Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries (various NJ locations)

One of the hardest parts of following a gluten free diet is being out somewhere and looking to grab a quick bite to eat on the go. My go-to quick serve restaurants are Chipotle (review), Chick-fil-A (review) and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. [Yes, I’m a huge fan of Elevation Burger (review) but with only 2 locations so far it is just too tough to just find the nearest one and pop-in.]

Burger (that I put on an Udi's Gluten Free Bun)
with Gluten Free fries from 5 Guys Burger and Fries

The big upside to Five Guys is that they only have two gluten containing items on their menu: hamburger buns and hot dog buns. So that means their French fries are fried in a dedicated fryer by default. Their hot dogs are all beef (I can’t tolerate pork). They will gladly make both the hamburger and hot dog bunless (if I’ve planned ahead or do take out I use my own bun). Another aspect that I like is that the kitchen is open to the dining area so I can stand and watch them prepare my food.

The downside is that they are set up like an assembly line and there is quite a bit of opportunity for cross contamination while they prepare your meal. I like to ask that they separate my foil wrap from the others they are making so crumbs from the other buns don’t get on it. They also are willing to change gloves as needed. (If you’ve read my Elevation Burger review you’ll see that EB is much more careful and has procedures in place already.)

One final warning: Five Guys serves peanuts in their dining area (in the shell) and cooks with peanut oil. I wouldn’t even walk past a Five Guys if I had a peanut allergy!



And don't forget to check here for other Restaurants with Gluten Free Fries or here for a list of other Gluten Free Quick Serve Restaurants.