Five Guys Burger and Fries
2606 SW Cedar Hills Boulevard
Beaverton, OR 97005
503-430-8748
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Having lived in Washington, DC, for several years, I was already familiar with Five Guys and their delicious burgers and yummy fries. But when a friend mentioned the opening of Five Guys in Beaverton, I thought I heard her wrong. A Five Guys in Beaverton? How could that be? When I moved back to Oregon several years ago, I thought I would never experience a delicious Five Guys lunch again.

Sure enough, it was my beloved Five Guys! (They have been franchising the stores for a number of years now and there are more than 1000 stores across the U.S.) So we hopped in the car and headed to the brand new suburban strip mall location.

The line was pretty long and the wait for our order was about 10 minutes, but once we had our scrumptious burgers and a regular-sized order of Cajun fries we were in hamburger heaven.

One thing to note about Five Guys is the portion size—everything is huge. A “standard” burger has TWO hefty patties, so if you aren’t looking for a gut-busting lunch, go with the “little” version. Same goes with the fries, the two of us split the regular size and ended up too full to eat them all. I’m guessing a large size could easily fill a family of four.

There are four versions of the burger to start with: plain hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger and bacon cheeseburger. After you pick your “base” burger, you get to select your own toppings: mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapenos, green peppers, A-1 Sauce, barbeque sauce and hot sauce are all available.

Prices are very moderate, burgers range from $3.39 for a “little” hamburger to $5.89 for the bacon cheeseburger. Fries will set you back an additional $2.69 or $3.59 depending on the size. Considering what you get at the typical chain fast food places, Five Guys is a hands-down winner.

While you wait for your order’s number to be shouted out, you can enjoy the complimentary peanuts, available in the cardboard boxes located throughout the restaurant.

My “little” cheeseburger had mayo, pickles, lettuce, ketchup and mustard, and it was very filling. My lunch companion, a Five Guys virgin, was a little surprised by the size of his double-patty cheeseburger, but dove right into the messy, multi-level meat and cheese monstrosity.

One thing my lunch companion complained about was that his bun was a little doughy and he would have preferred it toasted. My only issue was that the fries, while very tasty, were a little limpy. Granted, the restaurant hasn’t been open very long, so these might just be kinks they are working through.

The restaurant itself is bright, airy and clean. The walls are covered with Five Guys framed press clippings and the while restaurant is decorated in a festive red and white design. And, while the line to order was a little long, we had no trouble finding a table.

Not to be overly critical, but this is Oregon after all, and some of the practices of the restaurant are not all that environmentally friendly. All Five Guys restaurants follow the same procedures, serving the burgers wrapped in aluminum foil, the fries served in Styrofoam cups and all order are served in brown paper bags (even if you are not getting take-out).

Overall, Five Guys is a welcome addition to the burger world of Portland, and I know I will be back many, many times.

Pros: Delicious burgers and fries, fresh ingredients, good selection of toppings, portions are HUGE, prices are budget-friendly

Cons: Wait for our order was a tad long (about 10 minutes), they could be a little more environmentally friendly

Check out the Five Guys menu.