Juicy Burger

I tried the Juicy Burger in Ballston Spa with my girlfriend. The food was decent, but a little pricey compared with Five Guys or Fuddruckers.

The menu is structured a little differently than either of those chains. The basic burger is $5.00 and does not even come with lettuce. It is simply a hamburger on a bun, nothing less, nothing more. There are condiments on the side if you wish. If you want lettuce or tomato, you will have to upgrade to the Build a Burger, which is $7.50. The Build a Burger allows you to load perhaps 15 toppings on your burger, from bacon to sauteed onions. Fries and a drink can be ordered a la carte; there are no meal options.

I ordered the Build a Burger with sweet potato fries, and it was excellent. It was either one third or one quarter a pound of beef, on a large roll. I found it to be a little greasy, but very tasty. The sweet potato fries were good, not excellent. They were covered in salt, which I found a little unnecessary. I was excited that they had sweet potato fries; Fuddruckers did not have those until recently and Five Guys does not have them at all.

My meal came out to a little more than $12. Fudds will give you the burger meal deal for under $10; Five Guys is also under $10. $12 seems a little unreasonable for a meal without waiter service. For $12, I would prefer to have a nice meal at Chili's or Quintessence.

Five Guys Hamburgers

I went to Five Guys Hamburgers in Clifton Park because I has smelled the fries from a distance and had to try them. I sure was glad I did. This was one of those meals where everything tasted great and I left full but not stuffed.

Five Guys has a very interesting ambiance. The decor is very simple inside. There are bags of peanuts left out so people can take a handful of peanuts as an appetizer. This is a good idea, because who doesn't like a free appetizer, however, I like to feel like I am eating in a restaurant rather than a barn. Five Guys does create a bit of a warehouse-like atmosphere, which is fun, but not conducive to a date.

The thing I love about the burgers at Five Guys is that many of the fixins are free. I got my cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, barbecue sauce and grilled onions, all free of charge. The grilled onions and the cheese are a great combination. The burgers are good, but nothing out of this world.

The fries are the star of the show. I ordered a large to share with my girlfriend, and I would say a large does feed about 2 people. The fries are fried in peanut oil which really does bring out the taste of the potato. They are not shoestring fries like McDonalds, yet they are not as thick as steak fries. Not too greasy, crispy and slightly salted, the fries are perfect. If I was not health-conscious, and I liked off Exit 9 of the Northway, I would have these fries at least every week.

Lastly, I liked that Five Guys has unlimited fountain drinks, which includes four flavors of iced tea. Five Guys is rather costly. A cheeseburger, fries and a drink will run you around $10, which is more similar to Fuddruckers than McDonalds. However, you are paying for quality, free fixins, and unlimited fountain drinks including iced tea. For fast food with no price tag, Five Guys is as good as it gets.

Fuddruckers

I had a hamburger combo at Fuddrucker's today. The restaurant was quite empty tonight. I am not sure if it is because of the slippery roads, but the prices do not help. A 1/3 pound hamburger combo is about $8.50.

The burger has excellent flavor. It seemed quite small for a 1/3 pound; it did not nearly cover the bun. The burger was moist and juicy. The fries were average. The seasoning was good, but they were definitely not fresh cut. For the cost, I was hoping for a large portion of fresh fries.

One of the benefits of Fuddruckers is the fresh and bountiful fixins bar. The pico de gallo and the banana peppers are definitely unusual for a burger joint. The lettuce and tomato looks extremely fresh.

The great thing about the combo meal is that it comes with a cookie. I love ending my meal with a cookie. The cookies are small, but they are fresh and warm.