FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES:
10/4/2011
Good news burger fans, a popular burger chain has confirmed they are currently building a Stamford location on High Ridge Road.
Five Guys Burgers & Fries, which moved into lower Fairfield County a couple of years ago with a shop in Westport, will open their newest location at High Ridge near the Merritt as early as next Summer.
The chain, which is is relatively new to Connecticut, was founded 25 years ago in Virginia and became hugely popular with it’s customizable menu and ridiculously addictive french fries.
If you can’t wait, they have locations in Norwalk and Westport.
–CP
Tried the Stamford 5 Guys last week, ordered online which was good since when I got there about 1:15 PM there was a line of about 10 people waiting to order. Burgers were pretty good, fries were soggy, and they don’t have shakes. Very disappointed w/fries. Have also been to Jake’s on Hope St; burger–meh, hot dogs OK, fries ok, shakes very good. Station Eats–good burgers, fairly good fries, terrible shakes made with soft-serve ice cream. NOT how real shakes should be made, IMHO! All in all, Shake Shack still the best, although the drive to Westport is a trek. Oh, and agree with John #55, hated BSF, greasy, don’t like having sliced sandwich bread as bun, and shakes are sickly sweet.
LOVE Five Guys. Tried Jake’s last week and thought it was decent. Not high quality meat though. Onion rings were gross. Did not try fries. My shake was very good. Need to try Station Eats as I’ve heard lots of good things. I tried BSF and thought it was disgusting. Burger was greasy, very rare, and came served on what looked like french toast. The fries were clearly frozen and had zero flavor. They over charge for drinks and don’t even have name brand soda. Despite all that, gave it a second try a few weeks later and had the same experience. I really wanted to like BSF as I live a mile from it but I’ll never go there again.
Love Five Guys but also love Jake’s and especially Station Eats. My son has nut allergeis so Five Guys is not on our menu with him as everything is fried in peanut oil plus they have peanuts all over the place but it’s definitely a treat for Dad.
Jake’s is awesome and kid friendly but they close at 9pm which sort of makes it not the late night burger joint that could make them a cult classic.
Station Eats is the perfect combination of beer, burgers and fresh, good food. The fries are made from organic potatoes, the shakes can be made “loaded” and PBR and a burger is a summer classic. Also dig his salad esp with the wasabi dressing!
I don’t get all the fuss about BSF…was sort of middling to me. We had really poor service at Moe’s and, well, first impressions matter so we’ll stay in Stamford with all of our tasty burgers from now on!
Funny how went from a town with not a single worthwhile burger to a town overflowing in them with Plan B just around the corner, too.
Five Guys Stamford location is now open. Noticed yesterday as I drove by.
Tried Station Eats. The good – Everything tasted fresh. The place was spotless. Pleasant person there – I guess an owner? – greeting everyone, making sure the customers understood “the system” for ordering. I didn’t notice any unpleasantness from any of the employees.
The double burger is too much for the bun they use, and I didn’t even get any toppings, so I can only imagine the battle when you get it loaded.
Fries were nothing spectacular, but the timing was pretty good from coming out of the fryer until the rest of the food was ready. They didn’t spend too long under the heat lamp.
On the downside, the chili on the dog was too vegetably of a flavor for me.
Good overall option for a burger downtown, but if you’re at the mall and want to walk through you can’t, because the gates are closed. You have to walk around.
BSF is still the tops in the area for this level of burger, IMHO.
Five Guys has great burgers! Meat perfectly cooked, enough cheese and nice bread/meat ratio.
Forget Five Guys; we got burgers at Jake’s Wayback on Hope St yesterday, awesome. Less expensive then Five Guys unless you want mushrooms on your burger which is the only regular topping they charge for. They also have chili for an extra charge if you like that on your burger or dog. Another plus in our book is no seeds on the buns, my wife always had to get two bottom buns at Five Guys because she can’t have seeds. Burgers were cooked great and very moist. We called our order in for pick up and they also do online ordering.
Saw that driving by there last week.
That’s a tough spot for a place that doesn’t deliver. Chef Luis couldn’t make it more than a few months, and he had a good reputation going in there.
I’ve had Jake’s before and wasn’t impressed enough to think that others will make this a destination stop. I can’t believe there’s enough foot traffic alone to keep a burger place open there. More power to ‘em for giving it a shot, though!
Does anyone know when The Filling Station is supposed to open around Landmark?
Jake’s Wayback Burgers will be going in the former Pudgies Chicken location at 324 Hope St. They are now hiring.
Looks like it is going to be in the building next to the A&P by the Merritt Parkway . The store locator on Fiveguys website indicates “coming soon” 1201 High Ridge Road, Stamford CT, 06905
Both buildings getting closer to done- still no coming soon signs though.
