Burger time at Five Guys

I love a good burger. Most day's I'll happily take a mediocre burger too, but a good one I am a huge fan of. There are currently a slew of decent burger joints out there - Black's tops the bill for me right now, with GBK following close behind. Now Croydon is probably not a spot you immediately associate with cuisine. And quite rightly, it is not something the town is closely linked to. But recently there has been a bit of a gastronomic renaissaince, with a food-focussed Boxpark (a story for another post) and Turtle Bay popping up in the town centre. The most recent addition to this list is Five Guys, the American burger and fast food restaurant which was founded by the Murrell family in Virginia in 1986 and moved over here in 2013. The Croydon branch opened its doors a coulf of weeks ago and at lunchtime it seemed high time I went to try it out.

If you have been to a Five Guys before you will know what to expect on arrival. The decor is red and white, there are wooden tables and chairs scattered around and pictures and celebrity endorsements hang on the walls. The staff are still getting up to speed but the food is fast and done as you would expect from any Five Guys. My accomplice went with a simple cheese burger with Cajun fries, while I went with a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce and mushroom and plain fries, Waht I do love about Five Guys is the fact they keep it simple and personal. People know how they like their burger and you can add and remove things willy-nilly here without worrying about the cost.

The burger was a moment of greasy, self-indulgent delight, but my friend had made the smarty move with the Cajn fries - note to self for next time. There will undoubtedly be a next time. Not really as a dinner option I doubt, though there is a strong milkshake menu, but as a simple, quick cheat lunch this is perfect. And Thursday burger...what could be better?