Best Way to Satisfy your Burger Craving in Fort Collins
When it comes to American’s diets, burgers are one of the first things that comes to mind. America, especially Fort Collins, is littered with burger joints which makes it hard to find the best ones. However, Five Guys is one of my personal favorites and a lot of other people seem to agree. Five Guys has a national reputation and was ranked as America’s favorite burger establishment according to the Huffington Post. They beat out the likes of In-N-Out and Fuddruckers among many other options. Hence why there are two locations in Fort Collins.
The one I want to focus on however is on Elizabeth street near the Colorado State University campus. This has become a popular destination for students as well as community members. Readers of Beyond the Oval, get ready to find out what makes this place special and why this is a burger joint worth spending your money on.
Whether it is the classic McDonald’s or the more upscale Stuft burger bar, Fort Collins has burger joints that each offer different things. The key however is to find the one that provides the best overall experience, and Five Guys does just that. In terms of appearance and cleanliness, Five Guys ranks somewhere in the middle of the other two restaurants included above. It is a little more classier than McDonald’s but not nearly as much of a sit down spot like Stuft would be. It is generally kept in great condition and does not feel like a disgusting beat down burger joint that is not taken care of, unlike McDonald’s. As the link provided shows, they have scored an excellent rating in three consecutive years for health inspections, and have never scored below good since they received their first inspection in 2008.
One of the biggest criteria I have for burger joints are obviously the quality of the burgers, and Five Guys never fails. For being considered a fast food restaurant, they take a decent amount of time to produce their burgers. It is not like McDonald’s where the food is ready within the minute you order. They do not cook the patty until you have ordered your burger, which I really appreciate. In fact, on the Five Guys website after clicking the drop down arrow, they have a quote from The OC Register out of California that describes Five Guys burgers in general. In this quote they state, “ ‘Fresh’ is the word that most describes the flavors of this burger.” I used to wish they would hurry my order up, but as time has gone on, I have learned to appreciate that they care more about the freshness of the burger than just getting through people’s orders faster.
Another imperative part to a good burger joint is the side items. This includes things such as fries and milkshakes that complement the main part of the meal. Five Guys grades very well in this category as well. What is unique about the Five Guys on Elizabeth, is that they offer hand-spun milkshakes. This is unique because the milkshakes are only at select Five Guys locations across the country. For example, the Five Guys on Harmony Road in Fort Collins does not offer milkshakes. The Five Guys on Elizabeth does not serve just basic milkshakes either. They offer fairly creative milkshakes ranging from bacon to peanut butter to salted caramel, among many others. Besides the milkshakes, fries are also an important part of the meal. Five guys offers the classic fries or the “five guys style” as well as cajun fries. I personally love both of them but the cajun fries are beyond flavorful. They are perfectly seasoned and typically come out in bulk, which compliments the burger perfectly. In fact, “Business Insider” ranked Five Guys fries as their number three best french fry in America based off a survey from a research firm called YouGov.
It is evident that Five Guys has a lot to offer. I know it can be enticing to go get a burger off of the dollar menu at McDonald’s or go to a sit down burger joint when trying to be classy. You must remember however that burgers are not really meant to be a classy food. They also should not cost next to nothing on the dollar menu and probably come out cold. Instead, we can visit an excellent burger joint near downtown Fort Collins that fulfills all the basic requirements of a good burger joint. Five Guys has a ton to offer for the price of a quality fast food meal. What is not to love?
Remember, it was voted as America’s favorite burger.