Valuable information. Fortunate me I discovered your website unintentionally, and I am shocked why this coincidence did not came about in advance! I bookmarked it.
To #30. You are absolutely right. There was an agenda behind categorizing restaurants. The agenda was public and stated at the public hearing. The applicant was the Zoning Board itself, and the change was a direct result of the Burger King application as a “restaurant”, when there was no other subcategory.
The agenda was that different types of restaurants have different impacts on neighborhoods. Standard restaurants are permitted in every commercial zone without special approval. Carry out and drive in restaurants, which generate more traffic from outside the neighborhood are permitted in C-N and C-B zones only with special approval by the ZBA; and Fast-Food restaurants, which generate the most auto traffic from outside the neighborhood, are not permitted at all in C-N and C-B zones. The C-N zone is a very common commercial zone in Stamford, found along arteries in Glenbrook, Springdale, Belltown and the Cove, among others. The Zoning Board was concerned that a McDonalds or Burger King in some of those areas would be deleterious to essentially residential areas, and would be more suitable in more commercial neighborhoods.
Burger King was approved before the change in definition, but the change probably stopped that area of High Ridge from becoming a linear fast food area, with McDonalds, Wendys, Taco Bell, etc, etc., because fast food places tend to congregate.
Now, that reasoning can be argued, but it was the “agenda” at the time.
As for the idea that people were not allowed to eat in their cars in the parking lot, I have no idea where it came from. I do know it had nothing to do with zoning rules. It is possible that BK itself may have used it to discourage loitering in their lot. If the parking lot is full, it discourages new patrons from entering. Their parking lot is private property, and they can set standards for its use.
Terrific information gratitude for posting. The fact is in all of the posts of this web site you will find there’s things to educate yourself on.
According to a worker in Radio Shack, they are moving into the location next to Homegoods. So, it’s got to be something new in the current Radio Shack space. I have no idea why they’re moving but they told my husband they’re moving into the new space.
I was in Cosi one day and got confirmation by a worker that that will indeed be the 5 guys next to A&P. What a complete disaster traffic is going to be over there. I can’t believe they would allow that to happen.
That parking lot is going to be a nightmare. How do they have enough parking toallow that?
So what is going in next to A&P?
#
ok so the building next to A&P looks to be two stories now that they have the steel up finally. Thats not a 5 guys. So whats it going to be. I think the 5 guys might be going into the space next to Homegoods
Comment by me again — December 1st, 2011 @ 10:34 am
Bingo! The addition underway next to Homegoods, definitely looks like a 5 Guys is opening there.
ok so the building next to A&P looks to be two stories now that they have the steel up finally. Thats not a 5 guys. So whats it going to be. I think the 5 guys might be going into the space next to Homegoods
check the calories, sodium and fat content for 5 guys – you will never eat there again…
please not another @#$&ing drugstore ie CVS @ the old Borders site. A Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods would be great as Fairway is really far and imo overrated.
Choose an author as you chose a friend.
# 33 Jeff,
The deli is supposed to open sometime late 2011 or early 2012 in the old JR’s / Court Street Deli location on Prospect Street ! I hear it is going to be a fantastic and delicious place to get matzo ball soup, corned beef, pastrami etc…
Five Guys is massively overrated. If an In-n-Out shows up then I’ll be excited
all this talk about such a mediocre product at best. well done no matter what. if someone tells me i have to have my burger well, i would say they just don’t trust the product, or the safe handling of that product. another franchisee ex-investment banker looking to capitalize on the burger boom.
Anyone know when that new Kosher deli in Stamford is opening?
I thought that the blockbuster location on High Ridge was a perfect location for a five guys. Tall ceilings and probably more space than what they are building.
In the 80′s – and maybe before – Burger King and the “Friendly’s” parking lot across the street were evening hang-out locations for the high school crowd.
Eating in the car at BK was never a problem. That is, I never had an issue; I can’t speak for everyone else. But there was one occasion where a friend and I were meeting a couple other people there to eat inside; we got there first, and stepped out of the car to wait outside for the others to show up. A police officer immediately came out of the BK and told us that we could either wait in the car or in the restaurant, but could not stand outside.
In Re: poster # 27 concerning “standard” vs. whatever classifications; I wonder who and why there is a difference? Sounds like someone had an agenda…..
When I first moved to Stamford there were rumors, I believe urban myths, that you could not even eat in your car at the HR Burger King. Had something to do with the car shows that were springing up there.
I don’t know, I am looking at that construction site and it seems awfully small for a Five Guys… The one in Orange is big.
Nice research on the drive-thru zoning! Thanks for clearing that up.
