When it was first announced that American burger giant Five Guys was
opening in Manchester, I had lots of devotees “OMG-ing” at me, telling
me how it serves up “the best burger EVER” and lots of other OTT
superlatives.
But when I headed on the opening day at the Trafford
Centre, back in April, I admit I was a little underwhelmed by it all,
felt it was a bit expensive for what is essentially a fast food joint,
and I certainly didn’t feel the need for an OMG.
With shopping
trips calling me back to the mall over the festive period, though, I
decided it was the perfect time to return and cast a critical eye over
the diner at the front of The Orient food court.
As soon as we
arrived, at the open plan entrance with red and white checked branding,
we received the friendliest of welcomes from a front of house gentlemen."Five Guys have got it just right, their burgers melt in the mouth, proving their boast that the meat is shaped into patties on the premises each morning"
He talked us through the menu, extolling
the virtues of the prime fresh Irish beef (apparently they’ve recently
switched from British) and proudly telling us the chips are all made
fresh “there’s nothing frozen here,” he beams - hence the big piles of
potato bags used as decor.
He also talked up the firm’s famed
drinks machine, which gives you 100 different taste options and free
refills for the whole day “you can even come back after your shopping
and refill, as long as you keep your cup we don’t mind,” he says.
He’s
certainly a great salesman for the firm - and that drinks machine
really is a treat with a myriad of flavour options to add into your
fizzy pop.
I plumped for a strawberry Sprite (£2.50) a delightful
sugary pink liquid that, whilst rotting one’s teeth aside, is worth a
return visit in itself.
As for ordering your food, it works like
pretty much every other fast food operation - you go to a till and you
order what you want then wait for your order to be dispatched.
But
Five Guys pride themselves on creating every burger fresh from your
requirements with an extensive list of toppings that you can add for
free.
The burgers come double as standard - if you’re not in the
mood for a pig-out you can order a “little” burger instead which is a
single.
As those toppings are all free I make the most of it and
request a whole host be added to my bacon cheeseburger (£8.75) - bacon
served nice and crispy; gherkins a tad on the soggy side; I barely
noticed the grilled onions to be honest; but there was a decent dollop
of mayo and ketchup as per my request.
The bread bun is a firm doughy creation with the classic sesame seed topping.
It has to be that little bit firmer I suppose to support the wealth of fillings piled into it.
I did find it a bit of a struggle to handle, but it’s really not the sort of place to start juggling with plastic cutlery.
So on I toiled, gherkins dropping down my sleeve and slithery trails of ketchup streaking my face.
It
would be a brave girl who heads here on a date night, I can tell you,
but as I had my dear old mumsy along with me I didn’t have such vain
concerns.
We shared a medium pot of cajun-dusted fries (£4) which
come served sprawling out of the bottom of a brown paper bag - this is a
“thing” Five Guys is known for, apparently.
The burgers themselves are soft, tender tasty meat - much better than I remembered from my first visit.
As dear old mumsy put it: “they’re very easy to chew aren’t they?”.
I
started chuckling away at this “old fogey comment”, but she swiftly
clarified that when I’ve taken her to, shall we put it, more exclusive
venues in Manchester and we’ve had a burger they often fall victim to
being so large they’re a bit like tough old leather to get through.
And she’s right, of course.
The best burgers aren’t the biggest but the juiciest.
Five
Guys have got it just right, their burgers melt in the mouth, proving
their boast that the meat is shaped into patties on the premises each
morning. Looking back at the photos we took, I’m actually salivating a
bit recalling the tender, juicy fronds of meat practically oozing out of
the bun.
Mum, who had plumped for a little burger with mustard
and mushroom (£5.50) decided it was the best burger she’d had in years
and is already planning an outing for all her mumsy friends to come
here.
No comments:
Post a Comment