In-n-Out Burger: The World's Best Hamburger and the secret menu.
Written: Sep 20 '05 (Updated Jan 19 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The world's best burgers, fries, and shakes. The secret menu.
Cons: Limited menu options.
The Bottom Line: There is a reason it is voted the best fast food restaurant. And don't forget to order animal style from the secret menu.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: In-N-Out Burger |
I feel that In-n-Out has the world's best hamburgers. I have been going to here ever since I can remember. In my opinion In-n-Out Burger makes the best burgers out of all the fast food chains near me. But that is pretty much all In-n-Out Burger makes unless you know about the In-n-out secret menu. They are reminiscent of the old drive-thru diners and tastes great.
Also about the bottom line, there was an online survey I saw this last summer where individuals voted and In-n-Out Burger won out in a landslide.
The food
They cook the food when you order it, not before. So you know the food is fresh, but you do have to wait a few minutes for it. In addition all of the food is fresh, not frozen. The wait is well worth it. The menu is a little short but if you know the In-n-Out Burger secret menu then the options open up a little.
The burgers at In-n-Out are pretty typical for fast food. The patties are not very big compared to most sit-down restaurants, but you can order as many patties as you want to get your protein fix. The lettuce is hand leafed and the other toppings are cut fresh & taste fresh.
The fries are sliced inside the little booth with an industrial potato slicer. They then rinse the starch off in a bowl of water, dry them off, then deep fry them.
The shakes are made with real ice cream but they come in small containers. If you want you can order a shake in one of the larger sizes but it will cost more.
They also have the usual fountain drinks.
Overview of the restaurant itself
There are basically two different styles of In-n-Out Burger restaurants. The old style is by far my favorite.
The old style is two buildings with two drive threws. There is a third window for walk-up guests but parking is usually limited as are the tables. Around the ordering area are some benches that you can sit at while you are waiting for your order. Some have outdoor tables right next to the restaurant and others have the tables on the far side of the lot. Just depends on the lot design. There are usually 4-6 tables outside, and if you’re lucky there may be a little shade. These restaurants do not have an indoor area that you can sit in.
The kitchen itself is a bit weird on the older design. They stuff 4-6 workers in the size of a large walk-in-closet. Yet somehow they are able to pull it off. And it’s hot in there. The building that is adjacent houses some food and supplies and occasionally you will see a worker enter and exit that mysterious building. They are not making any new restaurants like this anymore (at least not in my area.)
The second style is more modern and more like other fast food restaurants. They have one drive-thru, not two. They also have an indoor seating area and you order indoors. Some have a table or two outdoors. The kitchens are a little bigger and easier to navigate in. Just like the older style you can see everything that is going on in the kitchen.
The In-n-out secret menu
The secret menu is a list of the food you can order that is not on the store menu. Their website has a couple of secret menu items but it is far from complete.
4x4- This is just 4 patties and 4 slices of cheese. You can actually have as many patties and slices of cheese as you wish and in any combination.
Extra toast- buns are cooked a little more. I really didn’t notice a major difference but that my be because they were busy.
Animal style- this is the only way I order it. Meat is cooked with mustard, pickles are added, extra spread and grilled onions.
Protein style- The burger but the bun is replaced with lettuce. It is pretty good but a little messy. Ask for napkins.
Grilled cheese- No meat, just cheese and a bun.
Flying Dutchman- Just meat and cheese. Jack would be proud.
Veggie burger- No meat or cheese, just everything else. Talk about boring.
Chopped chilies- mild chilies (pepperoncini I assume) are put on the bottom bun in some restaurants. I haven’t found a restaurant the does this though so this may be incorrect. The stores I have been to have small hot chilies that can be served to you whole.
Animal style french fries- Fries with cheese, spread, and grilled onions. They served it to me in a box with a box on top because I ordered it to go, and I got a fork with it. You really do need the fork. I was really looking forward to it and loved it except for the large amount of sauce. The problem was that the sauce was too much for me. It was like taking a bottle of mayo and sucking it down. I would rather of had just the onions and cheese.