I disagree about the sparseness of traffic, though. All of the traffic exiting the center goes onto Buxton Farm; that’s where the only exit is. Also, during the day there’s not an insignificant amount of traffic coming from a combination of High Ridge Park and the Intervale traffic going between High Ridge (via T.O.R.) and Newfield. I’ve seen traffic back up to the shopping center’s exit at times other than rush hour, which then causes a chain reaction as people can’t turn left out of the center.
The only two solutions I see are retiming the signal at the High Ridge/Buxton Farm intersection, and encouraging drivers to turn right out of the center and to use T.O.R. to get to High Ridge at the Cedar Heights intersection. Other than that, I’m not seeing how this problem can be avoided. If they could create another exit, this one directly onto High Ridge, that could take off some of the pressure. But the property line to the south looks like it’s stopped where the office building is. And I certainly don’t want to see eminent domain used to cut a path behind the property to link it through to the Fashion Plaza exit (or any other location).
A few clarifications:
1. Under Stamford’s zoning regulations, there are several definitions for “restaurant”. In the C-N zone, only a “standard” restaurant is permitted without site plan approval by the zoning board. A “standard” restaurant is defined primarily as one in which food is served at tables. Burger King is not a “standard” restaurant. I am not familiar with Five Guys’ service style.
2. There is no restriction against a drive through for a bank. The zoning board has to approve a site plan for a drive through restaurant.
3. When Burger King was originally approved, a drive through was specifically prohibited by its zoning approval. Had nothing to do with neighbors in back.
4. Some years later, BK did apply again for a drive through and was rejected by the Zoning board. Since then, I believe they have explored it further and it has never been approved.
5. Rob is correct (#20). CVS is proposed for a site somewhat south of the old Borders site, on the same side of the street, where there is now an empty office building. Obviously, while the current CVS at Bulls Head may suit SOME customers just fine, CVS sees more customer potential above the Merritt. Clearly there is a lot of profit in prescription drugs.
6. I would also be concerned about putting a large high turnover restaurant on the A&P site. Not sure there is enough parking. But I don’t see that traffic is that big a problem, since most traffic will exit onto Buxton Farms, which is a wide but sparsely used street.
Different people have different reactions to traffic. I drive north on High Ridge to the Merritt often, and I don;t think it approaches a “disaster”. Other than rush hour, it flows smoothly.
It won’t be where A&P is. They are just building a few cement cones to keep the traffic from A&P going into the gas station. They are trying to keep the traffic exiting and entering one way.
LVT, and don’t forget The Filling Station is supposedly coming to Landmark! (I haven’t tried New Canaan’s, so I have no opinion on the place).
I’d love to see an In-N-Out too, but until they make an announcement about opening a distribution center no more than a day’s drive away, I’m not holding my breath.
You want a good burger ? and some of the best chili in Fairfield County ?
Then go to Pat’s Hubba Hubba in the Cove !!
5 guys are HIGH PRICED !! The peanuts are ok..but again it’s a little pricey ….
CP, a couple of points; 1). I agree with several of the posters that the A&P site is a ridiculous location for Five Guys. How in the world did they get a construction permit that close to the street? No setback rules on High Ridge. What a traffic nightmare this will be. 2). When the Dunkin’ Donuts opens in our neighborhood soon, how is that traffic going to be regulated? 3). Rumor floating around that the old Terrace Club site at Commerce Park is being readied for a Sonic. Any truth to that? Would rather see an In-N-Out but Sonic will do….
So where is Jake’s Wayback Burgers going? Their website says “coming soon.”
See also http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/jakes-wayback-burgers-plans-massive-expansion
This is going to be an embarrassment of burger riches!
Five Guys Burgers & Fries will be for Stamford a much needed restaurant. Lucky for me I live in Virginia and have one less than 1 mile from my home. Five Guys & Fries is fast food but it’s not what you’re accustomed to. They make each burger after you order it. It’s cooked on a large griddle and most of the toppings are free. Their fries are to die for and are as their burgers freshly cooked. The only thing they do besides burgers are hot dogs. But don’t dare ask for Chili cause there is none. I think Five Guys Burgers & Fries will be a huge success. Open wide Stamford cause their burgers are not thin!
The Planning Board had on their agenda Tuesday a plan to put the CVS at 969 High Ridge Rd which is currently an office buiding between Citibank and Sleepy’s.
ZB Appl. 211-27 Special Exception – GB New England 2, LLC & Nine Sixty Nine
Associates, requests approval pursuant to Section 7.5, Large Scale Development to
redevelop an existing commercially zoned property located at 969 High Ridge Road
with a new 14,568 s.f. CVS building.
Oh God I hope not. I know they want something right off the Merritt but the one down in Bulls Head suits the CVS customers just fine!
Our development reporter says yet another CVS will be going into the old Border’s building.
