Five Guys has arrived in Abilene

 Five Guys recently opened a store in far south Abilene. I do not always write reviews of chains but when a new one comes to town, it is worth a mention when it has a reputation like Five Guys. 

Little hamburger--single patty

The first Five Guys burger I ever ate was several years ago in Georgetown, TX. At the time, I did not realize that their standard burger has two patties and that you get a bunch of extra fries in the bag when you buy even a small order of french fries. I had a much bigger lunch than I could finish and was facing a 3-hour drowsy drive back home.

On my visit to Abilene's Five Guys, I ordered a little burger with a single patty for $8.49 and a small fry for $4.79, and water to drink. Their regular size burger with two patties is $10.69.

The price point is not inexpensive. My lunch was about $14 but I did not leave even the slightest bit hungry. 

The hamburger meat has never been frozen and the fries are cut in-house. You can see the potato boxes stacked behind the counter. It  was a good burger, juicy without being super messy. The patty could have used more seasoning. The toppings were all fresh as was the bun. You can also get as many of the standard toppings as you want on  your burger.

"Little" fries

I find that hand-cut fries are often limp and soggy but the ones at Five Guys had a crisp to them. They must be double fried. I still prefer fries without the skins left on them but that did not keep me from eating and enjoying them. They use peanut oil to fry them.

The menu also includes hot dogs (start at $6.79) and milkshakes ($6).  

The restaurant was clean and well-staffed. It took about 10 minutes for them to cook my order on a Saturday at 11:30am. The restaurant had not gotten really busy yet. There was only one person in line in front of me but by noon, the place was filling up fast. 

I did not see any free peanuts out. There were multiple signs that warned people with a peanut allergies that free peanuts are available while people wait for their food.

If you are a burger and fry fan, give them a try. Especially if you have never had it before but be aware that it is going to cost more than the typical fast food burger. There is no drive through window either since everything is cooked to order. 

The location is convenient for people who live in far south Abilene, Wylie, and Potosi.

Five Guys--Abilene

6950 S. Central Clack St., Unit 1

Abilene, TX 79606

(865) 363-0590

https://order.fiveguys.com/location/five-guys-abilene/menu/burgers

Hours are 10am-10pm all week long.

Gloria's Grill is a SODA district staple with big homestyle burgers served weekdays at lunch

Gloria's Grill is a lunch spot open Monday-Friday located just west of the Taylor County Courthouse. It is locally owned and has been around for decades. People who work in the area are loyal customers of Gloria's.

About a year and a half ago, they closed up shop and retired. However, the reopened again after a break and customers were flocking back there for their mid-day burger break. Other menu options include taco salad, hot dogs, Frito pie, and a BLT.  You can get fries or tater tots as a side. They keep the menu simple, but the folks I saw eating there seem perfectly happy with that.

There was also a nice cross section of Abilenians eating inside due to the restaurant's location. Orders are placed at the counter. 

I got a cheeseburger and fries combo which was $15.50. I cannot recall if the drink came with it or not. It is true that the price is not inexpensive but it is not a small burger. In fact, the combo I ate kept my hunger at bay for the rest of the day, I skipped dinner.

The buns on the burger had been toasted on the grill which is always a plus, and the meat was juicy without being super greasy. It was a really good hamburger. The fries were also cooked to crispy perfection. I am not a fan of limp, undercooked french fries. 

The service was friendly and the food was hot and satifying. It took a few minutes for the food to arrive but there is no doubt it was cooked fresh.

It is a positive action to support our Abilene business owners, so give Gloria's Grill a try the next time you find yourself in the downtown or south of downtown area during the week at lunchtime. 

Gloria's Grill

228 Chestnut St. 

Abilene, TX 79602

325-675-5105

https://www.facebook.com/p/Glorias-Grill-100063715860276/

Hours:

M-F 10:30am-2pm

Bill's Burger old fashioned drive-in burger joint that I've been going to since childhood

 Bill's Burger is a long-time Abilene burger spot. They keep things simple--only open for lunch, relatively small menu so that the food is done in a timely manner for folks who only have an hour for lunch, and local owners that treat their customers well...you can tell there are "regulars" that get there fast food fix at Bill's. They are only open for lunch from 10:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday. They take cash or card.

"Baby" burger

They are located on the corner of S. 11th St. and Oak St. whichi is a couple of blocks to the west of Treadaway Blvd. You order at the window or can call in for a take-out order. The building may not look like much on the outside but they proudly display their "A" rating health inspection which if you follow such things is consistant for them. 

