Five things to know about ... Five Guys Burgers and Fries

En route to the concrete jungle, we detoured through Scranton to grab a bite, and as we nixed the Red Robin and Friendly’s, we saw it ahead: a restaurant with a simple red sign reading Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Sold.

Walking into the red-and-white-checked restaurant, we crunched our way through the peanut shells littering the floor to the order counter, and discovered a concise menu: burgers, hot dogs and fries. There were more topping choices than entrees, but the simplicity of it was appealing.

I got a cheeseburger with standard toppings and a side of, what else, fries. And when I was handed what felt like a 5-pound paper bag, I knew I had discovered something wonderful.

Driving to Pennsylvania isn’t necessary to get your Five Guys Burgers and Fries fix. With three locations throughout the Rochester area, and a fourth on its way, this burger chain is really gaining popularity.

Here are five things you should know about Five Guys Burgers and Fries:

1 There are more than 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys. With more than 14 free toppings and eight different burger styles, you could spend a lifetime eating a different type of burger from the restaurant every day. Turns out less is more.

2 You have to brown-bag it here. Five Guys restaurants don’t use trays or plates or any of that fancy stuff. Your meal comes in the signature grease-stained brown bag, with your burger wrapped in foil, and your fries in a cup. “As soon as you see that brown bag, you just start to salivate,” said Hillary Faulkner of Pittsford, who frequents the eatery. Use the brown bag as a tray, the foil as a plate and your sleeve as a napkin.

3 The Pittsford Five Guys goes through 250 pounds of potatoes a day. According to Steve Costanza, assistant manager, there are five to six potatoes in a small fry order — double that for the large. That’s a lot of heavy lifting; the 50-pound bags of potatoes line the order counter and are used for cooking.

I can remember my first Five Guys cheeseburger with the clarity only a true hamburglar can possess. It was May 2008, and it was one of those gorgeous spring days that make you do absurd things like rally up a group of friends and drive down to New York City to catch an afternoon ball game at Shea Stadium (RIP).

En route to the concrete jungle, we detoured through Scranton to grab a bite, and as we nixed the Red Robin and Friendly’s, we saw it ahead: a restaurant with a simple red sign reading Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Sold.

Walking into the red-and-white-checked restaurant, we crunched our way through the peanut shells littering the floor to the order counter, and discovered a concise menu: burgers, hot dogs and fries. There were more topping choices than entrees, but the simplicity of it was appealing.

I got a cheeseburger with standard toppings and a side of, what else, fries. And when I was handed what felt like a 5-pound paper bag, I knew I had discovered something wonderful.

Driving to Pennsylvania isn’t necessary to get your Five Guys Burgers and Fries fix. With three locations throughout the Rochester area, and a fourth on its way, this burger chain is really gaining popularity.

Here are five things you should know about Five Guys Burgers and Fries:

1 There are more than 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys. With more than 14 free toppings and eight different burger styles, you could spend a lifetime eating a different type of burger from the restaurant every day. Turns out less is more.

2 You have to brown-bag it here. Five Guys restaurants don’t use trays or plates or any of that fancy stuff. Your meal comes in the signature grease-stained brown bag, with your burger wrapped in foil, and your fries in a cup. “As soon as you see that brown bag, you just start to salivate,” said Hillary Faulkner of Pittsford, who frequents the eatery. Use the brown bag as a tray, the foil as a plate and your sleeve as a napkin.

3 The Pittsford Five Guys goes through 250 pounds of potatoes a day. According to Steve Costanza, assistant manager, there are five to six potatoes in a small fry order — double that for the large. That’s a lot of heavy lifting; the 50-pound bags of potatoes line the order counter and are used for cooking.

4 You’ll never get a soggy French fry. At Five Guys, the orders are never pre-cooked, so your side comes straight from the fryer into your bag. “If the fries come out before your burger orders are ready, we won’t serve them,” said Costanza. The fries are cooked in 100 percent peanut oil and contain no trans-fat.

5 The Greece location will be open in seven weeks, and when it comes to advertising and promoting the new venture, co-owner Reid Richardson said they are keeping to the strategy they have always kept — word of mouth. “At Five Guys we have a limited menu ... but we think we do it better than anyone else,” said Richardson.