A Burger A Week – Five Guys
It’s the final stop of our first half!
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Teenagers are good at lots of stuff. Sometimes that “goodness” is disguised, making it harder to recognize. But they are good at stuff.
They can give you a perspective on things that an adult might not necessarily have (a good thing). They’re mostly unafraid to speak their minds (especially when coaxed or bribed). And for the most part, they share a love (or at least a like) of fast food. 🍔
This is the last stop on the first half of our yearlong burger series. It has been a fun, filling, and at times surprising little ride. I figured for this stop, why not get a fresh set of taste buds involved? Yes, I have recruited a teenager to take us to halftime in fast food style!
My burger-tasting companion for Stop # 26 is my friend, Jake. Jake’s a Riverview HS sophomore, and the perfect candidate to inject some teen perspective into our burger adventure.
It might not hold true for everybody. But in my mind, the equation goes something like this, Teenagers + Hunger (or boredom) = 🍔🌮🍕. Let’s see if Jake fits the formula.
When I was Jake’s age (the 1970s!), fast food was really picking up steam. Burger, taco, and pizza chains were popping up on just about every other corner. You didn’t have to look far in the south suburbs of Chicago for a fast food fix. Just a stroll up the street would get that done.
McDonald’s was on top of the heap back then (and still is). But others were in hot pursuit (especially Burger King and Wendy’s in my neighborhood). 📝 When I was in high school, it was pretty tough to beat a bag of White Castle sliders! At least in my teenage opinion.
In 1986 a fast-food burger evolution was about to take place. And the Washington, DC area would be the epicenter. That’s when Jerry and Janie Murrell, along with their family, decided that Five Guys Burgers & Fries could be a burger game changer. Turns out they were correct…
Fresh, handmade burger patties and natural cut fries made from location-specific Idaho potatoes would be their calling card for the next 37 years. 📝 You won’t find a freezer in any of their stores. BUT you can get a milkshake at some locations?? Yes, a Milkshake Machine does the duty! ✅
It wasn’t until 2008 that the first Five Guys showed up here in the Sarasota area. And when they did… 😯
When you’re tasting burgers with folks, there is a certain amount of camaraderie involved. You’re in the adventure together. There’s bound to be a lot of spirited discussion. Naturally, the burger preferences you bring with you to the table are bound to come into play.
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Jake confided in me that BurgerFi is his #1 choice for this style of fast food burger. (They were stop #11. You can read about that HERE). Looks like today, Jake will just have to settle…
I’m sure most of you know the drill at any Five Guys you walk into. You step up to the counter, place your order, and they give you a number. 81 was our lucky number today!
Next, you patiently wait for that number to be called. 🔢
They do get the job done pretty quickly. But just in case you need a little pre-burger snack, Five Guys has you covered for that too. 🥜
You can’t get a beer at Five Guys, but you can get just about any flavor of soft drink that your little heart desires.
These are “smash” style burgers. And they are expertly cooked by a super friendly team of folks. This may not be gourmet cheffing, but there is a good amount of skill that goes into getting it just right.
Let’s talk about our Five Guys burger experience…
RESTAURANT: FIVE GUYS (6593 S. Tamiami Trl. (941) 921-1840)
DATE OF VISIT: MARCH 22, 2023
STOP #: 26 OF 52
BURGER TASTED: FIVE GUYS CHEESEBURGER
📒 OUR TASTING NOTES
🍔 This burger is served as listed on the menu: Build your own burger ($9.99)
Number 81 is called! Yes, I LOVE these brown bag places!
• Today, Jake and I are having “Linner.” Yes, the meal that is conveniently situated between school dismissal time and dinner. Not quite lunch OR dinner; LINNER!
• The “regular” cheeseburger is a burger 2X! And it’s always very consistent. If you can’t handle a two-patty burger, then the “Little” burger is your call on this one. It’s not a “children’s burger”. It’s just a single patty.
• This is a “Build Your Own” situation. I went with mustard, onion, and pickle (Jake said that’s the way he orders his hot dogs! 🌭). Jake settled on mayo, lettuce, pickle, tomato, and ketchup. A pro condiment selection by Jake!
• Jake thought his burger was “juicy; not at all dried out.” Ditto for me. Great job by the chefs! 👩🍳
• He also thought this was a great place for an after-school burger meet-up. It is pretty convenient. There are Five Guys locations sprinkled throughout the Sarasota area.
• No Five Guys discussion would even be close to complete without mentioning the FRIES! Today our fries were a little bit of a letdown. They always come piled high into that brown paper bag. But today’s batch was on the soggy end. They still had great flavor, but they lacked the crispiness they usually have. 🍟
• This is obviously a super casual burger experience. Feel free to bring a van load of children or even your parents. It is a burger-eating melting pot.
Let’s check out how all of this looked when we ordered it…
BURGER TAKEAWAYS: There are no big surprises here. You know precisely what you’re getting • Perfect for a quick after-school meal • At $9.99, its priced fairly for the amount of food you will get • Order via the app and grab it to-go • Very friendly staff will make your visit easy and low-stress • There is probably a Five Guys close to you!
👀 SNEAK PEEK: OK, we have reached the end of PART 1! We’re going to take a couple of weeks off to digest all of this. OH, and take a cholesterol test (results to follow). If you have any suggestions for the second half of our burger tasting, we’d love to hear them. Please send them on. EMAIL HERE! 🍔🍔
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🗓️ SARASOTA FOOD EVENTS 🗓️
Here are some upcoming local food events that we think you might find interesting. All you need to do is make that reservation. We’ve provided you with a link to more info. (If you have an event, send us the details! (EMAIL IT)
WEEKLY POP-UP KITCHEN EVENTS – 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop
FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH – Cheese & Wine – Mademoiselle Paris (Downtown)
MAR 31 – SPARCC Runway Fashion Show – INFORMATION
APR 1 – Wine Brunch & Charity Auction – Florida Winefest & Auction
APR 8 – 35th Annual Easter Egg Hunt – Sandbar Seafood & Spirits
APR 9 – Easter Brunch – Tzeva
APR 9 – Easter Brunch – Michael’s On East
APR 9 – Easter Buffet Brunch – GROVE Restaurant
APR 9 – Easter Buffet Brunch – Mattison’s Forty-One
APR 9 – Easter Brunch – Duval’s, Fresh, Local, Seafood
APR 9 – Easter Brunch – Element – Reservations
APR 9 – Easter Brunch – Harry’s Continental Kitchens
APR 12 – SEAsonal Tasting at Nathan Benderson Park – INFORMATION
APR 12 – Social Club Wine Tasting – Michael’s Wine Cellar
APR 13 – Stag’s Leap Wine Dinner – GROVE Restaurant
APR 15 – Food Trucks, Tunes, & Brews 5 – INFORMATION
APR 22 – Saturday Wine Tasting – Michael’s Wine Cellar
APR 20 TO 24 – Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival – INFORMATION
🧑🌾 FARMER’S MARKET INFO 🧑🌾
EVERY SUNDAY – Siesta Key Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY SUNDAY – Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch – DETAILS
EVERY SUNDAY – The Meadows Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY WEDNESDAY – The Phillippi Farmhouse Market (Oct-Apr) – DETAILS
THIRD THURSDAY NIGHT – RADD Night Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Sarasota Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Downtown Bradenton Public Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Venice Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
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