Contrary to popular beef: It's-what's-for-dinner is what's for lunch at Five Guys (left) and Goodburger in Center City. (photo by michael persico)
It's burger time on the west side of Chestnut, with N.Y.C. newcomer Goodburger (imported by Pietro's owners Nick Tsoulos and Peter Pashalis) challenging D.C. chainster Five Guys for the midtown lunch crowd's bovine-in-a-bun loyalties.
Atmosphere
FG: The red-and-white tiled hall evokes Nifty Fifty's, but the obese businessmen and PPA employees don't seem to mind.GB: Shiny and new, with slate floors, subway tiled walls and flat-screens displaying SportsCenter and menus.
Edge: Goodburger.
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Cleanliness
FG: Crumbs on the tables. Dried tomato scabs clotting the ketchup dispensers. Balled-up napkins on the floor. Pubes on the toilet seat.GB: Spotless. There's even a zealous fellow in Goodburger gear vigorously wiping the walls, which I don't even do in my own house.
Edge: Goodburger.
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Staff
FG: Degrees of friendliness vary, but the Five Guys crew is as efficient as a Toyota assembly line.GB: Nice enough, but scatterbrained. Order takers interrupt, no one tells you where to pick up and the food hits the counter without so much as a word or nod.
Edge: Five Guys.
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Fries
FG: Fresh cut, skin-on and fried in cholesterol-free peanut oil, Five Guys' Famous Fries easily hit the fry-fecta: crisp, hot and well-salted. That they actually taste like potatoes is a bonus.GB: Slim and pale blond, Goodburger's taters (from the freezer) are McDonald's-y in appearance and flavor. The batch I receive want for heat and salt and leave greasy ghosts of trans-fat-free vegetable oil on my fingertips.
Edge: Five Guys.
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Burger
FG: That a standard Five Guys burger is actually a two-patty double is a testament to America's obesity epidemic. Cooked through on a flattop grill, the thin patties of "fresh ground beef, never frozen" beef pack an intense umami punch.GB: Cooks grill the dainty 5.5-ounce Hereford beef patties over an open flame to each diner's desired doneness--they'll even do medium-rare (!) --so it's surprising that the burger lacks juiciness and charbroiled flavor.
Edge: Five Guys.
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Toppings
FG: Relish, mustard, lettuce, tomato, sauteed mushrooms, ketchup, raw or fried onions, green peppers, A1, hot sauce, barbecue sauce and (my pick) sliced raw jalape�os, all free. Cheese and bacon are 60 cents extra each on the normal-sized burger and 50 cents extra on the little burgers.GB: All burgers come with the works: lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Grilled or crispy onions cost 50 cents extra; cheese, a blend of white and yellow cheddar, 75 cents; bacon $1.75.
Edge: Five Guys.
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1. Gaetano said... on May 23, 2008 at 07:16AM
“I haven't hit goodburger yet. But i know 5 guys real well. Their grub gives far more than you bargain for. Tasty yes but you'll need so, so many runs up the art museum steps to process that load. http://phillymarketcafe.blogspot.com/2008/05/cheeseburgers.html http://www.yelp.com/biz/five-guys-famous-burgers-and-fries-philadelphia#hrid:CO3joCdb4XxIPKGKBoQesw”
2. Alex_in_wonderland said... on Jul 19, 2008 at 06:22PM
“Goodburger is very expensive for my opinion - (even for the rittenhouse locals), but I must say : I've never had a better burger in my life! I thought it was small when I first saw it, but it filled me up so no complaints here, other then the price. Five guys doesn't even compare...”