Burgers: The battle between two staples of the upscale fast food industry must begin with their burgers, so let’s get to the meat of this debate. Pun unequivocally intended.
Five Guys will never sell you short, and their burgers are thick, juicy and they pile on the bacon and cheese. The standard bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys has two patties, two slices of cheese, and a whole bunch of bacon. If Five Guys has a big league burger, then let’s call Shake Shack Pop Warner. There’s not much to the burgers at Shake Shack, and you can rip through one in two minutes if you really put your mind to it. Not that I’m speaking from experience, or anything. It’s really no contest as far as the burgers go. Edge: Five Guys.
Fries: Both Five Guys and Shake Shack have good fries, but it all depends on what you want. Shake Shack has the simple, crispy, golden fritters that you know and love, simply seasoned with salt and neatly presented in a paper tray. Five Guys puts your fries in a soda cup and then another handful gets thrown into the bag for good measure. The hit at Five Guys are the Cajun fries. The seasoning gives a spicy, lively quality to what would otherwise be a rather vanilla french fry. Who wins in this debate probably varies from person to person, so I’ll leave it up to you. Edge: Tie
Drinks: There’s something about the pairing of a milkshake with a cheeseburger and fries that instills the vision of the perfect marriage. At Shake Shack, as the name implies, the milkshakes are as important as the burgers. Is it the best milkshake you’ll ever have? No. But it’s still pretty darn good for a fast food restaurant. At Five Guys, the absence of milkshakes is as noticeable as it is disappointing. Most Five Guys franchises have those touch-screen Coke machines that offer three-quarters of a million flavor combinations, but it raspberry Sprite just doesn’t touch the satisfaction of a strawberry milkshake. Edge: Shake Shack
Bottom line: Think of Shake Shack as the Starbucks of the fast food industry. If you’re into being all hip and trendy, then Shake Shack is the place to be. But if you’re into stuffing your face with food and having to challenge yourself to down all of the food that you are given, Five Guys is your best bet. I err on the side of the latter. If only Five Guys would have the decency to give you the option of ordering a milkshake. But, because they don’t, there will always be a time every now and then that I’ll go to Shake Shack instead. Winner: Five Guys.
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