Poll: In-N-Out vs 5 Guys, if you've had both

[Arctic Bunny]

As mentioned in another thread, my boys think it would be worth a 3-day drive to try an In/Out Burger. However, we have 5 Guys right here. Which brings us to the poll, dum dum dummmmm!

[heartlikealion]

Don't even think I'd drive 3 hours. But I wouldn't do that for most places.

[Arctic Bunny]

Don't even think I'd drive 3 hours. But I wouldn't do that for most places.

Oh, I'm not considering doing it, lol! Don't worry about THAT!

[Spryte]

Five Guys.

 

I only eat the burgers, no fries from any place.

 

And Five Guys is a death trap for peanut allergic kid, so we never go. :)

[LarlaB]

Easily, Five Guys.

[Rachel]

I prefer Smash Burger, Red Robin, 5 Guys, What-a-burger, then In N Out but any of them would do in a pinch. I wouldn't drive out of my way for any of them though.

[Paige]

I've never had either but we have a 5 Guys in our town. Is it worth it? DH likes them, but it seems like a lot of effort for a fast food burger when ours doesn't have a drive through. 

[Guest]

In N Out burgers are good, but I really thought the tenderness and juiciness of Five Guys was better.

[Arcadia]

When we go to Five Guys, my kids avoid the burger and ask for fries and soda. They will also eat the peanuts. My husband only eat the peanuts.

When we go In-N-Out Burger, my kids like their burgers animal style with extra everything, plain fries and milkshake.

 

So we can go to either as my kids will be contended with fries and a drink.

[Spy Car]

Never been to a 5 Guys (although there are some out here now) so I won't vote, but In-N-Out has been a fixture he in SoCal forever.

 

IMO the burgers at In-N-Out are overrated and the fries are sub-standard. I've never really understood the phenomenon. But people still line up for their food, so what do I know?

 

Bill

[gardenmom5]

I've had both ... I don't care.

I'll take teriyaki, thanks. . . .

 

eta: but I have to agree - five guys is better than in-n-out.  (which I had in july and was left wondering why people said they were so great.)

Edited September 10, 2017 by gardenmom5

[Arctic Bunny]

Fascinating! I really thought In/Out was going to win hands down!

[Spy Car]

The only cool thing about In-N-Out was back in High School (at a time of immaturity) was In-N-Out had bumper stickers that they used to hand out that read:

 

In-N-Out 

BURGERS

 

The surfer-dudes of that era (Mid-70s, think Jeff Spicoli-types), in addition to rocking the Vans, would modify the bumper stickers with scissors prior to affixing them on their cars to read:

 

In-N-Out
URGE

 

It was a "bad-boyish" double-entendre that fit the stoner-surfer culture where In-N-Out thrived. Almost all the In-N-Out bumper stickers one saw on cars in those days were altered. 

 

Word was the owners were not amused, and they eventually killed the bumper stickers. But they were a sign of the times.

 

Bill

 

 

[Word Nerd]

I don't get the fuss over In-and-Out. The burger was good, but the fries were mediocre at best. I'd rather have Five Guys.

[Spy Car]

Habit Burger is very good.

 

In and Out is marginally better than Burger King. I don't get the love for it.

 

Right.

 

The Habit (while it lacks the following, and also lacks the long lines) has better burgers IMO that In-N-Out.

 

Bill

[desertstrawberry5]

well. at least 5 guys has a veggie sandwich, In n Out has nothing for me.

[KungFuPanda]

I prefer Smash Burger, Red Robin, 5 Guys, What-a-burger, then In N Out but any of them would do in a pinch. I wouldn't drive out of my way for any of them though.

I couldn't vote because I've never had in n out, but I do like 5 Guys burgers and Cajun fries, and the fact that my son can get a bacon cheese hot dog that makes him happy. Their shakes are good, but probably the most expensive in town.

 

We have a smash burger, but I haven't tried it. What's their deal?

[Spy Car]

Well then we'll have to give Habit Burger a try! I forgot about What-a-burger. We haven't tried them either, but plan to.

 

I've been finding In and Out's buns chewy lately. I do like that they are a family-owned company, treat their employees well and make everything on the spot, nothing frozen. Even better was the price, but that has gone up in the past 5 years. 

 

Spy Car: Haha yep I remember the surfer dude at my bus stop covering up the B and the r with his fingers on his t-shirt. 

 

I don't want to oversell The Habit. Not "the greatest burgers ever," just a little better than In-N-Out.

 

The problem with all these places is that they over-cook the meat due to concerns about food safety, so you've got a dry burger they try to rescue with sauce condiments.

 

I do a lot better at home.

 

Bill

[theelfqueen]

I've had better burgers than either at dozens of places.

I think both are mediocre at best. My kids love Five Guys though...

 

I'd pick Smash Burger over either as a quick stop, non-drive thru option.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2017 by theelfqueen

[Arctic Bunny]

So.... there are two five guys here, and the website tells me that neither of them have: milkshakes, beer, breakfast, coca-cola freestyle or poutine. Whaaaa?

