Midtown Lunch

The calm before the storm

It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten at Five Guys, so I decided to use yesterday’s grand opening on 3rd Ave. (btw. 43+44th) as an *ahem* excuse opportunity to retry the place I called “NYC’s closest thing to In N Out Burger” two years ago.  At the time Fresh N Fast hadn’t opened yet, and most people agreed that Blue 9 Burger had gotten really bad.  But since then I’ve learned some important lessons about hamburger writing in this city.  First, don’t compare any burger to the Shake Shack.  The minute you do, you are essentially insuring that a certain group of people will never like the place.  Because to those people, Shake Shack is the reigning champ.  The perfect berger.  And how can you improve on perfection?  Don’t believe the backlash is automatic… ask Steve Hanson.

And #2.  Don’t compare any burger to In N Out. This city is dying for their own branch of the west coast chain, and nothing short of the real deal with satisfy.  But I still stand by my original statement, and my lunch yesterday confirmed my feelings.

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Clearly Five Guys has learned a few lessons since their debacle of a grand opening on 55th btw. 5+6th a few years ago. Their newest location (on 3rd btw. 43+44th) had their first lunch rush today and passed with flying colors. Despite a line that stretched all the way back to the door for almost 2 hours, the wait times capped at about 25 minutes, with only about a 7 minute wait time between the time you ordered, and the time you got your food.

The unique set up certainly helped, and you get to watch your burger being assembled while you wait (the well oiled machine is quite a site to behold.) It’s refreshing to see a place that clearly thought about how they were going to handle the crush of Midtown Lunchers on opening day… and it’s a good thing because I doubt the line is going to die down anytime soon.

After months and months of anticipation, Midtown East finally has its own Five Guys! On Saturday, as promised, the Five Guys on 3rd Ave btw. 43+44th opened to the public, and Lunch’er Christopher was there to check it out. He reported that it wasn’t that crowded, but as you can see they had a *ton* of employees working the line. “The staff outnumbered the patrons 2 to 1.” I doubt that ratio will hold up today- but it’s good to hear they’ve got a big staff. They’re going to need them today… (Early adopters, feel free to send in reports from the scene.)

Related:
Five Guys is NYC’s Closest Thing to In N Out Burger

Photo uploaded to the ML Flickr Pool by lifeaskew

East side Midtown Lunchers are inching closer and closer to two new spots, both on 3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th Street. The owner of Naya Mezze & Grill (the fancy Lebanese restaurant on 2nd Ave.) checks in to say that he hopes to have Naya Express, his fast food Lebanese offshoot, open by the end of the month.  As for their next door neighbors Five Guys, an employee at the 55th Street location says it’s two weeks away.

Related:
Five Guys is Coming to 3rd Avenue
3rd Ave. Golden Krust to Become Lebanese NAYA Express

The fancy signage has gone up for Schnitzel Express, the fast food Glatt Kosher replacing City Burger on 39th just east of Broadway. It doesn’t look like much is being done to the interior, so they hope to be open in a week and a half to two weeks. Of course this news is much less exciting now that the Schnitzel & Things truck appears to be spending Mondays and Tuesdays in Midtown.

As for the new locations of Maoz Vegetarian and Five Guys, those look like they will take a bit longer. Photos and estimated dates, are after the jump.

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If you thought the Midtown Lunch commenters could get nasty, check out this comment on Something Awful asking for the best drunk/hangover food:

“Chicken and lamb over rice from a halal cart. Squirt enough harissa over it to scare the evil right out of you (and burn your o-ring when you’ve got the beer shits the next morning). Preferably from the 53rd & 6th cart.“

Another commenter agreed, and added his own recomendation:

“I would take that cart behind the school and get it pregnant. Drunk, I almost always swing Mexican. If not Mexican, then Five Guys.”

Nice.

Eater dropped this great news late on Friday afternoon: “A PR rep informs us that Five Guys Burgers and Fries secured a lease for a 1,700 square foot space at 690 Third Avenue (between 43rd and 44th Streets).”  For those keeping track, that’s the old Prince Deli space… and even though they had a 99 cent pizza deal, and decent falafel I don’t think it will be missed once Five Guys goes in!

Related:
Five Guys is NYC’s Closest Thing to In N Out Burger
SHOCKER: Prince Deli is Closed For Good

Seeing all the coverage of the President’s trip to Five Guys in DC this week (and reading about how much the First Lady likes cheeseburgers) I can’t help but wonder if he really did hit up the Burger Joint when he stayed at the Parker Meridien hotel during the campaign (obviously the photo is doctored, but the tip about him being there was 100% true.) They’re both good, but I’m partial to the free grilled onions and fresh cut french fries you get at Five Guys (Midtown location on 55th btw. 5+6th.) What are your thoughts Mr. President?

Related:
Barack Obama Spotted at the Parker Meridien
Five Guys is NYC’s Closest Thing to In N Out Burger
Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien (Original Post 8/21/06)