Thursday, January 24, 2008

Quick Visit to Five Guys Brooklyn


In need of some greasy goodness, wife Casey and I called in an order the other day to the newish Brooklyn outpost of the east coast burger phenomenon Five Guys. Ordering for me is pretty straightforward - I usually get the most popular burger on any menu. Ordering for my vegetarian wife at a burger spot is a little more challenging. Fortunately for the wife, Five Guys has a 'burger' on the menu called a 'veggie cheese' (no photo, sorry). The idea is to take any vegetables offered on the regular burger (lettuce, onions, peppers, pickles, etc.) and add them to a grilled cheese.  Their grilled cheese itself is an original - a squishy white bun is turned inside-out and grilled with a slice of cheese between. The veggie can also be ordered without cheese, but what fun is that? The cheese kinda glues the veggie together anyway. The vegetable sandwich is a great idea but by no means a recent invention. During the depression (and the WW2 rationing that followed), the vegetable sandwich made its way onto many a burger joint menu when ground beef was scarce. Throwback burger spots like Kewpee in Lima, OH and Wilson's in Findley, OH still serve the vegetable sandwich and have been for over 70 years.

4 comments:

akuban said...

The one in Brooklyn Heights?

Hamburger America said...

Yup. On Montague.

Inc Magazine said...

oh man, I just tried 5 guys tonight and I think that Veggie Burger was a cruel way for 5 Guys to show that Vegetarians aren't wanted.

Normal lettuce and condiments? Are you kidding me? I don't get why they can't get a Costco Size'd box of Boca Burgers.

I think it was clear they weren't willing to accomodate different tastes. Which is definitely their choice.... but my favorite money will vote favorite Vegetarian Burger Joint elsewhere.

hs said...

I agree that this so-called "veggie sandwich" is a complete joke. Who really thinks lettuce and tomato on a bun is a satisfying sandwich?


if you want to have a real veggie sandwich, at least offer regular vegetables and grill them or something. Plain lettuce and tomato on a bun is a sad joke.