Five Guys keeps things simple: burgers, hot dogs, fries, and milkshakes. For kidney stone formers, that simplicity is a gift. There are only a handful of items on the menu, and most of them are low in oxalate.
The one area that needs attention is the fries. Five Guys is famous for their generous fries cooked in peanut oil, and the sheer volume of potato in a regular order is something to be conscious of. But the peanut oil itself? Perfectly fine.
We've analyzed the entire Five Guys menu using our database of 2,400+ foods with oxalate values from peer-reviewed research.
The Safe Bets (Under 25 mg Oxalate)
Cheeseburger (Any Size)
Two beef patties, American cheese, on a white sesame seed bun. The beef and cheese are both oxalate-free, and the white flour bun adds minimal amounts. This is your default Five Guys order — reliable and safe.
Estimated oxalate: 8-15 mg per burger
Little Cheeseburger
One beef patty with cheese on a white bun. Same ingredients, smaller portion, even less oxalate. If you want to leave more room for fries, this is the play.
Estimated oxalate: 5-10 mg per burger
Bacon Cheeseburger
Beef patties, bacon, and cheese on a white bun. Adding bacon adds zero oxalate. It's all meat and dairy on white bread.
Estimated oxalate: 8-15 mg per burger
Hot Dog
A beef hot dog on a white flour bun. Simple and safe. Add cheese, bacon, or grilled onions without concern.
Estimated oxalate: 5-10 mg per hot dog
Kosher-Style Hot Dog
Same oxalate profile as the regular hot dog. The casing is different, but the oxalate content is identical.
Estimated oxalate: 5-10 mg per hot dog
BLT (If Available)
Bacon, lettuce (iceberg), and tomato on a white bun. All low-oxalate ingredients.
Estimated oxalate: 6-12 mg per sandwich
Safe Toppings (Add Freely)
Five Guys offers free toppings on burgers. These are all low-oxalate:
- Cheese: 1-2 mg (plus calcium benefit)
- Bacon: 0-1 mg
- Lettuce: 1-3 mg
- Pickles: 1-2 mg
- Onions (raw or grilled): 2-3 mg
- Mayo, ketchup, mustard: 0-2 mg each
- Relish: 1-2 mg
- A1 Sauce: 1-3 mg
Proceed with Caution (25-50 mg Oxalate)
Regular Fries
Here's where it gets interesting. Five Guys fries are fresh-cut potatoes cooked in peanut oil. The peanut oil is safe — refined peanut oil contains negligible oxalate. The issue is the potatoes, and Five Guys is famously generous with portion sizes.
Here's where it gets interesting. Five Guys fries are fresh-cut potatoes cooked in peanut oil. The peanut oil is safe
A "regular" order of Five Guys fries is enough for two or three people. That's a lot of potato.
Estimated oxalate: 35-55 mg per regular order
Share the fries. Seriously. A Five Guys regular fries is one of the largest fry portions in fast food. Split it with the table and your individual oxalate contribution drops to a manageable 15-25 mg.
Little Fries
The "little" size is what most restaurants call a "regular." It's still a generous portion, but more reasonable for one person managing oxalate.
Estimated oxalate: 20-35 mg per little order
Cajun Fries (Any Size)
Same potatoes, same oil, with Cajun seasoning. The seasoning adds negligible oxalate — the concern is the same as regular fries: the volume of potato. If you're worried about the potato load, get the little Cajun fries.
Estimated oxalate: Same as regular fries at each size
Vanilla Milkshake
Five Guys milkshakes are made with real ice cream. The vanilla base is low-oxalate. Adding mix-ins like strawberries, bananas, or Oreo keeps it moderate. The concern is primarily the mix-ins — some add more oxalate than others.
Five Guys milkshakes are made with real ice cream.
Estimated oxalate: 15-30 mg per shake (depending on mix-ins)
Skip These (50+ mg Oxalate)
Chocolate Milkshake
Five Guys' chocolate milkshake uses real cocoa, which is extremely high in oxalate. A full shake can deliver significant oxalate from the cocoa alone. Choose vanilla with non-chocolate mix-ins instead.
Estimated oxalate: 60-100 mg per shake
Peanut Butter Milkshake
Peanut butter adds moderate oxalate on top of the milkshake base. A full peanut butter shake pushes into the higher range, especially combined with chocolate.
Estimated oxalate: 40-65 mg per shake
Veggie Sandwich (Loaded)
Five Guys' veggie sandwich is a bun loaded with grilled vegetables — mushrooms, peppers, onions, lettuce, tomato. The individual vegetables are mostly low-moderate, but stacking them all without any protein dilution pushes the total higher.
Estimated oxalate: 30-50 mg per sandwich (varies by toppings)
Smart Strategies at Five Guys
1. Burger First, Fries Shared
The burger is always safe. The fries are the variable. Order any burger confidently, then share a regular fries with the table (or get the little fries for yourself).
2. Don't Fear the Peanut Oil
You'll see peanuts everywhere at Five Guys — in the bucket by the door, in the oil they fry with. Refined peanut oil is safe for oxalate purposes. The whole peanuts for snacking are moderate (about 27 mg per ounce), so keep your pre-meal snacking moderate.
3. All Toppings Are Free and Safe
Five Guys doesn't charge for toppings, and they're all low-oxalate. Load up your burger with cheese, bacon, pickles, onions — it adds flavor without adding oxalate.
4. Hot Dogs Are Underrated
If you want to minimize your meal's total oxalate while still having fries, order a hot dog instead of a burger. The hot dog bun is smaller (less bread), freeing up oxalate budget for a larger fries portion.
5. Vanilla Shake with Safe Mix-Ins
If you want a milkshake, go vanilla base with strawberries, banana, or vanilla — all low-oxalate. Skip chocolate, peanut butter, and Oreo mix-ins.
The Bottom Line
Five Guys is straightforward for kidney stone formers. The rules:
- Any burger or hot dog is safe — beef on white bun, done
- Share the fries — Five Guys portions are enormous for one person
- Cajun vs regular fries doesn't matter for oxalate — the seasoning is fine
- Vanilla milkshake, never chocolate — the usual rule
- Load up on toppings — they're all free and all low-oxalate
- Load up on toppings — they're all free and all low-oxalate
Want to check any specific Five Guys item? Use our Menu Check feature to photograph the menu and get instant oxalate estimates. You can also browse our food database to look up individual ingredients, or get started with a free account to track your daily oxalate intake.