Five Guys — Restaurant in Arlington

[This initial review was written prior to the pandemic.] Five Guys is a perennial reliable amidst the wave of franchises that have brought the hamburger into an upscale revival during the last two decades. The quality is still all there, and their practice of loading your burger with condiments at no extra charge is nice. Still, two burgers, a medium fry and one carbonated beverage will tote up to $25.00.

The reason for my docking Five Guys a star has to do with my request for grilled onions on the burger. What the cook apparently did was to take some raw, chopped onions and throw them briefly on the grill. This is not my idea of grilled onions (and I dislike raw onion). Grilled onions should be strips of onion that have been put on the grill with a little butter or oil and cooked until browned. With the emphasis on "fresh," Five Guys is reluctant to have a little bit of this set aside, perhaps because there aren't many requests for it. If that's the case, either drop it from your condiments, or instruct the guys on the griddle to take more time with them.

Five Guys is a Coke establishment, and I'd give the drink about a "B" in balance between carbonated water and syrup. A little more careful attention to this would be a plus!

I visited the very first Five Guys, which was located in a small strip of shops at the corner of Glebe Rd. and Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. Still remember it going in there... .

UPDATE on 09/27/2022: Wow. Getting more and more expensive in this inflationary time. Cashier surprisingly did not know uncooked weight of patties so I opted for two patties per cheeseburger. Regular fries is generous with fries spilling out from the cup. But I would be happy with fewer fries and not spending $5.89 on them. They're not that outstanding. What was $25 is now over $35. In fairness, I will say that getting a cheeseburger with trimmings, fried and a carbonated beverage at most places along the Orange line in Arlington is going to set you back about the same, perhaps even more with tip if you're getting table service. My conclusion is that if you're feeling mindful about curbing some entertainment expense during this inflationary period, one of the first things one might do is visit restaurants for food that you can't make for yourself at home on the grill and in...

Unprofessional staff (offensive jokes). There is usually a casual and neutral vibe...neither friendly nor rude but the last time was different. It was [a matter involving comments from] 2 workers around 6/12: fat blonde white guy and a slim black guy with braids or dreadlocks. No morsel of professionalism. I don't buy overpriced, mediocre, fatty foods. I was only there for a delivery pick up. Skinny female low hair cut who I thought was okay and seemed to work hard totally snapped because I asked (after waiting quietly maybe 10 minutes) if the order was coming soon. I only asked because if it would be a while longer I'd head over to my other pick up in the meantime just to be efficient. I hadn't asked as a sneaky way of saying "hurry up" but after stopping, staring, widening her eyes and nodding slowly at me she yelled out to other staff that I was rushing her and getting on her nerves. Wow. Even if I had been rushing her that type of response would have been out of line. A different female worker was pleasant. She apologized for the delay but there's nothing to apologize for as long as everyone is doing their job which seemed to be the case. If it takes time then it takes time. Since I was calm and not at all pushy I feel misinterpretation should have been just about impossible unless someone was mental or super negative. I'll try to steer clear of Five Guys while that kind of...

1 star because I didn't get a chance to place an order and will never step foot in this location again to try. I walked out less than a minute after arriving due to POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!

When I walked in, there was a young lady behind the register drinking and spilling a soda while speaking to another employee that was obviously getting off of work. I was under the impression that the co-worker was placing an order because of the fact that she was standing where a customer would, in front of the register. Moments later I realized they were simply carrying on a meaningless conversation. I stood behind her.

When they were done with their conversation, the young lady behind the register made eye contact with me and walked away without saying a word. I don't know if she was getting off too, if she went to the bathroom or if she had to go get something because I immediately felt UNIMPORTANT and walked out of the store. I ended up going to Papa John's only two blocks away where I was greeted upon arrival and treated like my hard-earned money was going to be appreciated for being spent in their establishment. A simple, "I'll be right with you." would have made all the difference between a new regular and a one star review but I don't think she CARES about the quality of her work, she's there for the check and that's all. Plus, what's just one unhappy "would have been" customer...