Five Guys Burgers; Kilroy's Pub; Cafe Venice

[hiddenboston]

Went to three places over the weekend (two for food and one for drinks), spending very little money in the process, since they were all pretty cheap spots.

Started out at Five Guys Burgers on the Providence Highway in Dedham Saturday night. Truly outstanding burgers, excellent handcut fries, lousy hot dogs (in my opinion, anyways--thought they had a nasty taste to them), and kind of a In-and-Out Burger/Hodad's West Coast atmosphere. This MAY have become my favorite burger joint in all of Boston (and I wasn't the only one to say this that night), but I want to try it again to make sure these burgers were as good as I thought they were. Basically, they are griddled flat patties that are made with fresh beef and have a high fat content. I truly fell in love with this burger, but like I say, I want to try it at least a couple more times.

The rest of Saturday night was spent at Kilroy's Pub, a hotel bar at the Marriott in Quincy (near the Split). I'm a big fan of hotel bars, as they tend to be quiet and have an interesting mix of businesspeople, barflies, and tourists, and this was no exception. The atmosphere was faux Irish, and the food looked average at best, but it was a good spot for some drinks and conversation and the views from the hotel itself are pretty nice since it's on the side of a steep hill.

Went to Cafe Venice in South Norwood yesterday for lunch. South Norwood is a pretty tough area in parts, and the Venice is a place that has its share of characters, but when we went, the crowd was pretty mellow. Steak tips were decent (though nothing like New Bridge or Cronin's), bar pizza was excellent with lots of flavor and a nice crispy crust, and the beef stew was outstanding, with a broth that was almost like a white gravy and lots of potatoes and carrots mixed in. The bartender was very nice (though I wouldn't want to mess with him--his arms were bigger than my legs) and service in general was good. A few at my table go to this place on and off and really like it, and I can see why--it has the same type of working-class charm that I miss so much at the now-closed Highland Cafe in Malden.

All in all, three places that I'll be going back to, though I'm not sure I'll look to eat at Kilroy's and I definitely won't get another hot dog at Five Guys Burgers.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Allstonian and I found ourselves on Rt 1 in Dedham last night -- long story -- and almost literally fell upon Five Guys while we were getting our bearings. Initial report: pretty good. My toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mustard) were so haphazardly applied that I had to deconstruct and rebuild the burger before I could pick it up, but once I did, it was a perfectly nice burger in my preferred style.

I will give them high marks for two things:

1. After a couple bites, I again dismantled my burger so I could add a touch of salt to the patty, which improved it immensely. I'll have to remember to salt my burger first thing when I eat here, but having to add a bit of salt is far superior to having it come out of the kitchen too salty. (The fries required no adulterations, though I appreciated the bottles of malt vinegar on the condiment station.)

2. Said condiment station included packets of lemon juice. Naturally, a little metal tray of lemon wedges would be preferable, but I like a shot of lemon juice in my Coke -- cuts the sweetness. I appreciate the attempt.

I don't believe it's fair to judge a chain based on an outpost: I have found that the further a chain restaurant is from the place where it started, the spottier it's likely to be. (Even my beloved Whataburger can get dodgy outside of Texas: there were a couple locations in Albuquerque that I wouldn't set foot in.) So I won't really feel I've eaten at Five Guys until I eat at one in DC or Baltimore. But based on this, I don't really see myself going all the way out to Dedham from Allston when I like the burgers from Uburger and Flat Patties just as much and they're both within walking distance from my front door. But if I once again end up on Route 1 in Dedham around dinnertime because the Zipcar has developed a short in the dashboard that's making ALL the warning lights come on intermittently and it's making us not entirely comfortable to keep going out to Quincy for clams like we'd been planning, then I'd be happy to stop by again.

[amatto]

Hm..maybe I went on a really off-day...when I went to the Dedham Five Guys I found the burgers kind of wet and tasteless and the fries were rather awful..soggy. I liked munching on the free peanuts while waiting, at least.

For good fries, I like U Burger's, along with their shakes. For a really good burger...er..um..well when Grille Zone was around I liked them a lot.

[PorkTerrine]

I think because they're using fresh cut potatoes, you're not going to get a crispy french fry here, but you will get a realy french fry.

[amatto]

I think U Burger uses freshly cut potatoes, too, yet they are fries I enjoyed. Again, maybe it was an off-day, as others on chowhound haven't complained. Still, that one visit really turned me off.

[Bob MacAdoo]

Everything at UBurger is fresh. Nick (the owner) says they have no heat lamps, no microwaves and just one small freezer for Richardson's ice cream for the frappes.

I'm itching to try Five Guys up here. I really enjoyed the burger I had in DC a couple of years back, though truth be told, it was the messiest darn thing I'd eaten in some time. I don't recall the fries though ... as a U Burger fan, it will be interesting to sample each places burgers in close proximity (day or 2). I'm adding that to my to-eat list.

[hiddenboston]

Hodad's in Ocean Beach, CA, kicks both of their butts in my opinion, but since that place is 3,000 miles away, I'm quite happy hitting UBurger and Five Guys instead.

[Bob MacAdoo]

Hodad's? I love OB but it's been a long long time and I missed out. What does it compare with in Boston?

[hiddenboston]

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There's no place like Hodad's. The burgers at Five Guys are fairly similar but not as good. Hodad's is basically a surfer joint run by a total nut (and I say that in a good way) with slackers and stoners coming off the beach to eat tons of food before heading back out to the water. God, do I ever miss it.

[Gordough]

I tried Hodad's when I was out in San Diego this past fall. It was definitely a solid burger but I think I enjoy Bartley's just as much if not more. However, my favorite burger joint of all time is the old Dotty Dumpling's Dowry in Madison, WI (it still exists but I miss the one in the previous location). ... A place not to miss in Ocean Beach is the Fish Tacos at South Beach. Oh and I really like 5 Guys (Hodad's is better!).

[treb]

Was at Hodad's and South Beach Bar & Grill last week. IMO, nothing in BOS comes close. There's a real reason why the burger need a 'burger diaper' and the shakes are awesome.

[aadesmd]

Was at Hodad's last year- great burger, but does not compare to The Apple Pan in LA, which got me through my residency, and is still the best burger I have ever tasted. Tried 5 guys in DC a few months ago- seriously underwhelmed, and the fries were indeed soggy. BTW, using fresh potatoes is no excuse for getting lousy fries- poor technique is the reason

[Delhiwala]

Thanks for the repoert! Did you try the French Fries at Five Guys? If so, how were they?

[Frank Enbean]

I just returned from Florida and I tried Five Guys in Naples. The burger was outstanding. 2 patties with your choice of toppings. All toppings are free.

The fries were simply amazing. Absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly. I am tempted to drive to Dedham tonight.

[hiddenboston]

I did try the handcut fries. I thought they were very good, though a few of them were a bit limp and undercooked. I definitely liked their fries better than O'Sullivan's, but I think I like the fries at UBurger better than both.