London has just gotten this much cooler, with the much-anticipated arrival of Five Guys. As burger lovers at the Food Grid we couldn’t be more excited for this American staple to make its mark on the English capital. This was a day for celebration, and not only because it’s Independence Day across the Atlantic! We arrived at the new Five Guys restaurant in Covent Garden around 7pm and were unsurprisingly greeted with a queue that stretched around the block. We expected a long waiting line, but not this long! We quietly joined the end of the line and were quickly given menus by attendants manning the line. Initially instructed that the wait would be a maximum of 50mins… 90mins later we found ourselves at the entrance of the restaurant ready to go in. Having arrived at the counter, we were politely welcomed by the extremely friendly staff and ordered two cheeseburgers, a grilled cheese sandwich and an order of large fries and two sodas. Without having to wait too long our order was ready and we rushed to eat. If you don’t already know this, Five Guys is famous for cooking everything in peanut oil as it is lighter, healthier and we can say definitely yummier. The burgers were perfect; they were the ideal balance between a gourmet burger and a fast food burger. In its presentation it’s nothing more than your average fast food burger, but the taste and quality is that of a gastronome burger. The meat was delicious and the cheese just perfectly melted atop the patties. The sesame bun was also not too thick and chewy and was just slightly toasted giving it a delicate crisp. The hand cut, skin-on chips are a favorite and bear subtle flavours of peanuts and taste much lighter than your average French Fries (the portion was also incredibly generous). The grilled cheese is also delectable and mouthwatering in its simplicity and explosive flavour. With all that’s said and done, was it worth the wait? Absolutely!
1 - 3 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LH
