Burger Alert: Five Guys Culver City Opens This Friday

By Lesley Balla Wed., Apr. 27 2011 at 8:00 AM

L. Balla

Five Guys fans, get excited: We just confirmed that the next location opens in Culver City's Westfield Fox Hills mall this Friday at 11 a.m. Unless you live near Cerritos, Carson, Thousand Oaks and other outlying areas, this is huge.

For the uninitiated, Five Guys started in Virginia in 1986, and now has more than 770 locations around the U.S. and Canada. The first California locations opened in Cerritos and Carson in 2008, but it wasn't until last year that the chain exploded. There are now 13 locations throughout Southern California and 26 in the state, and according to a rep, there are plans to open at least 20 more in SoCal alone by the end of this year.

There's a lot of debate over Five Guys vs. our beloved In-N-Out, and whether the burger interloper (burgerloper?) can ever take the place of anything Animal-style.

For one, a Five Guys wants to fatten you up: The regular burger is actually a double, and it's quite a bit larger than a Double Double. Take our advice and order the "little" burger; you'll thank us later. You can customize them with a slew of traditional toppings like onions, relish, ketchup and mustard--or go whole-hog and get "the works," which means 15 messy extras

As far as taste goes, the burgers are good: Meaty, beefy, filling. The patties are always cooked well-done, but still stay rather juicy. And like In-N-Out, they brag about not having freezers at any location so everything "fresh." For the non-burger-eaters, there are also hot dogs and a few other options, such as grilled cheese for the kiddies.

L. Balla

One thing Five Guys might have on In-N-Out is the fries. If you're into hand-cut, crisp, Boardwalk-style fries, this is the place for you. They're dynamite, especially with the Cajun seasoning.

Another big difference is that most Five Guys locations are stand-alone restaurants with no drive-through, so it's more a fast-casual burger joint than fast food. You order at the counter and sit down, and there's a lot of shouting from the cooks, sort of short-order-cook-speak, that adds a bit of character.

But you'll have to decide where your allegiance falls, and you'll have even more opportunities: A location debuts in Fullerton on Friday as well, and there will be a downtown location (2700 Figueroa St. near U.S.C.) by late summer.

Tags:

Burgers, Culver City, Fast Casual, Five Guys, Lesley Balla, Opening, Westfield Mall

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obbop

While sniffing around the Web seeking fodder for my blog thingy that, for various reasons, I deleted, I came upon a San Francisco bay area-only burger joint I had forgotten about when departing my home state of California in 1993.

Nation's burgers. Only a few outlets scattered around the Bay Area in NorCal.

Typical fast-food fare but I recall their burgers being mighty yummy and their all-day-long (and evening) breakfasts being really yummy and their prices more than reasonable.

Their breakfasts were more akin to a regular sit-down eating joint... not typical fast-food joint offerings.

If you get up to NorCal, especially in the east bay area I suggest a visit.

If they are still like they were when I was wandering the area... mighty good burgers at good prices but things can change.

sharaC

Five Guys is nothing like Fudruckers - strange comparison. It is pricier than In-N-Out, but the burgers and fries are a lot better. A regular order of Five Guys fries feeds 3 people - you seriously get a paperbag full of fries. I can't eat a regular hamburger, I always eat the little hamburger - $4 with unlimited free toppings and it's soooooo delicious. They beat In-N-Out on taste and the value for what you're getting is prettier good.

Nathan Longest

By the way, I have to admit myself to be a Virginia native who only recently moved to LA... but seriously, giving both the most fair judgment I can, I like In-n-out but they are in no way comparable to Five Guys!

Nathan Longest

Comparing In-n-out to Five Guys is like comparing Apples to Oranges. Especially if the Apples are shitty and the Oranges crazy dereicious!

Zxcctu

Five Guys is very good, though expensive. Oddly enough, I don't compare them to In-N-Out because the burgers are cooked differently. As the article says, Five Guys cooks their burgers well done, but doesn't mention this forms a nice browned crust on the burger itself, which blends wonderfully the cheeses they offer. I'm a fan of both franchises and will continue to go to both.