I heard a Trader Joes was going in to Borders.
Planning and Zoning in this town is a joke. I need to find a different way to go home now because the intersection near the Merritt Parkway entrances, Cosi’s, Fresh Foods, & Global gas station is already a disaster. Traffic will be at an all time high, especially since there is just enough parking there now. It’s a disaster in the making.
Jeez I hope it’s not by the a&p / gas station. That northbound right lane is already bad at times, plus that parking lot gets to capacity at mealtimes with just the Cosi. The old Borders location would be much better, but it is probably too big. And I’m another one with a peanut allergic kid so we won’t be going there with the fam. (maybe just myself during school hours!)
to #12, re: drive-throughs. I have a vague recollection that when BK bought one of the houses behind it, perhaps 25 to 30 years ago, to expand their parking lot, there may have been some quid quo pro with the residential neighbors who were concerned about idling cars in a drive-through line. Dim recollection, though, and I may not have it right. Seems odd with all the banks in the neighborhood having drive-throughs — BofA, Citi, Chase, First County, and now pharmacies following suit. Could certainly be a convenience to a driver with young children in the car.
All of this drive through talk is probably sort of moot anyway as I don’t think any Five Guys’ have them.
This is from an interview with the owner:
“The burgers are made to order. That’s why we can’t do drive-thru’s – it takes too long. We had a sign: “If you’re in a hurry, there are a lot of really good hamburger places within a short distance from here.” People thought I was nuts. But the customers appreciated it”
The land between the gas station and the A&P where the 5Guys is going, is that part of the same shopping center, or will it have its own entrance and exit?
That center currently has 4 entrances (the one High Ridge that’s only accessible from the northbound side, and three on Buxton Farm) and only 1 exit (the one on Buxton Farm that’s in the “middle”, toward the rear, but not the one that’s seemingly meant for bank’s customers). People approach the exit from 2 directions, 3 if you count the cars exiting the drive-thru at the bank or the 5 adjacent parking spots, turning left out of there is usually a wait.
The traffic pattern in the lot needs a revamping anyway; adding a burger place to the mix will not improve the situation.
And I’ve wondered about the BK drive-thru for a long time, too. If First County, right next door, can have one, why can’t BK? Is there a zoning difference in drive-thrus between a bank and a restaurant?
Yeah. Given that we already have Fairway, I would LOVE to not have to drive to Darien for Trader Joes. Then again, I live not too far from Fairway and getting there from, say, North Stamford is a haul.
Can they have a driveup window? I would have thought that if one were permitted in the area, Burger King would have one; there is room on that property for it.
Five Guys is wonderful, but I don’t see the space at the A&P/Global being large enough. My experience is that one has to wait a bit for one’s burgers, and that requires both store space and parking area, both of which are lacking.
Separately, Whole Foods would be nice, in the Borders space, but is there enough parking? Given my druthers, I’d prefer a Trader Joe’s. They would also be parking-limited.
They need a take away window that extends on to High Ridge Road. Between them, the gas station and the folks going on to the Merritt or home to North Stamford traffic will be at a standstill! That little patch of land they snatched up was a perfect escape route after buying some good old fashioned cheap gasoline where you don’t get punished for not keeping a Benjamin in your wallet to pay for a fill tank.
I am hopeful Shake Shack finds its way here, as a parent of a child with nut allergies Five Guys is a non-starter for me so it’s just another reaons to stay off High Ridge Road. May be the start of that old Yogi line “Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded”!
You gotta laugh when the old planning and zoning commission kicks out Ritz Carlton, denies a new child care facility on lower HRR and allows a Five Guys at one of the worst intersections in town!
Whole Foods is going to move into the old Borders store.
It is definitely going next to A&P temporary electric went up 2 weeks ago, the road was marked out, and they’re digging the foundation now. Nice to have someplace like this coming to town since they always seem to end up in Norwalk or up the line. Also nice change that its on High Ridge.
rest, I believe you are correct about the construction between A&P and the gas station.
where the old borders books was, are you going there?
The only things I can think of is the empty borders space which seems way too big and they are building something in between the A&P and the gas station but that would seem too small (and would make traffic even worse in that area)
5 Guys Burgers and Fries is the best burger joint you’ll find anywhere. I’ve eaten in several of them across the country (and more locally in Westchester, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens) with the same great taste I’ve come to expect every time. There’s a list of toppings that are free when you buy the burger. The meat and everything else is fresh, not frozen. Free peanuts. I can’t wait to get my hands on another burger that come as double patties in the bun!!!! These guys get it right!!!!
They wouldn’t give me the address and I haven’t been up there lately. But the person who tipped me off on Twitter said it was by the A&P right by the Merritt.
Where?