15 Toppings, Oh My! Five Guys Knows How to Dress Up a Burger or Dog

Whenever I walk into a burger joint, I think of my youthful days as a “Whopper slopper.” It was a lot of hard work, but I had my share of fun.

I was young and would do pranks, such as the time I spoke a bogus foreign language and accent while taking orders via the drive-through intercom. Unsuspecting customers would respond by repeating their order clearly, s-l-o-w-l-y and several decibels LOUDER. Then they'd pull up to the pick up window, see me and wonder what happened to the foreign kid that took their order.

While on the sandwich board and being an artist, I would create faces via the pickles, onions and ketchup I placed on the burgers. If you ever lifted up your bun and saw a face smiling back at you, that was my work.

I did have one legitimate skill that was highly prized back then: I could count change. This was before the days of computerized registers and I was one of the few at the restaurant that would have a perfect drawer at the end of a shift. This skill kept me off the dreaded fries station (too hot and greasy, especially during the summer months) and I usually manned the drive-through position. (“Hey-lo. Begga voo beano vino food order?”)

Back in the early days of working in fast food, I just had to worry about a couple of main toppings (lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc.) when giving customers their burgers their way.

Today, at a place like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, everything is made fresh, fresh, fresh and the toppings are nearly endless. I know I had a hard time choosing what to top my burger and hotdog with, but I enjoyed having the choice.

Take your pick of any or all of the following yummy toppings: mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms (yes!), ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A1 sauce, barbecue sauce and hot sauce. (I wonder what a burger would look like with every single topping on it? Mmmm.)

I picked grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, green pepper, tomato, lettuce, mayo and hot sauce on my burger. My dog was topped with tomato, pickle, lettuce and onion. (Oh, no! I forgot the mustard!)

I love the meaty burgers at Five Guys. One thing you really need to know when ordering, the regular hamburger is actually two burger patties stacked on each other in one bun. The “little burger” is a single patty and a good-sized one at that.

They actually split their kosher style hot dogs when grilling them. It does give them a nice flavor and helps fill out the bun better this way. Personally, I enjoy the snap in biting into a whole dog, but that’s my own preference.

The fries are truly awesome here, and are served in two sizes. They are extremely generous in their portions and a small can easily serve two. I certainly had plenty left over in my bag when I was done.

There are no trays here. Everything is tossed in a big, brown paper bag whether it’s dine-in or take-out. It’s a good thing too, as you’ll find plenty of extra fries floating in your bag.

I give them a nod for also offering Coke Zero, which I prefer to regular Diet Coke, in their soda fountains. With that, I do wish restaurants would offer more choices in diet beverages. Am I the only one who drinks diet and is tired of always having to have a cola? Well, am I?

Though this is a burger joint, a veggie sandwich as well as grilled cheese is offered to those who don’t eat cows.

Peanuts are available for scooping and munching while waiting for your food to be freshly prepared. I actually ate my peanuts as my dessert.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is on the outside of the , 500 Southpark Center to be exact. They’re open daily at 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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