Faux Fine Dining Hate Thread - $20 for a taco

[mindlessobserver]

Most of the 5 guys hate comes from how they finish the burger off by wraping it tight in foil and burying it under the fries in the bag. This causes the bun to get steamed and a little soggy. But that is actually intentional. They want the flavor of the meet and toppings to permeate the bun. For some people this is just a non starter. With respect to the price, the trick for going to five guys is to go with three other people, just ask for water cups and remember the regular fries is enough for 4 people.

As for why they are pricy, its a combination of factors but the biggest factor is the use of fresh whole potatoes for the fries and the unfrozen beef. This adds some major logistical hurdles at the outset, but also presents a significant waste potential. Unfrozen beef and raw uncut potatoes have a timer ticking down to zero on them. If they are not sold, into the trash they go. If the store under orders and runs out of product, out the door the customers will go.

Sure the store will try and use sales data to determine how much they need to order for any given week, but perfection is impossible and waste is inevitable. Some of the meat and potato will end up in the trash, and this waste cost has to be built into the price of the burger when you buy it. Along with all the other shit like labor, utilities and rent.

 

[Lovely Kin]

I always find it hilarious they claim to be "farm to table", but in reality, it's the furthest from the truth. Especially when they have an "Our mission..." sign

 

[BootlegPopeye]

Most of the 5 guys hate comes from how they finish the burger off by wraping it tight in foil and burying it under the fries in the bag. This causes the bun to get steamed and a little soggy. But that is actually intentional. They want the flavor of the meet and toppings to permeate the bun. For some people this is just a non starter. With respect to the price, the trick for going to five guys is to go with three other people, just ask for water cups and remember the regular fries is enough for 4 people.

As for why they are pricy, its a combination of factors but the biggest factor is the use of fresh whole potatoes for the fries and the unfrozen beef. This adds some major logistical hurdles at the outset, but also presents a significant waste potential. Unfrozen beef and raw uncut potatoes have a timer ticking down to zero on them. If they are not sold, into the trash they go. If the store under orders and runs out of product, out the door the customers will go.

Sure the store will try and use sales data to determine how much they need to order for any given week, but perfection is impossible and waste is inevitable. Some of the meat and potato will end up in the trash, and this waste cost has to be built into the price of the burger when you buy it. Along with all the other shit like labor, utilities and rent.

This may be true (I don't know, but I don't disbelieve you) but I didn't really think it made for a better burger, or was really worth it in terms of price. Personally I don't really want an overly soggy bun, which would be the logical result of an overly tight packing of the burger. I cannot stand eating a sandwich, burger, sub, or whatever - that requires me to wipe grease off my hands after every bite. Or worse yet, have to eat it wrapped in a paper towel or wrapper.

I ate in, so have no experience with their bags.

 

[Unnecessary Surgery Land]

I've got complete restaurant fatigue. From the shit ones to the super fancy ones. The more restaurants I go to, the more disenchanted I get. I feel like people in the service industry-- especially upper class service-- are so completely miserable that they want to make everyone else miserable too. Wagies are over it.

I'm always really friendly but every server just either has dead face or grouchiness. I always tip too, which I really need to stop because the last 5+ times I went out every server was an incompetent lamewad.

The only restaurants I have good times in are Vietnamese places. They seem nicer, have better food and the prices seem to match the portions. Also usually family owned. Not really fine dining places though, I guess that's why they're better.

 

[mindlessobserver]

This may be true (I don't know, but I don't disbelieve you) but I didn't really think it made for a better burger, or was really worth it in terms of price. Personally I don't really want an overly soggy bun, which would be the logical result of an overly tight packing of the burger. I cannot stand eating a sandwich, burger, sub, or whatever - that requires me to wipe grease off my hands after every bite. Or worse yet, have to eat it wrapped in a paper towel or wrapper.

I ate in, so have no experience with their bags.

"Steaming the Burger" is a traditional New England presentation. Each region of America is pretty autistic with how they go about things. For whatever reason the founder of Five Guys decided to go with that method over others.

 

[The Connected Nose]

I ate in, so have no experience with their bags.

At least at my local one, it's always in bags. Probably to save on having someone washing trays. Yeah, they're overpriced, but I enjoy them and I never leave hungry. Culver's is almost as good for way less. Although my opinions on burgers should probably be ignored as I also enjoy White Castle from time to time.

"Steaming the Burger" is a traditional New England presentation.

Steamed hams aren't from Albany?

 

[mindlessobserver]

At least at my local one, it's always in bags. Probably to save on having someone washing trays. Yeah, they're overpriced, but I enjoy them and I never leave hungry. Culver's is almost as good for way less. Although my opinions on burgers should probably be ignored as I also enjoy White Castle from time to time.



Steamed hams aren't from Albany?

Nope, they are from Hartford.

 

[Hey Johnny Bravo]

$10 for tomato soup.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Australia is still suffering from the overpriced burger thing.

