Just across the county line in Cerritos is the staging ground for a march into In-N-Out land by Five Guys Burgers & Fries.
Back east, the Virginia-based chain boasts a following similar to that of Irvine’s In-N-Out Burger Inc.
So far, the Cerritos eatery is the nearest one to Orange County.
But come midsummer, the first Five Guys in OC is set to open in Orange. Like the Cerritos restaurant, it’s being developed by Laguna Niguel-based Bicoastal Restaurant Partners LLC, which is headed by a pair of restaurant executives.
The partners plan more restaurants in North County, so I thought I’d get a preview of what’s to come by venturing out to Cerritos.
At first, the parallels are undeniable. Like In-N-Out, Five Guys has a red and white color scheme and retro feel. The menu is straightforward, though unlike In-N-Out, there are hot dogs and more toppings.
Both chains tout freshness and quality (but don’t kid yourself, we’re not talking about health food at either place).
Prices are a little higher at Five Guys but not unreasonable with an average order of $11.
If all that weren’t enough to stir up a rivalry, any reviews or stories you read about Five Guys will drive home comparisons to In-N-Out.
Even so, I found Five Guys more like an In-N-Out cousin—similar but different—rather than a competing sibling. For what they are, both are solidly good in different ways.
The burgers are bigger at Five Guys with a different type of bun, while the fries have the skin left on them. And you can help yourself to roasted peanuts in open boxes at Five Guys.
So while Five Guys’ theme and decor made me think In-N-Out, the food stood on its own. That’s also props to In-N-Out, whose unique flavor few, if any, have been able to replicate.
“We have great respect for In-N-Out,” said Bob Zanolli of Bicoastal Restaurant Partners and a former chief president of Santa Ana-based Winchell’s Donut Houses LP. “But we think Five Guys can hold its own.”
The challenge, Zanolli said, is getting people familiar with Five Guys. East Coast transplants are aware of it, but others not so much, he said.
Zanolli and partner Phil Ratner, a former executive at Mission Viejo-based Marie Callender Pie Shops Inc., said they’re hoping to rely on word of mouth.
“Those who come in usually come back,” Zanolli said.
—Michael Lyster
