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Five Guys Restaurants In Forefront Of Fast-Food Fresh Movement

I've never excerpted from a restaurant review, but Sylvia Rector's piece about Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which is based in the Washington, D.C., area, has more than 300 locations in 25 states, and is expanding to Michigan, caught my eye.

"Five Guys is one of the chains that has helped spawn the national trend toward fresh, higher-quality ingredients cooked to order and served in a fast-food setting," Rector writes. "The concept is being widely copied all over the country, but this chain has honed it to a science."

To play up the just-yanked-from-the-ground quality of its fare, for example, Five Guys puts its spuds where its mouth is. Fifty-pound bags of potatoes sit in the middle of the dining room awaiting a good scrubbing before accepting their fate in a "serious-looking, lever-operated french-fry cutter in back." They are then cooked in 100% peanut oil. This would be an entirely different approach than, say, McDonald's takes.

The chain's other staple is its burgers, which are served up with a choice of 17 toppings (free, except for bacon and cheese) but there's no leeway when it comes to cooking time. They're all well done.

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