Askinasi actually went behind the scenes of her local Five Guys in New York City to find out how the fries are made, so I got to learn a little more about what made them different from other fast-food chains.
Five Guys serves what it describes as "boardwalk-style fries." They're noticeably thicker than what you'd get at McDonald's or Burger King, and their appearance really did remind me of childhood days spent walking down the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with my parents.
The chain also proudly makes its fries in-house from fresh potatoes every day. The spuds are cut and cooked twice in pure, cholesterol-free, 100% peanut oil, and all servings come with an extra scoop so that the cup is overflowing.
"We want to make sure people get their money's worth," said Amy Cryzter, the director of training at the chain that Askinasi visited.
I was immediately impressed by the texture of Five Guys' fries. They were perfectly crispy on the outside but soft and creamy on the inside — no easy feat when you're making thousands of fries a day. Even a huge In-N-Out devotee like me had to admit that these fries were superior.