While fast-food fans often rave about the quality and taste of Five Guys’ food, the burger chain is also no stranger to complaints about its prices. Five Guys recently found itself at the center of customer backlash yet again after a viral social media post illustrated just how pricey it has become to eat there in 2024.
On March 1, a consumer took to X (the social media site formerly known as Twitter) to share a photo of a Five Guys receipt. The picture showed that the grand total for one bacon cheeseburger, a regular soda, and a small fry came out to $24.10 after taxes and a $2.19 tip.
The X user who posted it, @WallStreetSilv, slammed the chain’s prices as “out of control”—and they were far from alone in their feelings about the cost of eating at Five Guys. The post has now received 25 million views and 12,000 comments from other X users, many of whom sounded off against the chain.
“The only reason I won’t go to @FiveGuys anymore,” one commented, tagging the chain’s official X account. “They’ve priced themselves out of what is reasonable. I can get a craft burger from a local pub for cheaper.”
“When I went in there and saw these prices, I turned around and left and haven’t been back,” another wrote.
To be fair, Five Guys does offer a higher quality fast-food experience in comparison to some of its rivals. The beef is never frozen, the ingredients are fresh, and the fries come in huge portions. Some fans believe these factors make the higher prices worth it.
Still, there’s a very vocal cohort of consumers who believe that paying $24 for any fast-food meal is unacceptable. Many have also pointed out that prices tend to be lower at other premium burger chains that also serve good quality food.
“For $12 I can go to In-N-Out and get a Double-Double combo. Haven’t been to Five Guys in years because of their pricing,” a user commented on @WallStreetSilv’s X post.
The chain did not immediately respond to our queries for comment on the pricing backlash.
Five Guys isn’t the only fast-food brand that has come under fire recently for its prices. McDonald’s also faced heavy criticism in January after a customer reported paying $14.58 for two Egg McMuffins, which breaks down to $7.29 per sandwich. Likewise, Taco Bell customers recently sounded off against the chain after noticing that the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito had shot up in price in some parts of the country.
Zoe Strozewski