Collegiate Times

Mike's Grill on Main Street.

Before the Five Guys loyalists get their tar and feathers ready, let me offer a disclaimer: I love the chain and its greasy, nutritionally indefensible mounds of beef. If this were Best of NOVA, I would be calling for Five Guys to take the top ranking.

It’s just that Blacksburg already has a local favorite that wipes the floor with all area challengers. Mike’s Grill on Main Street — near Chipotle, freshmen — has fed Virginia Tech students the best burgers in town since 1976.

Five Guys may offer the most customizable product this side of an auto dealership, but this freedom has a price: The burgers are manufactured rather than made, a composite of delicious ingredients thrown together sloppily to fit your taste.

Burgers at Mike’s are prepared with a level of care impossible to replicate at a fast-food establishment. They arrive neatly assembled in a bun flipped upside-down, the restaurant’s sole twist in visual presentation, and are possible to eat without using a Redwood tree worth of napkins.

When it comes to burgers, though, taste is the most important criteria. The secret to Mike’s success is the sumptuous half-pound patties are flat-out good. No special sauces or toppings are required to elevate the burgers; they stand on their own delicious merits.

Tender but not flimsy, filling without feeling disgusting, the burgers are the quintessential college town food, especially for less than $5 a pop.

It’s not just the food that leaves diners satisfied; the service is among the best in town.

I’ve never had a burger that wasn’t cooked to my liking, a subtle but not insignificant aspect of the meal that far too many top-tier restaurants bungle.

The waiting staff is equally top-notch. Servers come off as genuinely cheerful and always seem willing to make conversation.

They help lend Mike’s a friendly, college-town atmosphere. It’s the kind of place that can peacefully serve families and rambunctious college students at the same time.

Did I mention that it’s dirt-cheap? My total bill for a burger and drink during a recent visit was $7, a bargain considering the quality and proximity to campus.

Mike’s also boasts of its famous pizza, but I’ve never bothered to try it. It’s impossible to resist the lure of that juicy half-pound beauty once I see it on a table.

Five Guys burgers are admittedly tasty, and when I return home for breaks it will be top dog once again.

In Blacksburg, though, the franchise is playing on Mike’s home field. And just like in Lane Stadium, the visitors don’t stand a chance.

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 19 issue of the Collegiate Times.