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

2025-05-22 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Prices in parentheses are approximate conversions. Read the original Korean post →

Five Guys has been making huge waves ever since a third-generation heir of the Hanwha Group opened a branch in Gangnam (a major district in Seoul). I decided to try it right here in its home country, the US. At the Gangnam location, it's not just a regular line—people line up to get a ticket, wait a long time, and then line up again just to get their food. It's such a bizarre phenomenon that I didn't even dare try to eat there.

It’s been a hot topic with a lot of buzz ever since it was brought to Korea. So, figuring I could get some bragging rights just by eating it, I decided on burgers for brunch.

The peanuts you see below are really delicious. I wonder if they have these peanuts in Korea too?

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

A drink machine that needs to be introduced in Korea.

Even Sprite has more than one flavor!

When I got the burger and took a bite, it was your typical, dripping-with-grease burger. It's much juicier than other places, to the point where you feel like you have to lean your head way forward to take a bite without spilling it everywhere. If you're someone who believes the life 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 some slightly unique french fries, and the somewhat dry texture actually suited my taste well.

I don't know about other regions, but here in the West—specifically California where I am now—it definitely feels like it's losing to In-N-Out. First of all, there aren't many people in the store, and there aren't that many locations either. In-N-Out wins by such a landslide that it makes me question the weight class difference for something called one of America's top 3 burgers.

Grease drips down just from holding it.

I came with high expectations, but it was a bit disappointing for my taste. Sure, if this greasy burger was 5,000 won (approx. $4), I'd eat it every day, but at mid-20,000 won (approx. $18) for this quality, it's a letdown. Plus, it seems like health-conscious people in the American West tend to avoid it even more.