The above sign is proudly displayed on the wall of Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Eastchase. It says: "Best Bargain" 2001-2007 "Washingtonian Magazine."On Urban Spoon, Five Guys is consistently rated "Best Cheap Eats" in Montgomery. Apparently, eighty percent of the 243 raters of the restaurant liked it. If so many like Five Guys, who are we to complain? Well, we dare to complain!
This is all so wrong on so many levels. It's a chain, it's outside the bypass and the prices are way over the "Tojo Line." Admittedly, the burgers and fries are good. They are very good. But they are not "cheap" nor a bargain, except in Washington D.C. where everyone eats lunch on someone else's dime and prices are through the roof at any restaurant. Here is what it cost to have a regular bacon cheeseburger and a small order of fries and drink:
$11.74 and shroomless
There are many good burgers in the Gump that, in my opinion, are just as good as Five Guys although I have to say the fries at the Guys are outstanding even if not peanut allergy friendly. (If you have a peanut allergy you should not even go into this place). But speaking strictly of burgers, you have to admit that Hamburger King, Chris' Hotdogs and Bud's are some fine Gump establishments that serve up mean burgers with the first two coming in well below the $10 Tojo Line for a lunch burger. Heck, Dreamland has a pretty decent hamburger.
You can go over the wall to Eastchase for Five Guys but just don't try to tell anyone its a "cheap eats" or "bargain" and expect to maintain your credibility.
EDITORS NOTE: Our medical consultant has advised that peanut oil contains no protein and therefore does not trigger peanut allergies. We do not know if she if full of baloney or not.
I agree with Carp about Five Guys burgers: There is too much "national mystique" included in that price. I live at about the same longitude as East Chase, so I admit to dining at places east of the boulevard, including Five Guys, sometimes. This brings to mind another point: Every time I go in that place, the music blaring from the house sound system gets on my nerves mightily. I like the burgers, the fries, the peanuts (no allergy of mine), but I do not like classic rock played too loudly in a room with tile walls and concrete floors.
ReplyDeleteNow, let's go back inside the boulevard for another good burger. This past Saturday, I went with a group to Sundown East in the Forest Hills Shopping Center, an establishment that I (as an outsider here) believe meets the LITG criteria. This joint is well-known for having no windows and the city's largest, gooeyest, best hamburger steak smothered in gravy and onions. Not wanting to overwork the pravastatin ever-present in my system, I ordered a simple small hamburger with fries. It came with lettuce, tomato, and mayonaise, and I must say that the burger and the fries were excellently prepared and served (Here ya go, hon!). A place with good hamburger steak has to have a good hamburger, and I recommend Sundown East when one has to have a good burger, or a "killer" hamburger steak.
Ahhhh, the "Beast from Sundown East." Yes we know of it and have reverently blogged about it in the past. Unfortunately, one of the Sundown East Beasts was thought to have burked poor Binion. Definitely a fine chunk of beef....
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