Who takes top honors here? Coloradans may not know that there is a rivalry. You see, 5 Guys recently came to a neighboring California town to compete with the ever popular IN-N-OUT. Do I have a right to judge here? Can I be objective and not insert my native bias? I think I can. Follow this. Let me cut to the chase and declare the IN-N-OUT the overall winner. Am I dogmatic about this determination? Not entirely, but I'll defend myself and provide a rationale for my declaration? In a head to head burger taste test, I will admit that I enjoyed the 5 Guys Burgers and Fries burger won me over. WAIT! Did I just contradict myself? Not really...Let me explain.
For overall freshness, the winner is IN-N-OUT. Their lettuce is crisp and clean. It's a very straight forward burger. They only have a few ingredients which they cook to perfection. It is a fresh, perfect burger! However, it is a burger! Clean and fresh doesn't always take top prize. For taste and texture I have to rule in favor of the 5 Guys burger. They offer more topping options such as grilled mushrooms, BBQ sauce, green peppers and bacon. The variety they offer is a breath of fresh air, especially after eating IN-N-OUT burgers for the past 20 years. The 5 Guys burger patties were not as uniform as the IN-N-OUT patties which gave the burger an edge on texture; it's as if they were tenderized…Delicious. Now let's talk about buns. Get your mind out of the gutter; we're talking about "burger buns"! I have to give it up to IN-N-OUT. They have always used a California based, family owned bakery for their daily delivered , fresh buns. They are fantastic. The 5 Guys buns were noticeably doughy, especially after the juices from the condiments and toppings settled into it.
I would like to make quick mention about the french fries. They are pretty equal. IN-N-OUT peels the skins, and again, they don't get any fresher! Watching them get made is as fresh as it gets. The 5 Guys fries are not skinned and they serve up a very generous portion. One large order (which we get at IN-N-OUT as well) more than took care of the whole family. They are equally delicious, just different from one another.
Now I've admitted that I enjoyed the 5 Guys burger, but why do I say IN-N-OUT takes the top prize? Three primary reasons: staff, cleanliness, and value.
IN-N-OUT has a special talent for recruiting polished, professional people and they train them well. They are consistently pleasant and their process is efficient. I'll be kind to 5 Guys and just say that the caliber of staff doesn't compare. I do want to go back there someday.
The cleanliness of the facility was of concern, not unsafe or disgusting, just notable. The floors just felt greasy under my feet. The bathrooms and beverage bars at 5 Guys needed attention that I rarely witnessed at an IN-N-OUT facility. IN-N-OUT has an intense volume of customers. If you don't get there before noon, be prepared to wait. Despite the high traffic in both the drive through and dining hall (it's not unusual to have to stand and wait for a table) they manage to keep the place extremely clean. On this afternoon at 5 Guys, there weren't more than 10 people in the restaurant and not more than 5 that came in after us by the time we finished eating.
The reason, by far, that I delcare IN-N-OUT victorious is that despite the fact that I enjoyed the 5 Guys burger more, what would cost me $12 dollars and some change at IN-N-OUT cost me upwards of $28 at 5 Guys. It doesn't matter how delicious that burger was...paying that much for lunch time burgers left a bad taste in my mouth.
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