Shakes and Fries

This week on The Good, The Bad, and The Delicious, we three Seniors™  found three different burger shops around the St.Cloud/Sartell area and reviewed the different Milkshakes and Fries options available. Milkshakes and Fries are a staple of any burger shop stop and can make or break the experience. So this week, we visited Val’s Hamburgers, McDonald’s, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries:

For this feature of the Good, the Bad, and the Delicious, I was given the opportunity to eat at Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  After I tried the fries, burger, and milkshake, I realized that the fries are definitely the best part of their entire menu. The employees fry their potatoes in peanut oil giving it a new and improved crispy twist to the classic french fry.  These fries are quite honestly some of the best I’ve had and if you like a little heat to your meal, get the Cajun Fries. As for the milkshake, I once again was not let down. Being a peanut butter fan myself, I went for the Peanut Butter Milkshake.  Honestly, it really did just taste like peanut butter mixed with ice cream, but can we really go wrong with a nice and simple milkshake? I will add that the fries and shake were a bit expensive. The fries were $3.09 and the milkshake was $4.99 totaling to a pretty hefty bill for some cooked potatoes and blended ice cream.  This restaurant may be expensive, but Five Guys is one of the most classic and delicious American Style restaurants in Minnesota. 

Val’s:

Val’s is known as a quaint hamburger shop located in downtown St.Cloud, but for those of us who have had the privilege of visiting, it is better known as a beacon to all that are hungry, and a light at the end of the tunnel. Val’s is an oasis in the desert, it is a scented candle in a Mcdonald’s bathroom, it is Windex to a dirty window, it may very well be the closest thing that we have to heaven in Minnesota. When you walk into Val’s, it is extremely apparent that it isn’t like other hamburger shops.  It is small, cramped, and reeks of oil and french fries. The food, however, is life-changing. With a vanilla milkshake and a medium fry in hand, I prepared myself for the feast that was about to ensue. The vanilla milkshake was beautifully thick and creamy and melted in my mouth. And when paired with the fries, beautifully seasoned with popcorn salt, it makes for a once in a lifetime experience. I still find myself waking up in a cold sweat at night, after dreaming about Val’s fries. Although very greasy, and having been subject to waiting with a bunch of other hunger driven citizens, I can well affirm that it was all well worth it. I paid a whopping $7.59 for a medium fry, a cheeseburger, and a medium vanilla milkshake, and for the experience that it gave me, I would just as easily pay for it again. 

McDonald’s:

Everyone knows McDonald’s is the easiest fast-food place around. So how does it stack up to iconic Val’s and indulgent Five Guys? The answer is exactly what you think: it really didn’t. Think about conventional chain fast-food restaurants, are you really there for the food? Or are you there because it’s 2 am on a Saturday, and it’s the only place open? Not that there’s anything wrong with the food I received today, it just is no match to Val’s or Five Guys. I got the classic chocolate shake and medium fries combination with a McChicken just to provide myself with at least some sustenance. All I am reviewing is the fries and shake for an even playing field across the board. First off is price, I paid a whopping $6.22 for my meal making it, in theory, the most cost-effective option of the three. However, as usual, the fries were good as they always have been, and the shake was nothing to write home about (but something to write to y’all about). The main reason McDonald’s is at the bottom this week is because, come on, Val’s and Five Guys just can’t be topped by some bagged shake and frozen fries. Still nostalgically amazing though.