Stamford loves its burgers, but soon it will be a burger party in the USA. Well, the CT anyway! Yup, as if it wasn’t awesome enough to have the good burgers from Benny’s Fast Break (closed, now Bridge Street Wienery) and Lucky’s, and the killer burgers, fries and shakes from the recently opened Station Eats, Stamford has more burger deliciousness in store!
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
First off, we’re getting Five Guys Burgers and Fries at 1201 High Ridge Road right next to A&P Fresh. One of the fun things about going here is breaking open piles and piles of roasted peanuts in the shell while you wait for your order. And although they aren’t our favorite fries, they’re still pretty good and you sure do get a giant heaping of them and you can order them regular or Cajun style. The burgers and dogs are pretty darn good, too making Five Guys a burger lover’s dream. In fact, they’re growing so fast that it’s hard to keep track. There are way over 1,000 stores with handfuls being added every month across America and Canada. It’s so popular that we’re a bit worried that the space is too small to accommodate the crowds and the parking lot already kinda sucks, but that all remains to be seen. Google says their average ratings of 3-4 stars, but we can’t wait to rate it for ourselves. They are now open.
Jake’s Wayback Burgers
Next up is Jake’s Wayback Burgers at 324 Hope Street where a short-lived Chef Luis Express was. Right now there are 45 locations, so this will make 46. Most of them are in the Northeast, with 10 just in Connecticut. We’ve never eaten here, but the burgers are handmade and that definitely shows in the pics. It’s not the hockey-puck shaped burger you get from other chains. They also have hot dogs, milkshakes, sandwiches, salads, chicken, onion rings, and four kinds of fries. Depending on where you eat, reviews are from 2 1/2 stars to 4 1/2 stars. Hopefully the one here is closer to the 4 1/2 stars, especially because it’s 3 minutes from our house. They are open now, 3/19!
Plan B Burger Bar
Finally, we’ve got Plan B Burger Bar. This is the smallest chain of all three with four locations right now in Connecticut and five more on the way including Stamford. You’ll be able to hit up this burger bar in the plaza at Stamford Town Center, specifically at 230 Tresser Blvd. Of all the options available, Plan B Burger Bar seems the best and will be a hipper spot to be, just like Station Eats. The burgers at Plan B Burger Bar are 100% natural with no junk inside plus the beef is certified humane. Think gastropub, with lots of small plates, an amazing variety of burgers, and even some large plates. More killer? Plan B Burger Bar will have a killer beer selection as well as a bourbon selection to die for. Average ratings are 4 to 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, definitely the most highly rated of all three, despite the kinda lame name, hehe. Plan B opens on August 4 at 2 pm. Let the burger and beer parade begin! Plan B is now open and here’s our review.
Have you been to any of these three upcoming spots? What did you think? Can you give advice about what to order?
OmNomCT 
We got burgers at Jake’s Wayback on Hope St yesterday and thought they were awesome. Less expensive then Five Guys unless you want mushrooms on your burger which is the only regular topping they charge for. They also have chili for an extra charge if you like that on your burger or dog. Another plus in our book is no seeds on the buns, my wife always had to get two bottom buns at Five Guys because she can’t have seeds. Burgers were cooked great and very moist. We called our order in for pick up and they also do online ordering.
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That online ordering option is pretty awesome, huh? Our experience there was okay. They are decent burgers, but a good alternative in general.
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All of the above burgers are thin patties (or so the reviews sounded). A good burger should be thick and juicy like at Jackson Hole in NYC!!
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Ben, Jake’s was super thin when we went, yeah. Not sure about Plan B though. Love us some thick burgers!
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So I have heard of a fall opening on various blogs and then I saw that the Hartford Courant article mentioned Summer time. Sooner the better as far as I’m concerned
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Hey Kevin, sooner is definitely better! ;-) Their site said fall, so it’s hard to say. We’ll try to get updates as we get closer to the date.
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Jake’s is unimpressive, just a small step above fast food. The best part of Jake’s is the price, 2 people can eat pretty well for $20
For their burgers, they use a paper thin patty which naturally becomes quickly overcooked on a grill.
The fries and onion rings are decent, but they’re both just mass-produced frozen products that Jake’s pulls out of a box and tosses into the deep fryer. Sure, they’re tasty, but still not anything Jake’s is making themselves.
The shakes are good, but not the best in town.
It’s a decent option for the immediate neighborhood, but in Stamford I’d come downtown to Station Eats for a better burger and better shakes.
(P.S. Kudos to the staff at Helen’s Luncheonette next door to Jake’s who now have a large sign in their storefront window advertising their homemade burgers, fries, and milkshakes.)
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They also have appetizer at Plan B that consists of house made potato chips covered in blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, tomatos and I think bacon as well. It’s crazy good. I’ve had a few of their burgers…and they have all been top notch
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Wow, that sounds really freaking amazing!
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Jake’s Wayback can be ignored, but I am so glad a Plan B will be down in Stamford! I go to the one in Milford all the time, don’ miss out on The Squealer!
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The Squealer? Half pork, half beef burger w/ bacon and fixins? Oh hell yeah! :)
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Yum, your posts always leave me craving delicious food. Sounds like more great eateries to visit. I also cannot wait for the “Spotted Horse Tavern” to open in Westport CT at the end of March.
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Well, thank you. :-) We are excited for the Spotted Horse, too! What a fun name, also. :-)
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This is awesome news. Plan B rocks…I wouldn’t necessarily say it is better or worse than Prime 16 though. I have been to both several times and both are really really good. They usually host some good events too. Yea it’s a little pricey, but just about everything is in Fairfield County.
So am I correct in my thinking that Plan B is moving in to that little area by capital grill, california pizza kitchen, Cosi? I haven’t noticed an location there, but I also haven’t really looked. Great news overall though
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Yes Kevin, I believe you are right about where it will be. We have the Addy in the post so I bet we could figure it out from there? :-) GreT stuff on the way…
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There’s an empty spot next to Changs that was supposed to be a BBQ place but it never opened.
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Plan B is the best! Great burgers and a terrific beer selection. It’s a little on the pricier side, but it’s worth it!
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We are excited to try, especially the beer selection! Does seem expensive, but a cool vibe I’m guessing.
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I’ve had Jakes Wayback – shakes are excellent. Burger was good from what I remember. I’m not a huge burger person… I remember seeing the Tea Party outside the Stratford location and I couldn’t get a straight answer from the company if there was any affiliation – but I’m crazy that way. LOL
Don’t forget Dairy Inn – nostalgia burger :)
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Tea Party? Please explain…. :-) We will always try something to see how it is. We do like us some Dairy Inn, too!
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They were protesting on the corner (on the sidewalk that taxpayers paid for. LOL) right outside the restaurant every Thursday or something. I actually wanted to go in but my blood pressure was too high – but I’m crazy, like I said :) Unfortunately I couldn’t find a proper contact for the company. They had no email on the site. I tried tweeting – first they asked for a picture and I sent them a link and then they said “thanks for sharing” – probably some intern.
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Oh, the actual Tea Party, thought you meant some tea shop that was opened up that wasn’t good. heheh Well, at least they make things entertaining there! :)
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Plan B is a step above most chains, but nothing exceptional. There are definitely better burgers to be had in southern CT. Prime 16, for instance. I wish they would hurry up and expand!
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We’ve heard lots of great things about Prime 16! Sometimes we wish we lived in New Haven… so much there!
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