Why Five Guys' Squishy Buns Are So Controversial

Since a bunch of brothers started the now worldwide chain in 1986, Five Guys' mission has always been to serve up a fresh, juicy burger. But love 'em or hate 'em, the buns those burgers come on have been a topic of controversy for decades thanks to their unique flavor and texture. Five Guys burgers are served on sweet, brioche-like buns sprinkled with sesame seeds, and then wrapped up in foil before they make it into the customer's hands. These buns have an almost cake-like lightness and texture, and they're as exclusive to Five Guys as the free peanuts in every restaurant are. 

The proprietary buns are one of the secrets of Five Guys, but not everyone is a fan. Some customers complain that the texture makes it difficult to hold the various burger toppings. Since there are over 250,000 topping combinations according to Five Guys, that's not a small matter. Because of their lightness, the buns can get soggy and fall apart, which is what makes it harder to hold in all those infinite toppings. Wrapping the burgers in foil may also make the buns even squishier. All of these bun issues end up creating a potentially messier burger eating experience. Additionally, if you don't like sesame seeds, you're tough out of luck when ordering a Five Guys burger.

The decision for Five Guys to serve these unique buns is thanks to the founder's wife, who in the early days, had a favorite local bakery bake all the buns. When that business closed, Five Guys tried baking the rolls in house, but the demand was too difficult to keep up with and the only option was outsourcing its proprietary recipe. Today, the buns are baked at bakeries around the country five days a week to ensure customers are always getting the freshest bun possible. And in its restaurants, Five Guys uses a separate grill from the meat grill to lightly toast the buns' tops to golden.

Five Guys isn't the only chain that chooses to give customers a softer bun. The Shake Shack burger is one fast-food burger that can be compared to Five Guys, because the chain serves up its burgers on a soft, slightly sweet potato bun. But in this case, anyone who likes them can get Shake Shack's buns, since the chain outsources its buns to Martin's, a Pennsylvania-based bread manufacturer that distributes its various products worldwide. You've probably even seen the brand's buns and breads at your local grocery store, something that isn't an option with Five Guys and its secretly-baked buns.