Five Guys Burgers and Fries...and Sodas

I'm a late bloomer. It takes me FOREVER to get to the Next Big Thing.

Today was the Very First Time I've eaten at Five Guys Burger and Fries.
And I feel a little foolish because there were posters and signs all over the place showing that they have been the Zagat rated and raved about FOREVER.

Where have I been?!?!?

So I started with the basics: a double burger with mushrooms and A1 sauce.
(MAN I like A1 sauce. Kicks the crap outta ketchup!)

I have to be honest, I didn't KNOW I was ordering a double burger, and coulda' saved a dollar if I went with what they call a 'small burger'.

I mean, no grown adult wants to order a small...but I only needed 1 patty.
I'm not complaining. The pricing was GREAT. Well worth the money.

So I took my cup over to the soda machine...and for a guy who says that Soda is Good, I was in Soda Heaven!!!

If you know anything about this blog you know I was stoped to see both Mello Yello AND Mister Pibb!

AWESOME! All the great flavors you cannot get at McDonald's or Taco Bell!

So I filled my cup with Mello Yello, ignoring the overkill from last year's trip to South Carolina, and added 2 shots of Sprite just for good measure.

Oooops...my mistake.
Sprite actually DE-flavored it.
Bummer.

But the Burger?
DELICIOUS!

Go to Five Guys, and take a second to stare at the soda machine and see AAAAALLLLLL the great sodas they offer.

I do not work for Five Guys and I do not get any money for talking about them.
But I DO strongly support Coke vs. Pepsi.
Great site! :)

In the land of Mr. Pibb

I flew from Newark, New Jersey to Phoenix, Arizona earlier this week.
When the airline stewardess (I can't remember the Politically Correct term, so I'm going with the ol' standard...) came by with the Soda Cart, I noticed that someone 2 rows up had gotten a can of Pibb Xtra.

Pibb Xtra? That's the revised name for Mr. Pibb!
I like Mr. Pibb!
(I like Dr. Pepper better, I think, but I haven't had a Mr. Pibb in some time.)

So I had one.

Ever notice that these young ladies give you a cup FILLED with ice, and then pour in whatever soda will fit? BLEAUGHGH. I had to use the back of my fork to pull out all of the ice and pour IN more soda. Of course, after 3 pours I was left with WARM soda...but at least it wasn't FLAT watered down cold soda....

That afternoon, after a very good client visit, we went to lunch.
The Soda Fountain had a few standards (Coke, Lipton Iced Tea...)...and Pibb Xtra!
YEAH! I'll have another Pibb!
Can't get them in New Jersey!

I'm still calling it Mr. Pibb, by the way.
There didn't seem to be anything 'extra' about Pibb Xtra.
Extra colors on the can, maybe.
Maybe it costs extra these days...but what doesn't?

(Actually, according to Wikipedia:

In 2001, a new flavor called Pibb Xtra has 23 flavors and was introduced with added cinnamon flavor, replacing the original flavor in many parts of the US.)

Ok, all definitions aside, this time it was already cold and it had NO ice in the cup.
MUUUUUCH better!

So now I've got a few Mr. Pibbs in me and I realize...as much as I want to like this soda I really DO like Dr. Pepper better.
In fact, the public in general seems to like Dr. Pepper better...some are even Bootlegging it!

Sorry, Pibb. You're a nice guy and all but a Doctor trumps a Mister every time.
An no one needs an Extra Mister.

Strange Little Sodas Kept Alive

I found a GREAT article in Fortune magazine that I wanted to share/summarize for you.
It talked about 5 'niche' sodas that have not lived up to their owner's expectations, but will not die due to their cult following.

Which 5 sodas?

1) Moxie - in the 1900's this cola outsold Coke and Pepsi! Now, it's a cult favorite in the NorthEast and a virtual unknown elsewhere in the States.

2) Mr. Pibb - forget the 'MILF' articles I've written about Mr. Pibb, the bigger story is that the Coke-owned answer to "Dr. Pepper' sold 57 million cases last year. Of course, Dr. Pepper sold 586 million. And it has it's own museum.

3) Slice - strongly endorsed by Roger Enrico when he ran PepsiCo, it never achieved the 10% of market that he envisioned.

4) TAB - Owned by Coke, this diet beverage never surpassed competitor Diet Coke. But last year 3 million cases were bought..some dieters SOMEWHERE are drinking it!

5) Fanta - In the U.S., Coke sold 175 million cases of this tasty little beverage. That's about 7 times more than it's 2000 sales.

You can read the Fortune article in it's entirety here.


5 more sodas that deserve to be showcased on Coke vs. Pepsi!

This MILF likes Mr. Pibb

Normally I would not use a headline that reads like something you'd see on Hot Horny Moms dot com...but this good looking, married 31 year old woman from Michigan really DOES like Mr. Pibb, and writes about it in her blog. She even titled the entry 'A Soda Story'. *sigh* A girl after my own heart!

(Granted, this young lady is probably about to get 100 hits this week from guys surfing the web and thinking they're gonna see some Large Boobs. Sorry! Look at it this way...I'll get 100 hits from those same guys!)

And while we're on the topic of Mr. Pibb, let's look closer into this Dr. Pepper competitor!
Mr. Pibb is a Coca Cola brand...but it seems to be MUCH more popular in the South than up here in the North. I only comment because Dr. Pepper, it's direct rival, is nationally recognized. (I often see the same disparity between Mountain Dew and Mello Yello)

Chris Houser has built the on-line shrine to Mr. Pibb here.

Mr. Pibb and Dr. Pepper ought to duke it out at the Coke vs. Pepsi lens!

Topix hosted a poll to let you choose a favorite between the two here.
Another debate, on LetsGoPens, broke out here.
(By the way, is it REALLY offensive to call the color Cherokee Red? I never even heard of the term before today!)

In all, I'd like to thank the little lady from Detroit for reminding me how great Mr. Pibb is!
Time to got to lunch....