During our most recent trip to New York City, Marco and I decided to try out Five Guys, a hamburger joint. We had heard about it a few years before but we never made it around to visiting one (even though there was one on a bus route we take to the Palisades Center). They also sell hot dogs and a few sandwiches – see their menu. We visited the one in Times Square right next to door to Roger’s favorite restaurant, Chevy’s.

It’s slightly pricey, but when you consider that their default hamburger is a double it works out. Also, all toppings are free. I was holding down the fort and securing us a table to sit at so I just told Marco to go on ahead and order me a hamburger. He did great, choosing “mustard and jalapenos” for me. (Occasionally I like a tiny bit of ketchup, but it’s not required at all and I’d prefer no ketchup to letting someone else choose how much to put on there.) The only crazy thing was that it seems to come with barbecue sauce even if you don’t ask for it… but it was pretty good as well. I think they put the barbecue sauce on the other side of the patty so it wasn’t completely combined.

The biggest tip I have is that unless you love lots of french fries, if you go with two people just get one order. They give you a lot for your money. (Marco got the cajun style fries… so good and spicy! He said they were a bit too salty, but I tend to love salt.)

The other thing that they have (which we did not try out) was a freestyle coke machine, as referenced in the front sign of the restaurant photo above, and as shown in this internet picture. You choose what flavor you want based on touching the screen and then (at least at Five Guys) it asks you another question and then dispenses it. It was a fully electronic screen, not just one screen with the flavors displayed.

This particular location had a bulletin board and colored pencils for you to write a message. You can see our message on the left side of it (hanging off the edge).