Cheese fries- Just french fries and cheese.
Fries well-done- These are extra crispy fried. They are more like potato chips (like Lays) then French fries. I’ve only ordered them once and wasn’t wild about them.
Fries light- they just cook the fries a little less. It had more of a potato taste to it then a potato chip taste. It was actually quite good.
Neopolitan shake- Like the name says, three flavors. The flavors are swirled in, not blended together. Not sure how they do it but it is good. After trying this once I can never go back to a plain chocolate again.
Chocolate-vanilla swirl shake- Just like the name says.
On the sal- lettuce and dressing, their version of a salad. (Most workers will not know what you are talking about, at least the ones I have talked to.)
Rootbeer float- like the name says.
Lemon-up- 1/2 lemonade, 1/2 7up.
Tea-aid- 1/2 lemonade, 1/2 tea
The bottom line is In-n-Out Burger will make anything you want as long as you can describe it to them. Not all employees know every one of these but be patient and explain to them what you want and they will most likely make it. Though I haven’t had the courage to ask for a big Mac style yet (extra bun in between the two patties), but I’ll definitely ask someday when I’m in a weird mood.)
Just for fun order a neopolitan shake, fries well-done, and a 3x3 animal style. You will usually get a reaction out of the worker.
The service
As far as friendliness is concerned, most workers I have seen are so busy that they are concentrated at the task at hand. But if they are a little less busy they occasionally make idle chit chat. One person even admired my new Camaro Z28 and was asking me questions about it. One guy even admired my usage of the secret menu. For the record, I have never dealt with an employee who was rude, just preoccupied with getting their job done.
In-n-Out Burger employees get paid very well. I have read that it is 2 bucks above the industry average but I do not know for sure. And because of this high pay they are generally a lot happier and more competent than any other fast food restaurant. So they know how to do their job and do it well.
Clarification of the wait
In-n-Out Burger makes the burger when you order, not before. So it isn’t the typical fast food. Depending on how busy they are, and if they have two driveways, you can wait anywhere from 5-15 minutes. There was one time it was so busy that I waited 45 minutes because my wife had a craving. I was a little ticked. Next time she wanted something she accompanied me. I also do not go here during the peak hours because the wait is longer.
Some people think that ordering outside (or inside if it is a new store) is quicker. I haven’t found that to be true. It is about equal in my experience.
The cost.
You can expect to spend 3-6 bucks there depending on your appetite.
Are the combos worth it?
The combos are the same price as the meals so there is not added benefit to them.
Where is In-n-Out Burger located.
They are located in just 3 states; California, Nevada, and Arizona. Most are located in California.
The trailers
In-n-Out Burger will come to your school, conference, work, etc and cook their food in a trailer. I have had it done this way twice and I have seen no difference in the food quality. One time it was a fundraiser and the food was very expensive. In fact the group lost money on that one. In addition there was a limited menu available. The other time I had the trailer food we had a choice between a hamburger and a cheeseburger. It was part of the conference fees so I do not know the price.
Another secret beyond the secret menu.
Look on the bottom of the cups and you will notice a bible verse.
Do cops get a discount at In-n-Out Burger?
I believe they still get a 50% discount. That would seem nice except for one problem; most departments will not allow an officer to receive a discount (the idea that they will start being paid under the table or that they will neglect other merchants.) Riverside sheriff’s department went so far as to ask In-n-out to not give their officers discounts but they refused. So at the time I was told this, many years ago, these officers were forbidden to go to in-n-out. Weird hua.
In-n-Out Burger's website.
http://www.in-n-out.com
Summary
In-n-Out Burger is a great place to get hamburgers, fries, and shakes made to order. They only use fresh ingredients. Never frozen or put under a heat lamp. And because of this policy, I think they make the best fast food in my town. Their menu may be a little small so do not forget to write down the secret menu before you go. The secret menu just adds an additional flare to the food. If you ever travel to California, Arizona, or Nevada, try to look one up, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. There is a reason it was voted online as the world's best Hamburger.
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Recommended:
Yes
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