Five Guys — Restaurant in Lafayette

I typically love Five Guys, and I go to various franchises more than I probably should. Usually the food and service are both excellent, but this was my first visit to this location, and I probably will not be back. I drove out of my way through Purdue move-in traffic when I found that the West Lafayette location was closed. I mean there was no sign it ever existed. This location is more in a retail shopping area of Lafayette. If you eat at Five Guys, you know it is not cheap, but the quality and portions can be worth the cost. And if you are a regular visitor to one of the franchises, you know what I mean by "Bag Fries." You get a cup of fries the size you order and then an extra scoop thrown into the bag. That is why a small fry will cost you $4.39. The cup used for the small size is truly small. On this occasion they had ran out of the small ketchup cups next to the dispenser, so they had the small fry cups in their place. When I took my bag back to my table I saw that the small order of fries in the bag contained only a few fries in the tiny cup. No "Bag Fries" I thought the manager-acting man calling out the orders had simply forgotten to add the appropriate amount of fries to the bag, but when I approached and asked him specifically if the tiny cup in my hand not even filled with fries was all that came with a small order he said that it was. I was surprised and I asked him if this was a $4.39 order of fries and he again grunted in affirmation. For comparison, I had a cup of ketchup that was more full than my fry cup of the same size. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I paid 50 cents per fry. If this is a matter of "Shrinkflation" then Five Guys needs to be upfront about the change in policy and portions. Paying nearly five dollars for a serving of fries that equals about half of a McDonald's small fry, which comes as one of the items in a $5 meal deal, is ludicrous. If you are going to change the portion sizes, please be transparent so customers can make the choice with full knowledge of what they are getting. My burger was delicious, and the ten fries I had were tasty, but the nonsense with the fries...

I'm afraid that I have not had the best experience with this particular Five Guys locations for several reasons.

They once gave my delivery order to the wrong service and only received it once they created a replacement that I had to pick up.

Several times they only gave me my order in a paper bag -- within seven minutes the bag was saturated and the contents, thereof spilled out the bottom. (Yes, this has happened MULTIPLE times. Pro tip - if you get take out, ensure to have them put the paper bag in another plastic bag, especially if you have 'leaky' toppings on your burgers.)

They do not offer curbside pick-up like the West Lafayette location which arguably deals with far more congestion and fewer parking spaces. (Why would they not offer this during these times and especially if they already had to shut down last year due to an outbreak [reported by local news]?)

So, if I want to order from the establishment, I have to order take-out. Every single time I have ordered take out, the order is never ready, even when I go in to retrieve it ten to fifteen minutes after its indicated 'ready' time.

I loathe to leave this review because most of the people there are rock-stars and friendly when it comes to customer service. I am to the point that if I want a Five Guys burger that I will opt to go the West Lafayette location -- the hassle at the Lafayette location is not worth the effort to order from there now. This is also to say politely, management leaves a lot to be desired in terms of improvement and...

Oh Kenny,..

What a great bunch of guys! One in particular stood out, Kenny for his great customer service and genuine want to get things right.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with a smile and a great personality. The restaurant was clean and the service was fast. I ordered 2 burgers, fries and a milkshake. One burger was the double BACON cheeseburger. When I arrived home, I noticed the BACON cheeseburger was MISSING the bacon. Such a disappointment. I called the location and Kenny answered the call, remembered my name and my order. I explained the problem with my order and he said to come back the following day so the burger could be made right. A few days later, I entered the location and to my surprise, Kenny was there, remembered me, greeted me with a smile and said he would personally remake my burger. He chatted me up while ensuring my burger is made right.

Nice job Kenny! Not only will I return for the great quality food but also just to be greeted by Kenny's fun down to...