FIRST: Five Guys

Emma Eschbach, one of the managers of Five Guys, said the restaurant gets its ingredients from the same supplier everytime – and even the potatoes are brought fresh from Idaho.

“Everything is fresh,” she said. “It’s prepped fresh every single morning. We don’t have anything that’s frozen. We get a truck twice a week with all the ingredients we use.”

Eschbach also said the most popular burger is Five Guys’ bacon cheeseburger, but people enjoy the double cheeseburger too.

“Right now the patty melt is really popular because of TikTok,” she said. “A lot of people that come in will get a grilled cheese and add a patty to it, just like a burger.” 

The restaurant has a very welcoming environment, Eschbach said, with all of the employees seemingly getting along well with one another.

“The chefs and crew that I work with have a good time with one another, which is welcoming to our customers,” she said. “I know the prices can be a little high, but the food is great quality, which is reflected in our customers that keep coming back.”

SECOND: Ray’s Place

Ray’s Place has a long history in Kent and has survived decades of different trends, changes and events, according to the restaurant’s website.

There is even a book about the restaurant, “Meet Me At Ray’s,”that features stories from different employees and customers documenting their experiences and happy times at Ray’s. Customers can pick up a copy at the restaurant. 

Ray’s Place has a wide variety of sandwiches and other dishes, ranging from their famous MOFO burger, which was featured on Food Network in 2009, to their cooked to order chicken wings.

Ray’s has 10 different burgers to choose from, and customers can decide to have the works added to their burger of choice. According to the restaurant’s website, the ingredients are ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, relish and mayo, and there are also more toppings to choose from.

The famous MOFO burger, which was featured in a 2009 Food Network Magazine article and a Food Network show in 2011, is a double cheeseburger topped with bacon, sautéed mushrooms and the works. 

THIRD: Mike’s Place

Mike’s Place fills up a whole menu page with all of its burger options. From its “Sriracha Yedi Pickle Monster Burger,” which comes with fried pickles, to their “Sabrina’s Demented Friends Burger,” which has a double patty topped with peanut butter almost no ingredients are left out from the combinations that make up their burgers.

The restaurant even features a full-service bar as well as a large, multi-paged menu with options ranging from their breakfast options, vegetarian options, italian dishes, steaks, burgers and even “light and lean” options for a customer looking to eat healthy.

Mike’s Place was opened in the summer of 1987. Its owner, Mike Kostensky, and his wife were looking to support a family, and the restaurant eventually became a popular spot and staple of the Kent community, according to the restaurant’s website.

The restaurant also offers a wide variety of dessert options ranging from various flavors of milk shakes to their “mega desserts.”

Molly Hoffer is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].