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(Editor's note: A previous version of this article erroneously reported that Five Guys does not serve breakfast. It does at airport locations in Atlanta, Washington and Raleigh-Durham, and a small number of city outlets.)

The scene: One of the hottest restaurant chains in the world, Five Guys has opened more than 1,000 locations since its 1986 debut in the Washington, D.C., area, and claims to have another 1,500 in development. Famously named after the four brothers who founded it and the father who backed their concept, it was long considered a regional chain, having spread up and down the Eastern Seaboard. But Five Guys has gone truly nationwide and now lists locations in just about every continental U.S. state. Despite this rapid spread, like beloved regional burger chains In-n-Out, Fatburger and White Castle, Five Guys tends to elicit much more passion than its more corporate competition. In the case of Five Guys, the avid loyal following comes thanks to some simple but important tweaks on the fast food burger model -- namely cooking to order, very generous portions, fresh fries, free peanuts and a charming throwback feel.

Stores come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from strip mall storefronts to larger freestanding locations, but the common themes are white and red décor with checkered tile counters and walls, along with a fully open kitchen where staff can be seen cooking burgers and fries, giving it a bit of a Fifties carhop feel. This is enhanced by the unusual soundtrack: it's hard to imagine hearing The Doors' L.A. Woman or The Who's The Kids Are Alright at McDonalds. Orders are placed at a counter below a big white and red menu board and staff shouts the order to the kitchen: "Three patties, two dogs!"

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The signature element that immediately identifies Five Guys is the stacked sacks of whole potatoes on the floor in the center of the restaurant, usually flanked by boxes of peanut oil used for frying and boxes of whole peanuts. There is always one open box of peanuts with a scoop and boat-like cardboard trays for self-service, as all the (highly addictive) peanuts you want to crack and eat are included in every visit. Besides turning the middle of the restaurant into efficient storage space, this gives Five Guys a homey "look behind the curtain at what we are using" aesthetic. To complement this, every location has a board on the wall with a handwritten description of where today's potatoes come from, such as Idaho or Washington. The other thing every location boasts is an endless series of articles praising the chain and its burgers covering pretty much every wall, dozens of such articles from newspapers and magazines all over the country (Zagat Survey annually rates them best fast food burger, and GQ magazine called it "the best $5 burger a man can eat.").

Reason to visit: Burgers and cheeseburgers with toppings, hot dogs

The food: Five Guys' success is as much based on its portions, very large by fast food burger chain standards, as its food. It's hard to leave here hungry. Besides the beloved unlimited free peanuts, the regular burgers and especially the fries slant towards the enormous end of the spectrum. A regular burger has two good size patties and is quite hearty, and even the "little" burger, with one patty, is bigger than most fast food models. A regular fries is more than enough for two, and the advertised size is irrelevant because the Five Guys signature move is to fill it, place it in a paper bag, then dump many more fries in, giving you a sack full. The "little" fry order gets the same treatment and is more than most people can (or should) eat.

But the food is also good, especially the burgers. All are cooked to order, making Five Guys more of fast-casual approach than true fast food. There is no drive-through and you may wait ten minutes for your meal. A line of fryers is constantly turning over baskets of fries, which don't sit around here and tend to be very hot and fresh (though if you catch the cycle wrong you could wait awhile for the next batch). The fresh hand-cut fries, which I have had many times in many locations, are good but not quite great. What I like most about them is that every order contains a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from thin, crispy, well-done slivers to thicker, longer, less-cooked chunks, so there is something for every type of fry lover. They're available regular or Cajun, but the Cajun is surprisingly mild and somewhat under-seasoned – I prefer the regular.

The burgers, an 80/20 chuck blend, taste fresh and are quite juicy, especially given that like almost all fast food burgers they are cooked to well done. But what sets them even further apart is the wide range of tree toppings in addition to the paid choices of cheese and bacon. Any burger can be had with up to 15 toppings, from standards like ketchup and onions to grilled onion, green peppers, grilled mushrooms, jalapeños and A1 Sauce. If you like a lot of stuff, you can really load the already-big burgers up to gargantuan proportions.

The menu is quite streamlined compared to bigger chains, with no salads, no wraps, no fried chicken or fish of any kind, and no desserts. The notable addition few fast food eateries serve is the kosher-style hot dog, a tasty, high-quality frank served butterflied and griddled. This cooking style takes the normal snap of the casing out of the equation but substitutes a slightly crisp edge that is appealing, and all the same burger toppings, including cheese and bacon, are offered. The final unique touch is the high-tech touchscreen soda machines that allow customers to self-serve and mix and match a huge variety of Coca Cola products, from Cherry Coke to Mr. Pibb to Barq's Root Beer. I'm not a soda drinker but I have friends who choose Five Guys specifically because of these machines.

Five Guys Burgers are not exactly life-changing, but they are much better than average, consistently fresh, juicy, tasty and customized to a high level. Staff is unerringly friendly, and has been in every location I have visited, without exception. For folks who don't like burgers, the hot dog is a great option, and while I don't love the fries, they are good and always fresh, and the value proposition here is high. As a result, anytime I got off a highway exit and had a choice between them and the Big Three fast food burger chains, I would absolutely choose Five Guys. Plus, the peanuts are a fun way to kill time while you wait for your burger.

Pilgrimage-worthy?: No, but among the best chain burgers you can eat.



Details: In 47 states and the District of Columbia;

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