Five Guys burgers started out as a cult favorite -- a run-down joint where I went during 1990s visits home to Virginia. As that joint exploded into a chain, I'm impressed that it is still worth a pilgrimage.
Howard County doesn't have a Five Guys yet, but it's a short run down to Laurel or up near Arundel Mills to try the burgers and fries. Don't expect anything else. Five Guys serves up burgers, hot dogs, fries and drinks. I go because they're all delicious -- perfect for the days when your motto is "Grease is Good."
(Update: Five Guys at the Columbia Mall opened in the last week of July 2009. Five Guys opened on Dobbin Road just south of Rte 175 in February 2010.)
The burgers are delicious. The regular is actually a double-stack of thin patties. You can pick any condiments -- lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and many more. It's a meaty burger with a soft bun that I really like. Unlike a Fatburger in its pretty paper wrap, the Five Guys burger comes crumbled in tin foil and packed -- if you're lucky -- in a grease-stained paper bag.
You want those grease stains because you want those fries. The Five Guys burger is probably a little juicier than the competition. But the fries are certainly the best around. They taste to me like actual pieces of potato, deep fried, and overflowing their paper cup into the bag. Nothing like the Fatburger fries, which tasted like the ones in my freezer. A small order costs $2.50, but it's enough for two. On my recent trip, I left half in the bag to stay warm while I enjoyed my burger. I savored the extras while I read a book.
In the end, I'm firmly with the comments that judge Five Guys above the new Fatburger. You can't get more basic ambiance. You can't get a more limited menu. And you can't even get a Five Guys in Howard County. But you should make the drive when the hunger hits.
Five Guys Burgers (Laurel)
15102 Baltimore Ave # 101 (U.S. 1)
Laurel, MD
(301) 362-3483
NEAR: This is on U.S. 1 just south of Rte 198 in Laurel. It is in a shopping center with a CVS in between the south- and north-bound sections of U.S. 1.
Five Guys Burgers (Shops at Arundel Preserve)
7690 Dorchester Blvd.
Hanover, MD, 20794
410-799-3933
NEAR: This is near the intersection of Rte 295 and Rte 100.
Note that there is also a Five Guys location in Baltimore at 7091 Security Blvd, near Security Mall. For Ellicott City at least it's closer than going to Hanover or Laurel.
ReplyDeleteWhy hasn't a Five Guys opened in Columbia yet? So many HoCo'ers drive to Laurel, Arundel Mills, or Security Blvd...it would be a goldmine!
ReplyDeleteFor non-meat eaters, Five Guys is great about what I call the condiment sandwich. Actually, a five guys burger-less burger with mushrooms, onions, and assorted toppings and cheese is tasty. Not a first choice, but if you're there anyway and not too worried about cross contamination (though they are usually pretty good about that).
ReplyDeleteI took my nephew there for his birthday last year. Oh yeah, the $20 I spent on lunchh and a bucket of golf balls was the best present he got. Because a fairly cheap burger is way better than the $100+ videogames and toys :-)
There's also a five guys at the top end of Silver Spring, just outside of Burtonsville. Fairly new, as I recall.
ReplyDelete12269 West Tech Rd.
Silver Spring , MD 20904
Looks like we're finally getting a Five Guys in Howard County. There's a coming soon spot in the food court at the Columbia Mall (where the Haagen-Daz used to be), but it's not open yet.
ReplyDelete