These guys know burgers

Less than a decade ago, Five Guys was a small, family-run operation with just a handful of stores and a cult following in northern Virginia. Cut to 2006: There are close to 100 stores in the Washington, D.C., area, with 100 more slated to open on the East Coast before the end of the year. Another thousand are in the works. That's right -- a thousand. It's a burger explosion.

Building a Better Burger: If you're thinking what I was thinking -- do we really need another fast-food joint? -- you'll be surprised (and maybe even a little embarrassed) at how easily Five Guys wins your heart. And this isn't exactly fast food: You'll wait anywhere from five to 15 minutes while they prepare your burger to order. This is in no way a complaint. It's actually fun to watch as the line cook slaps your burger on the griddle, toasts your bun, throws toppings on the finished product, and wraps the whole thing up. By the time they call your number, you'll be salivating. If your patience fails you, there are bins of unshelled peanuts for munching while you wait.

French-Fried Fabulous: Fifty-pound sacks of Idaho potatoes sit on a low shelf next to the front counter, evidence that Five Guys makes its fries using fresh potatoes -- no frozen spuds around here. They're fried skin-on in peanut oil, making for crispy, golden-brown french-fry perfection. Generously spiked with salt or Cajun seasoning and served up in a Styrofoam cup, Five Guys fries are pretty irresistible.

Griddle Me This: And then there are the burgers. They come in two sizes, regular (two patties) and little (one patty) and are made from high-quality fresh ground beef. Don't be misled by the "little" moniker -- regular appetites will be plenty satisfied with the single-patty option, especially once you factor in toppings. The key to the burgers' juiciness seems to lie in the griddle technique: Very little squishing or flipping is involved. The list of toppings (all available at no extra charge) is as long as your arm, and includes exotica such as fresh jalapeños and fried onions. Ask for a burger with "everything" and you'll get a monster that's just about impossible to eat. But if you can manage without half the toppings falling out with every bite, it's terrific. A scaled-back version topped with lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup and pickles is a top-notch burger experience, too.

Hotdogging: Hot dog fans won't want to miss the kosher dog, which can be topped with all the same ingredients as the burger. The dogs are split down the middle, giving them maximum grill exposure, and also making a perfect cradle for crumbled bacon, diced onions, melted cheese, ketchup and mustard. Hey, no one said this was diet food.

We Have a Winner: Besides the red-and-white color scheme, there's not much to the decor at Five Guys. The most noteworthy thing is what's on the walls: dozens of newspaper and magazine articles gushing praise for Five Guys. People are clearly crazy for them -- they've been winning accolades in the D.C. area for years. Quotes such as "best all-American burger" and "the Willy Wonkas of burgercraft" are hard to argue with. After a quick chat with the Edgewood store manager, I'd say he's got his eye on the "best burger" prize right here in Atlanta.