Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Henrietta)

Well, we wanted to take my Mom out for lunch yesterday and were planning on going to Joe's Brooklyn but the place was full (and, besides, there was a lack of comfortable seating for 4 people) so we gave Five Guys a try.

Now, 3 of the 4 in our group had been to Five Guys before, together, right after it opened. Our joint impression the first time was that the fries were awesome but the burgers weren't anything to write home about. Five Guys just seemed like a chain version of Rochester's local burger joints (Bill Gray's, Tom Wahl's, etc.).

This time, however, was different. Very different. The burger was nearly out-of-this-world good. It's no Wahlburger, mind you, but it was just as tasty. The burger was juicy with a slightly crisp exterior. The cheese was melted and slightly gooey. The veggies were crisp and thick. The toppings all fit nicely on the burger and didn't shlop out of the sides while I was in the process of eating it. It was a good looking burger. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite and wished there were a few more. The only quibble I can muster is that the bottom bun was slick with grease and kind of soggy. Fortunately, the burger didn't last long enough for the bun to start turning into mush.

The fries (the highlight of our first visit) were a massive disappointment this time. On top of barely being fully cooked (they weren't crisp at all) they just dump them everywhere, all over your food. I mean, if you're going to make a big deal out of your fries, make them awesome. And make sure that each time you make them, whoever makes them, they are perfect. I don't think anyone outside of my Dad likes soggy, barely cooked fries. Typically, they are supposed to be crisp on the outside. We ended up tossing 80% of the potatoes we were given. Given that I wiped out my burger so quickly, I was left munching (slurping?) fries for the remainder of the meal while the rest of the group finished. It was a sad way to end what started so well.

At this point, I could go into the whole local vs. national chain argument here but I won't. Instead, I'll just say that the burger I had today will make me rethink hitting up Bill Gray's when I'm in that specific area of Henrietta. I don't think I'm going to go out of my way for Five Guys each time I want a burger, though. I still think our local folks do burger joints a lot better.