Five Guys Comes to Ohio

Spending two years post-grad school in Washington, DC has made me very educated in the ways of Five Guys Burgers & Fries. In fact, the very first meal I had after unloading the moving truck was at one of their Alexandria, VA locations. My new neighbors insisted that it be the first thing I cross of my orientation checklist as a new DC Metro resident. In their opinion, Five Guys trumped the monuments, museums, and even Ben's Chili Bowl as a quintessential landmark in the nation's capital.

Truth be told, you'd be hard pressed to find another burger chain establishment that gets more rave reviews and positive press than Five Guys. And with that, it's no real shock that the company just announced that it would be opening up twenty new locations across Ohio within the next year.

Their custom, made to order burgers and fresh cut fries are awesome. I'll give you that. Do I think that it's worth all the glorified hype? Not really. People speak of Five Guys so highly that one might not be able to avoid inevitable disappointment (like Pans Labyrinth and the terrible Sex and the City movie- shame on all you people). So I insist on giving it to you straight.

Walking in you'll see a dry erase board letting you know where the russet potatoes used to make the fries came from today - a great opportunity to brush up on your small Idaho towns. You won't see a freezer anywhere as everything is pretty much fresh. The griddle is right there in front of you so you can see them grill up your burger. And you better know what you want, because just like Chipotle and Subway, you tell them exactly what you want on it and fast. For less than $10, you can land yourself a burger, fries, and a drink.

I've never seen anyone order anything other than a burger, but if you decide to break the mold, Five Guys also offers up hot dogs and veggie or grilled-cheese sandwiches. If you are a burger lover like myself, you must make a trip to Five Guys. It's definitely worth trying, but if you are anticipating an out of body experience as suggested by the Zagat ratings you'll come up a little short. I beg the question as to whether an influx in franchising will diminish the quality that has come to be expected from Five Guys. Some reviews claim that the food has gotten significantly greasier over the years and the service isn't as fast as it used to be.

The first Five Guys to open in Columbus is located at 2134 Polaris Parkway off of I-70 and is open from 11AM to 10PM daily. A second location is scheduled to open soon on the OSU Campus at 1607 North High Street. Expect to see lines around the block in the first week of business. Four other locations are already open for business in the Cleveland area as well. In a time when businesses are shutting their doors for good, the fact that Five Guys is opening them should speak volumes for their product or at the very least, their popularity.