5 Guys Burgers and Fries

I finally got around to trying 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. I had heard about it for a while. I even remember taking some east coasters to In-N-Out and having then proclaim that 5 Guys is way better. I ended going to the West Hollywood location with my brother-in-law. When you walk in, it is obvious why there are the comparisons happen so often. Growing up going to In-N-Out, I felt like 5 Guys was a bizarro version, like when the Seinfeld crew had to go to Reggie’s instead of the usual diner. It did seem a little more low key, it more of a Fatburger vibe to me than In-N-Out.

As for the burger, you can get any combination of toppings you want. I chose lettuce, ketchup, mustard, pickles and grilled onions. The burgers are made to order and the meat had really good flavor for a fast food burger. The bun is a standard sesame seed bun. I think there could have been more flavor from the grilled onions and the rest of the toppings seemed a little scarce. I think that was the difference between In-N-Out and 5 Guys. In-N-Out’s grilled onions and and spread set that burger apart. Honestly, the burger tasted closer to a Fatburger, which I like more than 5 Guys as well. But these are clearly the class of fast food burgers in my opinion and this point each person probably has their favorite. Which one is yours? I would love to know!

Sauce on Hampton

I found out about Sauce on Hampton on Facebook through the owner/chef who I went to high school with. From what I remember of him in high school, I never expected him to be a chef, granted there was a long time between when we were in school and when he opened the restaurant. Boy am I glad to be wrong on this one. I have been to Sauce a few times prior to trying the burger. The idea behind the restaurant is to bring farm fresh local and organic ingredients to the customers. This is a great concept, especially in the Venice/Santa Monica area. The food there is so fresh and flavorful, that I just feel good after the meal and want to go back for more. I highly recommend you check it out. There is also a chance that you may get a homemade cookie on house. Trust you don’t want to miss out on those.

On to the burger. My expectations, based on the style of restaurant, was fresh ingredients and good meaty flavor. The burger delivers on that account. The meat was fresh and had that great beefy flavor I ordered the Red, Wheat and Bleu burger, as it was the closest to the other burgers I have reviewed, and the one that seemed most appealing to me at the time. The burgers come on a whole wheat bun, which on the surface seems like it would be dry and boring, but it was actually quite soft and held together well. All the burgers are topped with spinach, fresh tomatoes, and homemade aioli and Dijon mustard. I didn’t get too much of the aioli or the mustard but the greens and the tomato were very fresh and added to the burger. Finally, the burger I ordered came with blue cheese and grilled onions. This was the one negative I had for the burger. Usually blue cheese is overwhelming, but I thought the burger could have used a little more. Same with the grilled onions. A few more would have really given off that sweet flavor and added something extra to the burger.