[Tap]

Of the two..Five Guys.

 

There is a Five Guys about 10 minutes from my house but I would rather go to Burgerville (PNW chain) and get the Pepper Bacon Cheeseburger.  It's a fast food burger, but made with quality ingredients and it tastes good.  Five Guys is pretty greasy to me.  (There are no In and Outs in our area.) 

[Arcadia]

Our nearest Smash Burger which is just a short walk away is so mediocre that none of us wants to eat there even though we have coupons for free burgers for the nearest one because they are less than a year old.

 

My kids find In-N-Out fries less salty than Five Guys.

[Pawz4me]

Freddy's=better

 

 I've never been to In-and-Out.

 

I've eaten at Five Guys once and it was good enough but certainly nothing to get excited about. That was probably seven or eight years ago and we haven't been tempted to stop at one again.

 

I've eaten at Freddy's once and -- YUM! It was so unexpectedly good I was hugely impressed.  We'll definitely be going back.

[Ottakee]

I tried going to Five Guys last week. Prices are really high. I ended up skipping the burger and just getting the smallest size fries and a small pop....over $6.

 

Well, the pop machine had issues while filling my cherry coke (the reason I went there) and the fries were mediocre at best.

 

Mc Donald's would have been much better. :-(. Before Five Guys has been good but this time a big flop.

[Lady Marmalade]

I couldn't vote because I've never had in n out, but I do like 5 Guys burgers and Cajun fries, and the fact that my son can get a bacon cheese hot dog that makes him happy. Their shakes are good, but probably the most expensive in town.

 

We have a smash burger, but I haven't tried it. What's their deal?

 

We've been to Smashburger locations that are amazing, and Smashburger locations that aren't at the same level, so it's a gamble whether you have one of the good ones or not.   

 

We do love the burgers, but the best thing on their menu is their Smash Fries.  Fresh french fries tossed with garlic, rosemary and olive oil.  So freakishly good!   My kids would argue that their shakes are some of the best in the world also- made with Haagen Dazs ice cream, and made fresh to order.  

 

We've never been to 5 Guys to compare, which is kind of silly because we have a 5 Guys not five minutes away, and the nearest Smashburger is about 4 hours away... 

[Guest]

I would say that given the choice between Red Robin and Five Guys I'd go to the bird, but Red Robin has been my favorite casual dining restaurant for years and their burgers are about as good for the same price, but the kids stuff is cheaper :)

[Guest]

Five guys tops but I am going to tell you about a better place.

 

Konjoe burger in San Jose. Heaven.

 

http://www.konjoe.com

[Seeking Squirrels]

I only eat in n out when we really need to stop and get something on our way to the city and even then it's only because it's easy and different from the fast food closer to us. It's about 20 minutes from us and we have NEVER gone out of our way to get to it. 

 

We choose 5 guys a lot when we're at his mom's and want to order something to bring back. Not that I think it's amazing, it's just good enough that we can generally all (4 adults) agree on it. 

 

My first choice would be a grilled at home turkey burger. 

[MistyMountain]

I liked In and Out when I lived where they had them but the fries were not my favorite. I never had Five Guys. We have a Smashburger now and I had something from there once and the burger and the fries I had were not that good. I really like Shake Shack though. I had it at an airport terminal and it was really good. I had a veggie burger that was really good and the fries were good too. I do really like Red Robin burgers but the fries are not my favorite.

Edited September 10, 2017 by MistyMountain

[Crimson Wife]

(1) The Counter

(2) The Habit

(3) Five Guys

 

In-and-Out is ok but totally not worth the lines.

 

Never had Smashburger- is that the NYC-based chain that everyone was talking about maybe last year? I've never seen one out here.

[Arcadia]

Never had Smashburger- is that the NYC-based chain that everyone was talking about maybe last year? I've never seen one out here.

There are two in the East Bay, five in the South Bay and one in SF.

http://smashburger.com

[Zoo Keeper]

We can't do 5 Guys due to kids with nut allergies....but my mouth wants to anyway.

 

My wallet would rather go to In n Out.

[Crimson Wife]

There are two in the East Bay, five in the South Bay and one in SF.

http://smashburger.com

 

The Emeryville one isn't too far from one of the places I sometimes take my daughter for audiology-related stuff. I will have to check it out the next time I'm over there.

[Elizabeth86]

Hmm never been too in and out. Dh loves 5 guys, but it doesnt thrill me. Im going to have to see where the closest in and out burger is.

 

I see, west coast only huh?

Edited September 11, 2017 by Elizabeth86

[Happy]

Of those two, Five guys wins. I like their fries. 

 

But if I had my choice, I'd go to Chaps. Great burgers and excellent fries. I think they are a regional chain so y'all far off people may be out of luck. 

​I'm a devotee of Whataburger, too. 

