one post mentioned, 5 Guys has no beer to drink with the burgers, but since it's take-out, you can supply your own.
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Andrea Bright [email removed]
George Washington University
______________________________________________________________________________Washington, DC