Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Is it worth it?

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a popular mainland burger chain that has recently found its way to the islands. It opened the doors to its first Oahu location a few months ago back in June in the Mililani Town Center. After hearing some mixed reviews about the burger joint I decided to give it a try.

At first glance Five Guys seems to be your average burger place, however it stands out thanks to the complimentary, self-serve peanut station. It caught me off guard watching people throwing their peanut shells on the ground. Nonetheless, this is one of the strange traditions that make Five Guys unique. After ordering my food, I went and helped myself to some of the peanuts. I ultimately felt too guilty to dump them on the floor and threw them away in the trash instead.

Five Guys is a little more expensive compared to some of the other local burger places. Expect to pay about $10 for a burger and even more if you want fries and a drink. In spite of the price of the burger, the complimentary toppings and large portions help to offset the price a little.

Five Guys offers a plethora of complimentary toppings that you are able to add on to your burger. These toppings allow a large amount of customization. It also enables each individual customer to order his or her ideal burger. My personal favorite toppings were the grilled onions and mushrooms, as they helped to really complete my bacon burger. Five Guys also offers toppings like peppers, tomatoes, pickles, and barbeque sauce.

In addition to the toppings that you could add to your burger, Five Guys also offers a plethora of toppings for the milkshakes. Toppings include peanut butter, bacon, coffee, and Oreo cookie bits give a variety of options to create the perfect shake.

After receiving my food and taking the first few bites, I thought it was just all right. However, the two patties in my bacon burger were cooked medium-well, and came out just right. Also, the bacon had just the right amount of crisp. I did appreciate the large portions. I wasn’t able to finish my meal and had some left over for a midnight snack.

The burger was decent, but the fries were amazing. I got an order of the regular size Cajun fries. Five Guys uses peanut oil to make their fries, and this is what sets their fries apart from the competition. Be warned, a regular order of fries is huge, and when I opened my bag, it was alarming to see what Five Guys thought a regular should look like.

The option for milkshake customization also sets Five Guys apart. On a whim, I ordered an Oreo milkshake with peanut butter and bacon. As an avid fan of bacon it was my duty to at least try it once. It was decent, but it is extremely likely that there will be no bacon in my milkshakes in the future.

Five Guys is a cool burger spot to go to if you ever need a quick bite to eat or if you’re a burger aficionado. I probably would only eat here once in a while, but the friendly staff, customizable menu, and large portions are definitely some reasons to go give this place a try.