This East Coast cult favorite just beat In-N-Out as America's favorite burger chain — here's what it's like

Five Guys, the East Coast-based burger chain famous for its simplicity and myriad toppings, claimed the top spot in the latest annual "Harris Poll EquiTrend" survey.

West Coast-cult favorite In-N-Out held the title for the past two years but came in second this year.

We visited Five Guys to see if it's worth the hype.

With over 1,200 locations nationwide and counting, the DC-metro-based Five Guys chain is a behemoth in the burger world.

The design of Five Guys restaurants is decidedly different than most better-burger chains. Gone are the warm wood accents, brushed nickel, and dim light.

Instead there are simple utilitarian tables and chairs surrounded by white tile walls with the chain's signature red-checker design. Five Guys feels like a clean, uniform, hole-in-the-wall deli — in the best way possible. There's no fuss.

It's truly counter service — order at the counter, pick up your food at another.

The menu is sans frills and flourishes. You can order burgers with choice of toppings, hot dogs, fries, and soda. Some locations — not all, unfortunately — offer milkshakes. The prices are similar to Smashburger's, with the largest burger option just under $9.

The whole vibe of Five Guys is very no-fuss.

If you want, you can watch your entire burger be cooked and prepared from the grill to the bag in the open kitchen.

Just a brown bag dappled with grease is all you're handed when your number is called — no table service here.

The serving sizes are, in a word, gargantuan. For those unfamiliar with Five Guys' menu, a regular burger comes stuffed with two patties. One has to order a "little" burger to get a single-patty sandwich.

It's the same with the fries. Sizes run from small to large, but large should be named "massive." Often the cup will be filled to the top brimming with fries, only to have another scoop of fries thrown in the bag. Of course, this isn't bad. They're amazing — I recommend the spicy and savory "Cajun-style" fries.

With your choice of free toppings, there are endless combinations, but it's still a good old-fashioned burger. There are no premium options or special burgers to satisfy the fickle gourmand. Your burger will be, inevitably, a patty — or two — in a sesame bun with whatever you decide to put on it, be it onions, cheese, bacon, pickles, tomato, etc., of decent but not extraordinary quality or freshness.

Is it an adrenaline-pumping, taste-bud-bewildering experience? No. It's a simple burger that's filling and delicious in a guilty sort of way. Five Guys is comfortable with that approach — and it's working. As the better-burger industry evolves, there's something to be said for restaurants that serve an honest, humble burger in a no-frills environment. It's the classic American burger enterprise.

This East Coast cult favorite just beat In-N-Out as America's favorite burger chain — here's what it's like

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