Trying Five Guys in California: One of America's Top 3 Burgers?

2025-05-22 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

I finally tried Five Guys in its home country, the US. It's been making huge waves in Korea ever since a third-generation heir of the Hanwha Group opened a branch in Gangnam. Over there, the lines are so crazy you have to queue just to get a ticket, wait a long time, and then queue again to get your food—I haven't even dared to try it.

Since it's been such a hot and controversial topic ever since it was brought to Korea, just eating it gives you some bragging rights, so I decided on burgers for brunch.

Exterior view of a Five Guys store with blue and red parasols

Interior and order counter of a Five Guys store decorated with red and white tiles

The peanuts shown below are really delicious. Do they have these peanuts in Korea too?

Five Guys menu board listing burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs, and the kitchen

The prices are absolutely wicked. It almost makes Korea feel cheap.

Sign showing today's potato origin and boxes filled with peanuts

They really need to bring this drink machine to Korea.

Beverage dispenser displaying various flavor options for Sprite on the screen

Even Sprite has more than one flavor!

Five Guys paper cup and unshelled peanuts in a paper tray placed on an outdoor table

When I got the burger and took a bite, it was your typical grease-dripping burger. It's much juicier than other places, to the point where you feel like you have to lean way forward to take a bite without spilling it all over yourself. If you believe the soul of a burger is in the juiciness of its patty, you'll absolutely love it. But for someone like me who prefers Big Macs and In-N-Out, it was a bit overwhelming.

I ordered a slightly unique type of french fries, and their somewhat dry texture actually suited my taste quite well.

I don't know about other regions, but out here in the West—specifically in California where I am right now—it definitely feels like it's losing to In-N-Out. For one, the store was empty, and there aren't that many locations around. Honestly, In-N-Out wins by such a landslide that it's hard to even put them in the same weight class as one of "America's Top 3 Burgers."

Hamburger wrapped in foil, french fries in a paper cup, and ketchup

A hand holding a thick hamburger wrapped in foil with the Five Guys store entrance visible in the background

The grease drips even when you're just holding it.

I came in with high expectations, so it's a bummer that it didn't quite hit the mark for my taste buds. Sure, if a greasy burger like this cost 5,000 won (approx. $4), I'd eat it every day. But for mid-20,000 won (approx. $18), this level of quality is disappointing. Plus, it seems like health-conscious West Coast folks tend to avoid it even more.