A Five Guys worker says a man ordered a ‘plain’ cheeseburger, then came back holding it and said there was nothing on it

A Five Guys employee says a customer got upset after receiving exactly what he ordered, a plain cheeseburger. The worker, who posts on Reddit as u/50calTaco, shared the encounter on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit.

As reported by The Daily Dot, the post received thousands of upvotes and comments. According to the employee, the customer ordered “a plain, regular cheeseburger,” which was prepared by standard fast food convention as a burger with no toppings.

Minutes later, the man reportedly returned to the counter visibly annoyed and holding the burger. “You made my food wrong. There’s nothing on it,” he allegedly said.

The customer had his own definition of plain

When the employee explained that they had made a plain cheeseburger as requested, the customer reportedly replied, “Do you not know what that means? Like a McDonald’s burger.” The employee said they apologized and offered to remake the order, asking what he actually wanted on it.

According to the post, the man listed ketchup, lettuce, and pickles. That combination does not match a standard McDonald’s cheeseburger either.

The story struck a nerve with current and former fast food workers, many of whom shared similar experiences. One commenter described a customer insisting that a cheeseburger with no cheese was different from a hamburger.

Another recalled a customer who ordered a bacon double cheeseburger with no bacon instead of simply asking for a double cheeseburger, which was already on the menu. The thread spread amid another viral service story about a Domino’s driver’s locked gate wait.

Several commenters pointed out that “plain” has been an industry standard term for decades, typically meaning just the patty, cheese, and bun. Others theorized that some customers believe plain means whatever comes standard on the burger at a given restaurant.

At Five Guys, customers choose from a list of free toppings, including mayo, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, and hot sauce, according to the chain’s menu. One commenter noted that the employee remade the burger for free, adding that restaurants in Spain would require a customer to order and pay for a new one.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the encounter, as it is based solely on u/50calTaco’s post, and the customer’s side of the story is not known.