The Real Reason You Can Only Get Five Guys Burgers Well Done
Mayo, lettuce, grilled mushrooms, jalapeños? Of all the burger-related options presented to you at Five Guys, there's one choice you won't be making, and it happens to be a personal one: the doneness of your burger. The amount of pink in your meat can say a lot about you. As noted by Newsner, your preferred level of doneness indicates a lot about your personality (all of you medium-rare meat-eaters will be glad to know you're a "balance of wise and youthful"). And, according to YouGov, it can even reveal political preference.
But, Five Guys is bypassing the debate over the perfect burger temperature all together by serving every one of its hand-formed, 100 percent pure ground beef burgers well done (via Eat This Not That). Why? The answer has to do with safety and efficiency, and we can't be mad at that, especially since few would argue Five Guys' burgers stand out among a sea of competitors.
What's the deal with well done?
Not only is Five Guys serving up delicious burgers, they're avoiding food-borne illness at the same time. Food Safety News tells us in order to destroy pathogens, such as E. Coli, the beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, AKA well done. Can we get a collective high-five for Five Guys only serving burgers well done and helping to shield us from the general yuck of food poisoning?
Even better, their burger cookery is so fine, you won't miss any of the juice, flavor, or nuance a medium-rare burger claims to provide. Thanks to a sophisticated smashing method and a thoughtful array of toppings, it's no surprise Five Guys has ranked as America's Favorite Burger Brand more than once, according to Business Insider.
There's another upside to Five Guys' well done burger policy: it keeps it simple for the kitchen. In the fast-paced kitchen of this fast-casual gem, efficiency and consistency are key. Custom burger temps? Ain't got time for that. Even some fine-dining establishments don't dig on special requests when it comes to burgers.
Besides, a thin burger patty like the kind you find at Five Guys really doesn't require special instructions. It's living out its delicious burger destiny, exactly as intended: well done, on a sesame seed bun.