The attack of the burger shops is ever at full speed. We had seen Shake Shack, then came Fatburgers, now we have Five Guys Burgers on the block as the new heavyweight. What do this new American chain on our shores have to offer? Lets dine-in to check it out.
Five guys is known to offer great made-to-order burgers, fries & hot dogs. In America, you get free flow of peanuts on the counter, on the house in waiting zones. With their first branch right here in the heart of Plaza Singapore Orchard Road, it is located at an accessible location which is hard to beat.
Notably, the ambience is what you expect of a typical fast food joint, with both booth-style and outdoor tabled seating. No rocket science here, there is plenty of seating and can get rather crowded especially on weekends.
American food for the masses
So what is American food? Well fast food that is! On the menu are a selection of cheeseburgers which you can add toppings for extras. You have have it single ($13), with cheese ($15) or double, without or with crispy bacon ($15), or the entire works at $17. In addition are a selection of lighter hotdogs ($10), options with cheese or bacon ($12).
Additionally, there is also a “little burger” option, priced about $2 cheaper than their equivalent brethren. Interestingly, there is not much difference in size between a little and regular sized burger, only just fewer toppings.
Also, regular burger surprisingly already comes with two thin patties stacked on each other. This is topped up with the fanfare of melted cheese and pickles squished between two lightly toasted buns. Wrapped in an aluminum foil wrap typically seen in burritos. The patties are well cooked and juicy to the bite. The buns are also firm and has a light pleasant crunch being toasted.
Comparable Burger Quality
Moreover, I found the quality of their burgers great for the asking price. Five Guys Burgers sits in the quality range below most gourmet burger joints, especially that offered by Shake Shack. But pretty much on-par with the taste and price offerings of Bergs and Wolfburgers who serves what I like to call “sloppy burgers”, which is a typical staple in American fast-food culture.
Also, after placing your order, you can see staff behind clear counters working in unison preparing parts of your meal to order. You have 2 persons manning the fries fryers at a corner, while most of the central grill area is dedicated to toasting and buttering buns and grilling the beef patties. On peak periods, you can find the grills completely full at capacity.
Notably, your burgers are assembled right in front of you on white counters by the checkout till and your meal is collected on the other end of the ordering counters.
Excellent milkshakes
Furthermore, Five guys milkshakes are what you should visit the place for. They are thick rich, creamy and well blended with a consistent taste throughout. For $12, you have a selection of an “unlimited” number of flavours you can mix and match.
Your shake selections goes on top of their base “Five guys milkshake”. All mix-ins are free, comprising of standard choices such as strawberry, vanilla, banana, etc. Recommendations includes chocolate with Oreo flakes. Also, if you are adventurous you could consider peanut butter flavours.
It can get expensive quickly
However, dining at Farburgers can get rather expensive pretty quickly. For instance, a 3 person meal with 3 burgers and 3 shakes can cost you in the range of $70- 80. That is quite alot of money for burgers. Additionally, and just as you thought that’s it, upon ordering, you be coaxed by counter staff to upsize your selections with an additional patty or hotdog to your selection for “only $3” each. My take is avoid the upsize.
All in all, still, despite serving pretty much vanilla American fast food, Singaporeans simply can’t resist the hype of such burger joints. Notably, with the establishment often being full at capacity, particularly on weekends too. I would recommend Five guys for their excellent milkshakes, but do keep an eye on what you order to keep the bill low.
Verdict:
Must Go! | Actually pretty Good | Worth Trying | Shortlist Optionally | Should Avoid
Five Guys Burgers Locality Map
Plaza Singapura
Unit #01-32/33/34C/35,
Singapore 238839
Daily opening hours: 11am- 10pm