Sit down restaurant, kitsch/kooky decor, they/them waitstaff and Pajeet cooks,
$35 burgers that taste like Hungry Jacks (so Whataburger for you Seppos), chips are extra, and the only drinks they sell are these:
View attachment 7616980

Those are sold at Dollar Tree in the US.

The only relatively high end restaurant I go to is Chin Chin, an Asian Fusion place in the city, where I will pay $120 - $150 for lunch for two.

Chin chin is a Japanese slang word for penis. Since this is a place in Australia, I assume that was on purpose.

 

[Asian tech support]

Although my opinions on burgers should probably be ignored as I also enjoy White Castle from time to time.

When I was at school, some guys at my fraternity ordered a couple of those boxes that have like 50 sliders in em. They sat on the table all weekend and I ate one and got extremely sick. No white castle ever again.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

When I was at school, some guys at my fraternity ordered a couple of those boxes that have like 50 sliders in em. They sat on the table all weekend and I ate one and got extremely sick. No white castle ever again.

Of course you got sick. You ate a burger that had been left out for days.

 

[Señora Airi]

No white castle ever again.

You should go to Krystal's instead.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

I walked into Paula Deen's restaurant once and the Black woman cashier (they're often bossy with a White man if given the opportunity) acted like I was crazy for just walking in without a reservation (did not matter, there was a bar area wide open she found). It's like, bitch, I've just told you, I've never been here, I'm not surprised that it's packed but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a ghost town either, Paula Deen was cancelled a billion years ago for calling your people the gamer word (which was precisely why I was so interested).

 

[Asian tech support]

Of course you got sick. You ate a burger that had been left out for days.

Definitely not my finest moment.

 

[Stoneheart]

Theres a few places in the hipster part of town that charge $20 for a burger, not counting drinks or anything, and the place looks like it was decorated off Temu.

i go eat 20€ Burger at a nice local place from time to time.
beef is 100% local, organic and butchered across the street, the buns come from a pricey bakery down the street and you can look into the kitchen from above.
blue cheese cheese burger is 20€ but its real, nice blue cheese, you can see them cutting it in the kitchen from.
sooo good.

Everyone loves it because they have a wine list but it's really a shithole.

what restaurant doesnt have a wine list? even the crappy chinese all you can eat in town has a list of very shitty wines, the mark up isnt even insane.

 

[Michael_Jordan_Peterson]

Its pretty terrible. We have an awesome high end steakhouse near us I really like. Very casual and comfortable.
Fast food is a last resort as you can go to any decent restaurant chain for nearly the same price and get way better food. If you download their apps they are almost always giving away free food or huge discounts as well.
Cooking at home is best though. You make the food how you like and its almost always better and cheaper.
Any of the fine dining Ive gone to though has been pretty good service and quality. Dont think Ive had a bad experience but food costs are out of control.

 

[Overwritten Tapes]

i go eat 20€ Burger at a nice local place from time to time.
beef is 100% local, organic and butchered across the street, the buns come from a pricey bakery down the street and you can look into the kitchen from above.
blue cheese cheese burger is 20€ but its real, nice blue cheese, you can see them cutting it in the kitchen from.
sooo good.

What country if you dont mind me asking? West Europe is expensive compared to east where I am from. Old Yugoslavia is still cheap but those countries money isn't worth much.

 

[Spunt]

If you're going to serve a big burger, and I do think that a burger, done right, can be an excellent culinary experience, I don't want it taller, I want it WIDER.

W I D E R

If you can't fit the fucking thing in your mouth, causing the sauces and tomato and onion and whatever the fuck else to squirt out of the back and make a giant fucking mess in what is supposed to be a superior, relatively dignified dining experience that you are certainly charging me superior, dignified money for, you have not done the burger correctly.

WIDER, motherfuckers, WIDER.

If my local kebab shop can figure it out and serve me a burger with the proportions of a hubcap that I can take bites out of without the scene looking like some kind of ketchup and mustard bukakke orgy, then so can a place owned by two ageing hipsters who are regretting all the stupid tattoos they got in 2012.

 

[Premium Gonzo]

Australia is still suffering from the overpriced burger thing.
$35 burgers that taste like Hungry Jacks (so Whataburger for you Seppos), chips are extra, and the only drinks they sell are these:
View attachment 7616980

Wait you don't love Five Guys Slop?

Don't you dare diss the Jarritos those cola flavoured ones are crack on a hot summer day for me.

Overpriced sloppy food trucks are still the worst though.

 

[McMitch]

finish the burger off by wraping it tight in foil and burying it under the fries in the bag. This causes the bun to get steamed and a little soggy. But that is actually intentional.

If the bun is soggy it means a) they’re not toasting it long enough or even enough and b) they’re probably cutting into the patties to see if they’re properly well done. Doing things properly means the buns won’t get soggy.

Source: I’m literally the best my state at running a Five Guys.