So CL (my wife) and I decided that we had to have a good burger on Sunday. Per the recommendation of noted French fry enthusiast Glenn Walker, we went to Five Guys. A new location had opened up near the Target in Ocean, NJ.
If you haven’t been to a Five Guys (they just opened their 400th location, according to the web site), you should if you’re a carnivore. All they do is burgers and fries, but they do them right. The burgers are fresh and made on the spot, with tons of toppings available. And the fries- wow. Hand-cut, fried perfectly, not overly salted.
The interior aesthetic is definitely low-rent; they are huge bags of potatoes and peanuts around, and you’re encouraged to help yourself to th peanuts while you’re waiting for your order. Our order took about ten minutes, not bad for a busy Sunday. We’ll definitely go back.
We’re also going to try Bobby’s Burger Palace, a burger joint run by famous chef Bobby Flay, very soon. We actually didn’t realize that this place, with a really weird exterior, was one of Bobby’s places until a neighbor told us. There’s an interesting article here.
Hey, Glenn, you’ll have to come over and review it! Maybe we can do a podcast from there!
Another plus for Five Guys is that the peanuts are always fresh and tasty as well – but please leave your allergies outside, it could be dangerous. But yeah, Five Guys rocks.
I have to admit I didn’t know about Bobby’s Burger Palace, and it sounds like a field trip is needed. Bobby Flay is one of those guys I’ve watched on the Food Network for years but have noticed one constant with him. Whenever I think (and it’s not just because I’m a burger purist, or a catastrophically picky eater – I do have a sense of what is good and works well even if I won’t eat it myself) a dish is done, Bobby will pour or pile half a dozen more ingredients in. It’s just too much, always. Any show he does, the meal is done halfway through the program in my opinion.
And just for the record, I’ve been putting potato chips on burgers for decades. Barbeque style work best. So that’s nothing new, Bobby! 😉