I made my first trip into Five Guys last week. It is a nice time to try new places in Madison, because the students have largely left and this reduces the crowd. I was a bit shocked at the prices (a cheeseburger, fries and pop totaled over $12); however, I stuck it out as I was really in the mood for a burger.\n\nI'll start with the good part. The service is quick and the staff was friendly. The fries, while seemingly expensive, were very good and provided enough (at the \""little fries\"" level) to serve at least two, not three, people. The restaurant was clean and enjoyable. \n\nOne thing about the fries: if you are truly unable to digest flour, they coat their fries with it. I don't know if they offer a gluten free fry, but you should ask. \n\nNow to the burger. Oh my. I ordered \""all the way\"" which is the cheeseburger with everything (onions, tomato, pickles, mushrooms, ketchup, mustard ,etc). I didn't really want mushrooms but it was easier to say \""the works\"". The propaganda for the restaurant (and many of the reviews on this site) promote the idea of a burger made from quality products and cooked to order. The burger was cooked to order\n\nThe burger was okay. juicy and thick, but part of a parceled package, not made from local meat or hand pressed. The mushrooms were, sadly, canned and tasteless. The tomato slice (singular) was nice and seemed fresh but it was swallowed up by the other toppings. The cheese, in Wisconsin no less, was basically Velveeta. The worst aspect was the bun: a cheap white bread sesame seed covered bun. It managed to hold together to the 6 minutes of processing time in eating, but was completely unenjoyable and generally complimented the cheapness of the mushrooms and cheese. \n\nFor the price asked, a much better burger could be had at the Red Shed (just a block away) or Dotty's Dumplings, The Nitty Gritty (also within a few blocks. I get that the State Street location pushes up the rent and the cost, but I can't believe the other reviewers are eating at the same place.