Five Guys Burgers and Fries – Detroit
508 Monroe StreetWhen I found out work was sending me to Detroit for a day or two, I got incredibly excited. Yes, I was excited about being trusted enough to be given such a big assignment, but I also knew I was going to be just a few blocks from a Five Guys.
In the four years J and I have been in Michigan, our Detroit experiences have been pretty much limited to the area surrounding Comerica Park, Ford Field and Greektown. There’s so much more in Detroit I would like to experience, but our trips usually involve sporting events.
My job this weekend took me to Ford Field. It was a long day beginning at 9 AM in Grand Rapids. I made the trip over alone to meet up with my co-workers. After an afternoon of busting my butt, my dinner break finally came about 6:30. I told my co-workers that I was going for a walk and I’d be back within the hour.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is in the Greektown Casino on the corner of Monroe and Beaubin just a few blocks from Ford Field. The walk only took me about ten minutes. The entrance is right on the corner on the Monroe side. To my surprise, the store was pretty spacious and fortunately had a public restroom.
After taking care of that business, I hopped in line to order. If you’ve never been to a Five Guys, the menu is pretty limited. Mostly just burgers and fries. Other than hot dogs and a couple meatless sandwiches, it’s just burgers.
I hadn’t really eaten all day, so I had to make sure I was getting enough food in this one meal to hold me over for the rest of the night. I stepped up to the counter and ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger, a regular order of Cajun Fries and a large Sprite. The bill is a little high for a pretty common meal. The tab was a little over $13. While I really wish there was a Five Guys across the street from me, I’m glad there’s not. I’d be poor.
The meals are cooked to order, so I grabbed my receipt, filled up my pop and took a spot near the pick up area to wait. While the restaurant was fairly busy, they were cranking out orders pretty quickly. Less than ten minutes after ordering, I grabbed the brown paper bag containing all that greasy goodness, refilled my Sprite and started the walk back to Ford Field.
I pulled the fries out of the bag first…well, I pulled the container holding the fries out first. When they fill the orders, the put the fries in a paper cup then put that in the bag. After they get everything in the bag, they take a small metal container of fries then dump that on top of everything already in the bag. What you end up with is basically two orders of fries. I ate what was in the paper container then refilled it with all the loose fries in the bag. Unfortunately, this was the part of the meal I was a little disappointed with. The fries were good and the Cajun part of them actually makes then quite spicy, but they were undercooked. The potatoes were limp and soggy. When Five Guys fries are cooked right, they are some of the best fries in the country. They’re fresh cut and well seasoned…but when they’re not cooked right, they’re just ok.
After polishing of the fries, I was damn near full. I was sitting there staring at the foil packet that contained my burger a little pissed off at myself for not being hungry. I really, really wanted that burger. After looking at it for a few minutes longer, I finally decided I could not just let that delicious smelling piece of meat sit there without eating it. I unwrapped it from the foil and dug in. I know Five Guys is a chain….and I know I shouldn’t like chains, but oh, how I love Five Guys. The fresh beef patties are so tender and juicy and the cheddar just melts between the two patties. The bacon was put on the bottom between the beef and the soft white bread bun and it’s crunchy addition to an almost perfect sandwich.
Five Guys is always a treat for me. I like to think of it as my Sonic. When J and I lived in Lansing, there was no Sonic and J craved it. We took a random trip to Flint for no reason other than to go to Sonic. I didn’t understand it or get it (still don’t actually), but it made J so happy. That’s what Five Guys does to me. In a way, I like that there’s not one close. It makes it that much more of a treat when I actually seek one out.
Regular Order of Cajun Fries
Bacon Cheeseburger
SW Michigan Dining 
Consider me a mutual fan of Five Guys….but do yourself a favor and make the much shorter drive to Mishawaka, IN to cure your craving, rather than go all the way into downtown Detroit and the Greektown Casino. There is a Five Guys in the University Park Mall off Grape Rd. The immediate area also features a Gino’s East Pizzeria (yes, THE Chicago Gino’s East), and a Chik-Fil-A. One hour and 15 minutes, instead of 2 hours plus. For those of us in Kalamazoo that get those intense cravings for places that are not available locally, Mishawaka has been the answer!
I didn’t know that…there’s a Five Guys in East Lansing too…I’ve made detours to get to that one.
I’m almost more interested in the Geno’s in Mishawaka….I didn’t know that was there either….