Just within the last two months, the Phoenix metropolitan area has been graced by one of the more revered fast-food burger joints in the United States - In-N-Out Burger. The hype surrounding it was enormous, considering the stories that were circulated claiming that In-N-Out was the greatest fast-food chain ever created. Even my uncle, a San Diego native, praised the place - and considering his somewhat of a dislike of fast food burgers, it's a shock. Therefore my opinion of the restaurant was inflated by all the hype about it.
At first I was absolutely assured it would be great - considering the lines at the place made for a 4 hour wait (this was for the Scottsdale, AZ version - it opened a month or so before the one closer did). That day I didn't bother to go there. A couple weeks later the wait was 40 minutes - so I figured that was a more tolerable timeframe (I know for darn sure I wouldn't wait that long at McDonalds). But..
It turns out that the hype far overshadowed the final result - for In-N-Out burger is just that, a burger joint. The incredibly average food didn't even come close to the overinflated hype - leaving me wondering "What's the big deal?" afterwards. Don't get me wrong, the burgers are still very good - just nowhere near as good as the hype suggested. In-N-Out Burger is a burger joint - nothing more, nothing less.
Food:
In-N-Out Burger's menu isn't "limited", it's "exclusive" - all they make is hamburgers and fries. The actual menu consists of exactly two different types of burgers - essentially a single and a double, along with fries and drinks. And unlike all the other burger joints, there is only one size of fries. PERIOD. Some may like that because it takes a lot of decisions out instead of staring at a menu like a deer in the headlights (seen it too many times). At least you can get different drink sizes. There are also a couple different combos to choose from as well. If you hate Coke they also have milkshakes (which were so cold it was frozen ice practically).
Now I do know there is more hidden on the menu - you just have to ask for it if you know the secret. Unfortunately I don't know any secret passwords to get a stinkin' hamburger so I dunno what they have.
Still, I again experienced frustration when I discovered that once again no restaurants serve the famous Strumpet Delight - must be an east coast thing I guess.
As far as the actual food - nothing is made until you tell the cashier what you want. Once the get the order they start on it - unlike the other big boys like McDonalds and Burger King; who believe in the art of refried burgers. This of course allows for a customized burger - try getting that at McDonalds and you'll get more of what you didn't ask for. The only downside to that is it takes a little bit longer to actually be able to sit down and eat it.
And also unlike the other burger places, In-N-Out makes the food right in visible sight - no hiding the process so you don't see Willie the crackhead spit into it or something like that. If that isn't a testament to keeping their customers from wondering how that white powder got all over the bun I don't quite know what is.
And for the food itself - it's good. Not
great, but adequate. It's nowhere near as great as some people seem to think. Actually, the hamburger tastes quite similar to something from Wendy's (that was my first initial reaction). The double actually tastes quite a bit better than the single burger - probably due to more meat. The french fries definitely have a much more potatoish taste to them; and they are very good - not as good as McDonalds, but still very good. And they give you a LOT of fries - most of the time they overload the basket with fries so badly that you'll trip over them if you aren't careful.
Overall the food is good, but not great - nor is it a life-changing experience. It's purely average. Greasy & messy too. Plus it's inexpensive - a group of three can eat for about $10 dollars total.
Service:
One thing about In-N-Out that did live up to the hype was service - the people really bust their butts to make sure the customers are satisfied. And of course the work hard - the In-N-Out restaurant I last visited currently pays employees $8.25 an hour - McDonalds employees don't make that much in a month!
As I said earlier, they don't mess up orders - which is the number one requirement of good service. That is definitely a good thing.
Plus what I quite enjoyed was the employees actually walking around from table to table asking if everything was okay - something I never see at any other fast food joint. If you are eating outside a lot of the time an employee will come by and see if you need something from inside - that might be due to how busy the place is - they don't need any extra people inside trying to get a Coke refill - so they send a worker to do it for you. I found that to be amazing.
And oh I'm kidding about McDonalds employees making 8 and a quarter a month. They make that in a day.
Decor:
It's a burger joint - and it looks like one. One difference is it's clean. Even considering how busy it is there all the time - somehow they still find a way to keep the restaurant spotless at all times. It definitely has that Southern California theme to it with palm trees on the walls and that kind of stuff - very west coast-ish. And it's a bright restaurant - you won't be needing to demand more light.
It's definitely the kind of place you wouldn't mind being caught in.
Special Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations:
One tip - patience. The place is busy all the time - so if you dislike long waits, you might as well not go, or hope that you'll get there during a dead time.
And check the hype in at the door.
Recommended: Yes
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