In the midst of the quick service surge, Five Guys was deemed one of the fastest-growing
restaurant chains by Forbes, which is certainly a nod to the popularity of the restaurant.
Fast food in the form of burgers, fries, and milkshakes is undoubtedly not the healthiest
meal, but there are more reasons to avoid some Five Guys menu items than calories.
Whether it's your first time to the chain or you are a steady regular, you might want
to consider making a few considerations when it comes time to order — if you don't lose
your appetite altogether.
Why?
Fast food restaurants are known to have reputations for less-than-clean facilities or food dispensers
and containers.
Of course, mistakes and accidents happen to everyone, but sometimes employee secrets get
out.
Like many restaurants, Five Guys has been reported to be less than perfect by its employees.
And that extends to those toppings — those oh-so-delicious toppings.
It's hard to choose sometimes, right?
Well, let's help you out a bit — there's one that you should always skip.
And that's the mushrooms.
While the chain is known for using freshly cut meat and vegetables that are prepared
the same day they're sold, not everything is fresh.
Insiders say that Five Guys mushrooms are one of the very few items that are kept frozen
in a bag.
And, since the restaurant does not have any freezers at all in any of its locations, the
mushrooms can sometimes get moldy.
When mushrooms are stored raw, they still retain a lot of their natural moisture.
But, if the mushrooms begin to come to a temperature at which they can decompose and have air exposure,
then bacteria and mold can begin to grow.
To avoid this, the mushrooms need to either be cooked and then frozen in an airtight container,
or should be packed with something like paper towels that can wick moisture.
Mushrooms that have gone slimy, smell, or emit a bad odor have most definitely gone
bad, and when they've turned, they can cause food poisoning or nausea at the very least.
So, if you do order mushrooms at Five Guys and they just don't look or smell right, consider
asking for a new order — presumably sans mushrooms and sans food poisoning.
"And how are we today?"
"Better."
"Better?"
"Better get a bucket, I'm gonna throw up."
"Gaston?
A bucket, for monsieur."
There's a few other things to consider when picking your toppings.
Five Guys includes six sauces on the menu: ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, Bar-B-Que sauce,
A.1.
sauce, and hot sauce.
While some of these might sound pretty standard for hamburger and hot dog toppings, they are
definitely not created equal.
If there are two sauces to definitely avoid, it is the ketchup and mustard.
Insiders say that these can be one of the grossest things in the restaurant, and have
let it slip that the staff does not always clean the containers, so the bottom of the
ketchup and mustard dispensers ends up filled with germs and grime.
Mold collects, and since the containers are not cleaned each day, new ketchup and mustard
are simply added to the top of the container, causing the problem at the bottom to get worse.
Another sauce to rethink is the Bar-B-Que sauce.
While there haven't been any reported problems of mold or containers going uncleaned, the
Bar-B-Que sauce is far from healthy.
Of the six sauces available, it only adds 48 calories per serving, but it does, however,
tack on an extra 400 milligrams of sodium per serving, which is the highest of any of
the menu's condiments.
The American Heart Association says that you should aim to have only 1500 milligrams of
sodium in an entire day, so that one topping is going to add a lot in a very sneaky way.
Now that we've warned you about what to skip, what shouldn't you miss out on?
If there is one topping the people at Five Guys are passionate about, it's the mayo…
but there's still a catch.
Even though the mayo is delicious, it is the highest in calories of the six sauces available,
but the sodium level is on the low side.
It's a trade-off that might just be worth it.
Now, you have a little bit of extra information to make those good choices the next time you
go to Five Guys — and your burger will be the best it can possibly be!
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