Five Guys Burgers Closing Riverside Store

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Not just local brews. Until relatively recently (within the last year or so), Mossfire was the only restaurant in that area that would serves micros from other parts of the country. Stone and such.

Good point.  Also one of the only places to get Sierra Nevada on tap.

[David]

I was reading the December '13 construction update and looked up the five guys closing thread, which I see evolved into a debate about Mossfire.

Agreed with everyone who says it was an oasis in a restaurant desert back in the day. In 2002-03 I remember it being fresh and the place to go. Spent plenty of happy hours on the outside patio, and the food was new and unique to Riverside at the time.

Since they've taken away their southwest steak sandwich and moderate price increases I do find myself eating there less, but it's still a good spot all around.

Five guys is very enjoyable (esp. for us carnivores) but the prices are the # 1 complaint for most of my coworkers that used to visit there. And like someone else said, it's a once or twice a month spot to visit at best. I can do Firehouse every week.

[Transatlantic]

I never understood the price complaints  Five Guys was easily better than any fast food burger, always cooked to order, and always generous with toppings.  It was a nice compromise between forking out $9+tip at O'Brothers/Mossfire and having to eat the hot garbage they serve at Wendy's.  I really miss having a decent burger place in the neighborhood.  It's a shame they have to be replaced by yet another sub sandwich shop.

For whatever reason people here do not seem very tolerant of upper-end fast food ($7-$10).  Quizno's is dead, Tijuana Flats is often empty unless it's a $4.99 Taco Tuesday, Gina's is closing down, and Larry's has to have a sign twirler out every day to drive business.  I get the sense that Firehouse is not going to do particularly well in that location - particularly since sub shops tend to rely on a good lunch rush, and the parking situation there during lunchtime is absolutely terrible.

[edjax]

Agree on the price comment. Hell I went to Larry's subs yesterday and paid $8.60 for an 8 inch turkey sub, a drink and a bag of chips. Talk about rip off.

[ChriswUfGator]

It wasn't that far off a fast food burger, but was 5x the price. It's not the $20 by itself, it's the price vs. quality equation that bugged me, and presumably the other people who made the same comment.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

...it's the price vs. quality equation that bugged me, and presumably the other people who made the same comment.

I didn't read back through, but that's pretty much my sentiment.  I ate there 1-3 times a month UNTIL Wendy's started with the cook to order burgers and the better bread and the better fries and the other options for sides.... 

Basically, Wendy's stepping there game up just a bit proved the tipping point for me when I'm in the mood for a hamburger.

On the flip side, when I want a fantastic burger, I go to BlackSheep and this is my order;  Burger, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion straws, fried egg and pork belly. 

Yeah.  I said pork belly and absolutely meant it. 


It's about a $15-18 burger depending on when you order it, but my gluttony doesn't carry a price restriction.

[mbwright]

Interesting that Five Guys is expensive, but Firehouse is not?  you can still spend about $10 easy at Firehouse.  The menu at Five Guys is certainly limited, but I always thought it was a good value, especially when you get the Jr burger.

[Transatlantic]

It's not as if the premium burgers at Wendy's are really that much less expensive.  It's still like five bucks for a Baconator....except that unlike Five Guys, Wendy's gives you smaller patties, soggy bacon and a relatively small selection of toppings.   Not to mention inexplicably poor service at almost any time of day and french fries that may or may not have been cooked an hour ago (depending on your luck).

I'd rather cough up seven bucks for a Five Guys burger thick crispy bacon, more toppings and freshly-made cajun fries every single time.  Even when you call in an order, they insist (perhaps to their detriment) on cooking the fries fresh when you arrive rather than ahead of time.

MbWright is correct -- Firehouse will be in pretty much the same predicament as Five Guys was.  It's pretty difficult to spend less than $7 on a sandwich there.  People that want cheap subs will go to Subway, people that want premium will go to Publix or Larry's.  I get the sense they were doing well before Wasabi burned down, but that location was not the traffic/parking nightmare that Oak Street is during lunch and dinnertime.

[PeeJayEss]

Actually, that building has a very serious parking nazi on patrol. There is generally ample parking in their lot.