Five Guys, the Washington, DC area based burger chain, is opening their newest Southern California location on the Miracle Mile this Tuesday February 14th. It’s a sit-down location on the stretch of Wilshire between Ridgeley and Burnside – next door to the Chipotle Mexican Grill and the Ono Hawaiian BBQ.

Five Guys has over 900 locations in 46 States across the US. On first appearance it seems like a rip off of In-N-Out, but having been a few times to various locations I believe that the differences are pretty well-defined.

• The Five Guys that I’ve been to are sit-down only. No drive-thru. This holds true for the Miracle Mile location, too.
• The Five Guys menu is different – in addition to burgers, they have kosher-style hot dogs and veggie sandwiches.  Plus – they have some additional toppings for the burgers including grilled mushrooms, jalapeños and various sauces including A-1 Steak Sauce, BBQ Sauce and Hot Sauce.
• Five Guys has boxes of roasted peanuts in their shells to keep you busy while you wait for your burger to be prepared. For me, this really adds to the atmosphere of the place…
• Five Guys french fries are different – they are fresh-cut French fries, served boardwalk-style and fried in pure peanut oil.
• Five Guys is more expensive!

There’s parking in the building behind Five Guys with access off Ridgeley – and lots of credit-card ready parking meters both on Wilshire and the side streets. It’s likely that there will be big crowds for awhile. They are open from 11a-10p everyday, so strategize your approach and decide for yourself…

Five Guys or In-N-Out?

Log your vote in the comments below…is there room in your life for both of them?

Five Guys – Miracle Mile

Early 2011 articles addressing Five Guys entry into So Cal market:

LA Times – Vote: Five Guys vs. In-N-Out, 4-08-2011

Huffington Post – Five Guys Burgers vs. In-N-Out, 4-08-2011