Five Guys vs Miner’s Drive-In Restaurant

By: Kate Crowder

The side-by-side review I chose to research is Five Guys vs. Miner’s Drive-In Restaurant. I love both restaurants because they are so yummy! Both have burgers, fries, milkshakes, and more! It's a challenge to know which one has the best foods. Five Guys located in Richland where I can eat when I am hanging out with my friends or family. Miner’s Drive-In Restaurant is located in Yakima. I can eat there when my family travels. I chose both restaurants because I experience both restaurants often and I know how both are similar and different in terms of food and history.

The first Five Guys restaurant was opened in Virginia by Janie and Jerry Murrell. That's the reason why they call it “Five Guys” because the owners have five sons. They make various menu foods; mostly burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes. According to Five Guys Story, they began as a small business in 1986, and have grown to more than 1,900 restaurants in different locations and across the world (Five Guys). There are things I noticed, this restaurant uses different potatoes for fries depending on the state they are located in; this restaurant uses different potatoes from Walla Walla, Pasco, Oregon, Idaho, and other cities so these fries will taste different depending on the type of potatoes. This restaurant tends to change the type of potatoes they use for their fries every month. Five Guys also offers free peanuts to customers as they wait for their order.

Miner’s Drive-In Restaurant opened in 1948 in Yakima by Ed and Irene Miner, and their son Lee. They make various menu foods; mostly burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, milkshakes, salads, and more. There is only one Miner’s location. It is well known in Yakima and throughout Washington state. Miner’s does not plan to open more restaurants. Their goal is to provide families with local dining and a place to make memories. When this restaurant first opened they were a drive-thru only. According to an Eater Seattle article, Paolo Bicchieri, the restaurant was too small to include an indoor dining room. In 1997 Miner’s built the first indoor dining room (Bicchieri, paras. 9).

Image by Andy Chilton on Unsplash

Interesting Facts about Both Restaurants

Five Guys has no walls, so you are able to see the crew working in the kitchen. Miner’s kitchen is blocked off so the kitchen crew is not as visible. Miner’s has more space than Five Guys. The decor is different in each restaurant. Miner’s is decorated with Native American history pieces; there are display cases showing off clothes, pictures, and other items. This is because the place Yakima is a local heritage of Central Washington, so this focuses on showing regional, historical, and cultural identity. I think this theme decor creates a cultural experience more important than just being a fast-food joint. When you first walk in there is a newspaper article posted about Miner’s origin. Five Guys’ design is casual; there are more picture frames and posters about the top restaurant, awards, and more. When you enter, there are stacks of large peanut sacks; they are famously known for this.

Compare and Contrast about Both Restaurants

These restaurants have a few similarities. Both are popular because the burgers are good, and you get to pick the toppings and sauce for your burger. Both restaurants have similar history as they were both family-owned. Both provide other food choices like hot dogs and sandwiches. Both restaurants have a slightly higher price than other fast-food restaurants. Burgers at Five Guys cost between nine and twelve dollars, and burgers at Miner’s can run between 10 and 16 dollars.

There are several differences between these restaurants as well. One difference is the size of the burgers. The Miner’s burger is a larger than a normal burger, while Five Guys have two sizes of burgers: small or regular. The small burger is one patty, and a regular burger is two patties. Their fries are different as well. Both restaurants offer two sizes, but Miner’s serves their fries in a small bag while Five Guys throws their fries into a large brown paper bag.

My Opinion: Taste

When I order a cheeseburger, regular fries, and a chocolate milkshake from both restaurants. I noticed that the burgers have a different look. Five Guys has a plain bun, but Miner’s has a sesame bun. Also, Miner’s burger is larger than Five Guys. Both restaurants gave me opinions for toppings, so I chose: mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onion, ketchup, and mustard.

When I open both burgers to see what toppings they have; Five Guys has a patty with cheese, one lettuce, three pickles, one each of tomatoes and grilled onions, and mayo, ketchup mixed with mustard. Miner’s has a patty with cheese, shredded lettuce, five pickles, two tomatoes, and grilled onions, mixed with mayo, ketchup, and mustard. Miner’s has more toppings than Five Guys. Both burgers are wrapped in paper, so they do not fall apart when being eaten. Miner’s fries were a regular size, but the size of fries from Five Guys shocked me. Five Guys has a cup full of fries, but inside the bag, there are more fries. The small milkshakes were different sizes; the small milkshake from Miner’s was bigger than the shake from Five Guys.

The burgers tasted very similar, both were good, and both were quite messy to eat. Five Guys burger tastes balanced, I could can taste the meat and toppings equally. With the Miner’s burger I tasted the toppings more than the meat. The fries are different as well. Five Guys has a dark golden color and has included the potato skin, but Miner’s was light brown color and no potato skin. Fries from Five Guys were more seasonal than Miner’s. Milkshakes from both restaurants have a similar taste.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I liked the food from both restaurants. I like Five Guys burger more than Miner’s burger because I can taste both meat and toppings. When I eat at Miner’s burger, I pick off toppings like tomatoes or onions, because it is too much for me. I like Miner’s fries more than Five Guys because Miner’s has balanced seasonings and Five Guys is a bit over seasonal. As for the milkshakes, I can’t say which is better, so I will say it draws. Finally, I learned side-by-side reviews and how to compare and contrast side-by-side reviews. I understand how people’s opinions and my opinions can be different.

Work Cited

Bicchieri, Paolo. “Central Washington's Most Legendary Burger Joint Keeps Yakima Fed After 77 Years.” Eater Seattle, 21 May 2025, https://seattle.eater.com/2025/5/21/24389671/miners-burgers-restaurant-yakima-central-washington
“The Five Guys Story.” Five Guys, 6 January 2026, https://www.fiveguys.com/our-story/