Adam Ain't Cooking

In America, Five Guys Burgers And Fries is on the same par as Burger King, KFC and McDonalds etc, but in the UK it's been marketed somewhat at a premium, so I went to The Trafford Centre to try the newest store and see what the fuss is all about.

Short answer? I've no idea, it's the same in the UK as it is in America, which is pretty bland and underwhelming really.

I score it two stars because of two things; the location, and the staff. The location is gorgeous, sitting in The Trafford Centre's Great Hall, and the staff are friendly, professional, and cheerful.

The food? Meh...

I ordered the "Little Cheeseburger" which was £5.50, and the "Little Fries" which were £2.75, but didn't fancy a drink at £2.50, even if it was the Freestyle Coke machines, which, by the way, had just UK standard fizzy drinks in them, and didn't have Root Beer, as a member of staff told me they couldn't get the licensing for it (or something similar!).

After the pleasant interaction with the staff, and seeing the venue, all that was left was to try the food. For £8.25, I was left pretty underwhelmed.

I wanted to sit in their outdoor area, but there were no doors leading to it from the restaurant itself... you have to leave the restaurant, and walk through the Great Hall to the main exit, then walk around the front of the building to the seating area. Very odd.

Now for the food.

The burger I chose with a simple ketchup and mustard topping, but aside from being a juicy burger, it had no actual flavour! It was exceptionally bland, and there was way too much sauce, so it felt like the bun (which was okay, if not a bit crumpled), was pretty much just ketchup and mustard. I get the impression that if you chose a burger with tons of the 'free toppings', you'd find that it'd taste the same without the burger patty as it would with it!

Bag O Grease

The ketchup and mustard sandwich.

Worst still were the fries. Their whole schtick is that everything is cooked in peanut oil and with skins-on, and so they're meant to be crunchy and crispy.

They ain't.

These fries were floppy and FAR FAR TOO SALTY!! It felt like eating actual salt, to the degree that it made me feel a bit unwell, and I had to LEAVE most of them, which is something I just don't do, leaving me feeling disappointed and ripped off. They were also incredibly greasy... the bag was covered in oily splashes, the table had a puddle of oil on it afterwards, and I had to go to the 'restrooms' to wash my hands afterwards due to how greasy they now were!

As it stands, Five Guys is "alright", if you fancy a burger, you could pop in there, but I personally find it a bit pricy for a quick burger and fries.

Give it a go by all means, but I don't imagine you'll go back again afterwards.

I won't.

I also sincerely hope the "Employees Must Wash Hands" sign in the restrooms was done as a nod to American culture rather than something necessary for staff to be instructed to adhere to!