I put in my order and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. Service was efficient and friendly.

The "baby" burger that I ordered was the size of a Whopper Jr. or Whataburger Jr. but with a thicker patty than either of those. There are also regular and large size burger options, and you can get double meat too. I got the combo which included fries (they were using Ore-Ida crinkle cut ones today) and a small soda. It was more than enough to fill me up for $9 plus tax ($9.74 to be exact.) The lettuce and tomato on the burger were fresh, the lettuce had a crunch to it. The bun had been buttered and put on the flat top so it had a nice toast on it which always adds to the taste. There were pickles but I had them leave off the onion. Mustard is my condiment of choice on a burger. The meat was juicy and seasoned but could have used a bit more flavor so I put some black pepper to jazz it up a bit. I also appreciated that the fries were crispy. Sometimes restaurants rush the frying process and the fries come out underdone and wimpy.

There are also hot dogs, corn dogs, steak or chicken fingers, a blt, nachos, tacos, tater tots, onion rings, as well as shakes and malts on the menu. Even a taco salad or tossed salad if you want more greens.

Baby burger combo

All in all Bill's is a great classic drive in burger joint and I am happy they are still in business though I think there is not a "Bill" anymore. If I worked closer to where they are located, I would probably go there too much for my waistline to handle. There are not many places to get a quality lunch for less that $10 nowadays, and I do not mind eating it in my car or sitting in a park enjoying some mild fall weather. 

 Bill's Burger

834 S. 11th St.

Abilene, TX 79602

325-677-8442

Hours:

M-F 10:30am-2:30pm

 

CLOSED--Licks and Links- hot dogs and ice cream that are worth the small effort to find

Licks and Links is a new spot in town that has been getting a lot of positive word of mouth lately.

Bare dog with ground mustard, sauerkraut, relish

They are located off of S. 14th and Danville Dr. in the strip center. The same one that has Tokyo and Little Italy. The business offers escape room games and only just recently added food as an option in addition to the games.

The menu is small. There are several types of gourmet style hot dogs, loaded tater tots, and Frito pie on offer. There are also about 8-9 different flavors of ice cream, sorbet, and gelato, all made in house. 

You can order a "flight" of ice cream if you want to try small portions of more than one flavor. 

My mother and I stopped by for a late lunch on a Saturday. Both of use ordered a bare dog ($4) which you could dress by adding up to three condiments which included the usual options of mustard, ketchup, mayo, cheese, relish and onion. I had stone ground mustard, sauerkraut, and dill relish on my hot dog. My mom got regular mustard, shredded cheese, and sweet relish on her dog.

The bun was fresh and soft but frank was the star of the show. All beef with a nice snap to it and the flavor was quite tasty. It certainly satisfied the craving for a good old fashioned hot dog. The meat is cooked on one of those rolling machines with a little oil which browns the outside nicely. 

The menu includes several special hot dogs with lots of interesting toppings which increases the price up to $8, depending on which one you choose. Currently, you can get a chili dog, a "popper" dog, a Thai dog, a Sonora dog, a Mediterranean dog, a slaw dog, or a Jersey shore dog, in addition to the "bare" dog that we ordered. I bet they will have a rotating selection moving forward. 

The loaded tots sound like a meal in themselves and will be on my list to try next time. There is the option to make you meal a combo and add chips and a canned drink for a reasonable upcharge. Currently, there is not a soda fountain.

Bare dog with mustard, relish, and cheese

There were nine options for ice cream. We were too full to indulge but the orange creamsicle flavor sounded good to me. There was also chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, lemon, coffee, and mango. I think other flavors rotate in as well.

My mom and I had lunch of a hot dog each and bottled waters for under $11 with tax, which is pretty unusual nowadays. Service was friendly and attentive. The owners were on site and willing to answer any questions I had about the food. Everything was very clean.  The restaurant part of the location is not really big, about 10-12 tables. The game area takes up the other half of the location. 

Licks and Links is open for lunch Sundays-Thursdays, 11am until 3pm. Open longer hours, until 7pm on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is a little bit hidden since you cannot see them from either S. 14th or Danville, but they are will worth the effort to find them

Licks and Links

1401 S. Danville Dr.

Abilene, TX 79605

(325) 627-8467

https://www.facebook.com/p/Licks-Links-61577774292909/

Hours:

Sunday-Thursday

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Friday & Saturday

11:00 AM - 7:00 PM