The Five Guys Perk That (Almost) Redeems Its Overpriced Burgers
In recent years, it's hard to say what Five Guys is more known for: Is it the quality or the price of its burgers? Depending on which study you read, either Five Guys or Shake Shack is the most expensive fast food chain in the U.S. According to MoneyGeek (via Food & Wine), the average cost for a burger combo (with fries and drink) from Five Guys is nearly $21. And that study was in 2024. That said, when we researched a Little Cheeseburger meal near us with Little Fries and a regular drink, the total, after tax, came to around $15. So maybe if you trim down the size portions, you can save a few bucks at Five Guys.
However, if you want to add value to your $16 to $21 burger combo, you should take advantage of one of Five Guy's unique ordering features. You can get unlimited toppings on your burger for free. So while your base order might still be pricey, you won't be getting nickel and dimed for pickles, jalapeños, onions, and so on. For pickier eaters, this free topping bonus won't help much, but if you like to add extra ingredients to your burger, it's a nice option.
While Five Guys' list of toppings isn't overwhelming, it still has a lot more options than you'll find at Shake Shack. The available toppings include mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions (grilled or regular), grilled mushrooms, jalapeños, and green peppers. Other basic sauce options include ketchup, mustard, relish, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and A1.
Free toppings are included with hot dogs and sandwiches, too
It's not just free toppings on Five Guys' burgers, though. While the burger chain is obviously known most for its burgers and those purposefully squishy buns (they call it a feature, but we may call it a bug), don't sleep on some of Five Guys' other menu options — all of which come with free toppings as well. Five Guys cooks its hot dogs the right way — with the wiener split down the middle and seared on the flat top. You can choose from a regular dog, bacon dog, cheese dog, or bacon and cheese dog. You've got non-burger sandwich options, too — including a patty melt, grilled cheese, veggie sandwich (with or without cheese), and a BLT. A patty melt with extra cheese, pickles, grilled onions, and maybe a few jalapeños? Sign us up.
Even with these free toppings, the truth is that Five Guys seems past the point of no return in terms of price. You can definitely find cheaper options at other fast food chains. While Five Guys prides itself on freshness and quality — none of its locations even have freezers, just coolers — it's the ultimate tradeoff for the consumer. How much are you willing to pay for purported quality? And when it comes to execution — like those too-often mashed and squishy buns with zero crispiness — what are you looking for in a good burger? Five Guys does check a lot of boxes off the list in terms of a good burger, but we'll be watching in coming years to see if possible price increases finally wear thin on its customer base — despite all those free toppings.