FOOD
77 Square is the definitive arts, culture and entertainment guide for Madison, Wis., and the surrounding area.
Bring an appetite (and a sweater) to Five Guys
view 3 images :: enlarge
If you are looking to beat the heat, there is no better refuge than Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which is air conditioned within an inch of your life and makes you feel like you are walking into a meat locker.
"They should provide parkas," one friend quipped of the restaurant at 517 State St.
But once you adjust, prepare for some excellent fast food. Like the name says, it's really just burgers and fries. There are also a few hot dog variations, a veggie sandwich and a grilled cheese.
A regular hamburger or cheeseburger ($3.99, $4.59) comes with two fresh ground beef patties (the meat is never frozen). A "little" hamburger or cheeseburger just has one patty ($2.79, $3.39). All variations can be ordered with bacon for an extra 60 cents.
The hamburger meat is of high quality and juicy. Customers choose from a long list of toppings and can elect to go "all the way" (in Five Guys lingo) with mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup and mustard. Other additions like relish, raw onion, green pepper, A1 sauce, barbecue sauce or hot sauce can be added on request.
All the ingredients are fresh and neatly layered. I asked for my burger to be cut in half, hoping it would be a little easier to eat.
There wasn't much to the grilled cheese sandwich ($2.49), but we didn't ask a lot of it. We were offered all of the toppings but opted for it plain, since it was for a toddler, who enjoyed it. The veggie sandwich ($2.49, or $3.39 with cheese) was sort of strange, since it was like ordering a hamburger -- in my case, a cheeseburger -- with no meat. There was no veggie or Boca-type patty, just a bun filled with fixings and condiments. It turned into a big mushy mess.
The fries come in two sizes ($1.99 and $3.79) and in two styles (Five Guys style or Cajun). The fries are thick-cut, served with the skins on and delicious. The restaurant uses Idaho potatoes, which are sliced daily and fried to order in cholesterol-free peanut oil. The small size is big enough to feed two.
"I will say this, they are not greasy," said a companion. "They have a distinctive taste. Maybe it's the peanut oil."
On another visit, my companion had a bacon cheese dog ($3.69), which is 100 percent kosher.
The bacon seemed a little redundant, but she enjoyed the meat on meat. The bun, like the hamburger buns, was super soft.
The atmosphere is clean, almost sterile, with red-and-white tiled walls plastered with articles praising Five Guys. There are also accolades from various publications blown up in quotes: "Where Burgers are Boss," "Willy Wonkas of Burgercraft," and "The Fine Dining of Hamburgers."
On one occasion there was blaring rock music, but on two other visits the music was toned down and included two of my favorites, Jackson Browne and Stevie Nicks. There are a couple of big boxes of peanuts sitting around, and customers are invited to crack them open and munch as they wait for their food.
Five Guys was far from busy on any of our visits. Customers order at the counter. And if you're lucky, a friendly employee named Jason "Juicy" Peterson will give newbies a rundown on the restaurant. Counter staff yell out each order to a group of what look like college students manning spatulas in the grill area.
The restaurant opened in March on the 500 block of State Street in the space vacated by the Pipefitter when it moved across the street. Madison was the second Wisconsin location after a franchisee opened a Delafield restaurant three months earlier. The Virginia-based company started in 1986 and has more than 200 locations, mainly on the East Coast and Florida.
Fuddruckers, a similar burger chain, flopped at the bottom of State Street and closed last year. Here's hoping Five Guys has better luck here. I don't see why it shouldn't. Business should pick up when the students return to town.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Address: 517 State St.
Phone: 255-2520
Web site: www.fiveguys.com
Hours: 11 a..m. -10 p.m. every day
Notes: No checks accepted; wheelchair accessible.