[StaceyinLA]

I like Five Guys a lot if I'm in the mood for that type of burger. Smashburger did not impress me at ALL, and recently, when we had the chance to eat at an In and Out, we chose not to because a lot of people told us it just wasn't worth it. We found some yummy, local food truck instead.

 

We have a local chain called Burgersmith that has excellent burgers. That's our go-to for sure.

[SanDiegoMom]

My family likes Five Guys so much better, but unfortunately we always call it IN-and-Out by accident. People here on the East Coast are like what? What's In-and-Out? 

[RegGuheert]

I'd say Fuddrucker's is better than both Five Guys and In-And-Out Burger.  If I had to pick between the two, I'd pick Five Guys.

[Farrar]

I have to be loyal to Five Guys. I had In and Out ages ago and it was good, I guess, but Five Guys is local. I remember when they had like three locations total. Sooooo good. I do think the quality has drifted a little as they franchised though. The amount of fries they give you varies an insane amount.

 

However, if I had to pick a small patty type burger joint to really love on, even though they're not originally from here, I'm going Shake Shack. They also have the best cheese fries.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Farrar

[Plateau Mama]

I have been to In and Out twice. Never again. Their fries are the texture of cardboard and have no taste. Their burgers are good but not great. My daughter says she would rather eat at McD's. We never eat at McD's.

[Spy Car]

The one nice feature of In-N-Out is that they manage to perfect a light toastiness on the inside portions of the bun. This gives their (otherwise pretty mediocre) burgers an interesting mouthfeel.

 

The fries are terrible. I assume they deep-fry these once rather than twice (which is optimal) as they are limp and uninteresting.

 

Bill 

[Beebug123]

Being from San Diego we are pretty big fans of in n out. What I like is that it's relatively inexpensive compared to other burger places. Their fries are definitely different so I get why people have mixed opinions about them. We get a few meals, plus some extra burgers for the girls and walk out spending less than say McDonalds and the quality is much better. Plus I like how competent they are with the protein style lettuce burgers. Lots of other leave plenty to be desired. I've been to 5 guys once. It was good for sure but cost me about double. We just went to the Habit last week as they are new to our area. It was a nice compromise between the 2 places. My girls liked that the lady gave them huge ice cream cones and they are the only place I've seen here that still sells them for $1, Everywhere else it is way more money for a soft serve cone.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'd say Fuddrucker's is better than both Five Guys and In-And-Out Burger.  If I had to pick between the two, I'd pick Five Guys.

 

Never tried Fud, but this makes me think of Idiocracy whenever I hear/read it.  LOL

[vonfirmath]

I would say that given the choice between Red Robin and Five Guys I'd go to the bird, but Red Robin has been my favorite casual dining restaurant for years and their burgers are about as good for the same price, but the kids stuff is cheaper :)

 

I love REd Robin so much  I have little incentive to try other burger places unless I am meeting a sunday school class there or something.

 

I usually get the burger with an egg on it.

[vonfirmath]

Hmm never been too in and out. Dh loves 5 guys, but it doesnt thrill me. Im going to have to see where the closest in and out burger is.

 

I see, west coast only huh?

 

They have them in Texas too now

[Arctic Bunny]

I'd say Fuddrucker's is better than both Five Guys and In-And-Out Burger. If I had to pick between the two, I'd pick Five Guys.

Interesting, we do enjoy Fuddruckers! I always thought of it as local - no idea why!

[Arctic Bunny]

I love REd Robin so much I have little incentive to try other burger places unless I am meeting a sunday school class there or something.

 

I usually get the burger with an egg on it.

Ooo, only a 1-day drive, lol!

[luuknam]

Never heard of In and Out, not a fan of Five Guys, so I'll vote for Red Robin, largely because of alcoholic milkshakes (not voting in the poll though). 

[heartlikealion]

Being from San Diego we are pretty big fans of in n out. What I like is that it's relatively inexpensive compared to other burger places. Their fries are definitely different so I get why people have mixed opinions about them. We get a few meals, plus some extra burgers for the girls and walk out spending less than say McDonalds and the quality is much better. Plus I like how competent they are with the protein style lettuce burgers. Lots of other leave plenty to be desired. I've been to 5 guys once. It was good for sure but cost me about double. We just went to the Habit last week as they are new to our area. It was a nice compromise between the 2 places. My girls liked that the lady gave them huge ice cream cones and they are the only place I've seen here that still sells them for $1, Everywhere else it is way more money for a soft serve cone.

 

I think a soft serve at McDonald's isn't much more. Once in a while I will order their sundae.

[gaillardia]

I had burgers and fries from Five Guys once or twice and even though I liked it a lot, my digestive system said no. That was when I was still successfully eating beef.

Every time I eat at In N Out I wonder why I'm eating it. I do NOT get an upset stomach but it wasn't as good as Five Guys. Now I am only near In N Out. I would not drive even an 2 hours for F.G., ok, maybe 1 hour.

I prefer turkey burgers at home.