FIVE GUYS- LONDON REVIEW: THE BURGER ADVENTURE CONTINUES

gawd bless americuh

The American burger invasion continues with the introduction to Five Guys to London town. Five Guys opened the day before Shake Shack- incidentally 3 minutes walk away- and a friend tweeted a photo of a long and winding queue snaking out of the door and down the street. I knew there was a Five Guys vs Shake Shack rivalry and couldn't wait to taste test and make up my own mind which team I was rooting for...

the velvet ropes lead to burger glory! 

BURGER UP!

peanuts while you wait? help yourself!

We went for the Little burgers...and if that's the little, than the regular sized ones must be an Adam Richman style challenge. By 6:30, the hot dogs had already run out which was a disappointment. Nevermind- onto the burgers!

a little cheeseburger with grilled onions and ketchup

a little cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and grilled onions

The little burger is the same size as a regular burger. Irish beef is used to make these meaty patties instead of Angus beef that alot of other restaurants use- including Shake Shack. And yes, my good friend the plastic orange cheese from the US of A made an appearance. The onions in the burgers could have been grilled a little longer to caramelise. The bread bun was excellent- soft, moist and buttery but didn't end up soggy- it held all the fillings in like a good pair of Spanx. 

Now, the fries. 

We shared an order of Cajun fries- and depending how you like your chips these could be a hit or miss. Personally, I like a bit of sog in my chip. The floppier, the better. Others (freaks) like them to be crispy. These were served with the skins on and were on the soggy side to my delight. The cajun spice had a nice little kick too. Next time, I'd stick to regular fries. Shake Shack serve theirs crinkle cut and crispy and with the option of adding cheese sauce. Take note, nut allergists: these potatoes are fried in peanut oil!

rocking out to Five Guys' soft metal stereo

i kid, i kid. P.S my forehead says HI

The drinks machine at Five Guys has 100 options for you to choose from. I didn't want to be the one to break the news that Burger King down the road in Leicester Square trumped that idea months ago. In fact, I was so overwhelmed with choice I very nearly chose Vanilla Coke, ew, just to get some liquid dispensed into my cup (which was refillable) 

So, the verdict? 

.......Shake Shack by a small margin. 

They both have good buns (hun) holding the burger together- no spillages were made eating either of these lovelies. 

They each use different meat, and I think I prefer Angus beef only slightly more than the Irish beef at Five Guys. 

Five Guys wins on the fries front for me...but I know alot of people like them crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 

There wasn't anything to satisfy my sweet tooth at Five Guys. A pint of Dr Pepper doesn't count!

Kudos to Five Guys for blaring out that soft rock. I had to youtube Asia's Heat of the Moment as soon as I got home. It also made great background music to making me feel like an extra out of Wayne's World, which is always a win in my book- Schwing!

If I had to make a comparison, Five Guys is to Shake Shack what the New Directions are to the Warblers. Both are really good, but one is just that tiny smidgeon better. Go and pick which one you'll be rooting for.