The growth of Five Guys in the UK has been one of the greatest hospitality successes in recent years. The multinational fast food chain first opened in 1986 and grew modestly over the following two decades before experiencing rapid growth across the world.
It is now a staple on the UK high street with 174 restaurants across the country. But according to several burger fans, the popular chain is facing serious competition from an up and coming brand, with some even believing it could be better than the American outlet. One user on Reddit said: “I love Five Guys, but Bleecker is better.”
Bleecker burger started life as a burger van in 2012 before branching out into a permanent spot in 2015.
It now boasts eight branches across London but several users believe that the lesser known restaurant produces burgers every bit as good as Five Guys with its 1,700 outlets.
Another user said: “The difference is that with Bleecker it’s all about the simplicity of the burger allowing the quality of the ingredients to shine through.
“There are very few places that can match the quality and freshness of their beef, which is why personally it will only ever be ordered medium-rare for me (but each to their own).
“It’s that freshness that allows them to serve their burgers medium-rare anyways.
“With Five Guys you’ll absolutely get more bang for your buck, especially if you like to load up on toppings – quality-wise, I put it in the same category as Shake Shack, which is also decent but works out as expensive, if not more so than Bleecker.”
Another added: “I like my burger pretty simple, I don’t like salad much, so the Bleecker double cheeseburger hits all the spots for me.
“I like the taste of the sauce, which is a bit more burger sauce-y than what’s available at Five Guys. If I liked all the toppings Five Guys offers, my preference might be different!
“The five guys cajun fries are waaaaaay better than Bleeckers though.”
Another user commented: “I love five guys, I think they can be a bit pricey but you’re getting a good quality burger.
“Recently tried Bleecker for the first time and it was also great, a much beefier flavour than five guys. Toppings make five guys a better all round but both are great options.”