My limited experience has been mixed. My first time was at the legendary location near LAX. I thought it was delicious and an excellent vlue, and I was particularly impressed with the energy and caliber of the employees. Last month I visited one of the Reno, NV locations and the food and service were still good, but nothing noteworthy. Perhaps I wasn't as hungry, or the novelty had worn off, or maybe it just wasn't as well run as the LAX location.
I would put it on par with Steak n Shake, which are mainly in the midwest.
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2009 Upgrades: 8/9 on CO, 4/4 on DL, 31/32 on NW (missed DTW-AUS on award ticket) 2006-9 Flight Stats
I live in NYC. BLT Burger ($12+) is better than In and Out, so is Shake Shack (4+), so is Burger Joint ($6+), so is the uber-hyped Father's Office ($10+) in LA, etc., etc. etc., ...but that's not the point people!
In and Out is the master of the fast food California-style hamburger and that fact is deserving of respect IMO. If you want meatloaf on a bun...this is not the place. If you want a backyard bbq burger, this is not the place. If you want gourmet meat blends, this is not the place. If you want the local micro-chain $8 burger, this is not the place.
But if you want California style super-thin burgers with the just the right mix of lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions and pickles then there is nothing better for the money than a double animal style. I have flown to LAS and back on the same day for the pleasure.
Yum! I've been eating In-N-Out burgers over 40 years now. Still love them. The fries I can pass on unless extra crispy. Best: burger, add pickles, hold onions. Yum.
Are they the best burger? No. Are they good, cheap, tasty. Oh yes.
I would put it on par with Steak n Shake, which are mainly in the midwest.
Last time I was in a Steak and Shake it was a "full" service (I use the term loosely because the service was anything but full) restaurant and not a fast food joint.
__________________ Oh Kitty, you've still got Eric. He's still sort of a baby ... I'll make him cry if you want - Red
"I'm also in the overrated camp. I like the burgers but they aren't something I go out of my way for. I'm not a fan of the fries. I guess I'll have to try the well done trick the next time."
Most people who don't like it don't really have a clue of what/how to order there.
Most people who don't like it don't really have a clue of what/how to order there.
Having had various gimmick orders suggested, I'll make the same comment I do with pizza - in the end what really matters is the quality of the basic product, and no amount of toppings are going to improve it much.
Now, I think they're a perfectly good fast food burger, but nothing special. If they can't impress me with the basic hamburger, what exactly am I supposed to be ordering so that I'll be impressed?
I'm from New York, and was in California on vacation. We went to see some sites and just stopped in at In and Out Burger because we went by them but never heard of them before.
I thought I was in Heaven!. They are excellent, and the fries and shakes are to die for.
Now, whenever I go to California, I go out of my way to make sure that I can eat at In and Out Burger a couple of times.
If you don't believe how good they are, you should see the l-i-n-e-s to get in or through their drive through
Now, I think they're a perfectly good fast food burger, but nothing special. If they can't impress me with the basic hamburger, what exactly am I supposed to be ordering so that I'll be impressed?
Fresh buns everyday, real potatoes being cut up in plain view, and no freezers, no microwaves, and no heatlamps is not a "gimmick".
__________________ Oh Kitty, you've still got Eric. He's still sort of a baby ... I'll make him cry if you want - Red
With the use of the word "gimmick"...it indicates to me that your mind is more than made up and you may even enjoy being a detractor. Fair enough.
(im one post away from 1,500 : ) )
They're a perfectly good basic fast food hamburger; my objection is to the notion that I "don't know what to order" - "gimmick" refers to such things as "animal style" and "4x4s" and fries "well done."
I've ordered a cheeseburger (once), a hamburger (once), and since then get my usual "hamburger with ketchup instead."
They're a lot better thank McD's or BK or Jack in the Box, maybe a little bit better than Wendy's, A&W or Carl's if the narrower burgers-only-menu doesn't turn you off.
Then again, they're not close to the "not-quite-fast-food" or "diner light" places like Nations or Taxis at the cheap-end or Johnny Rockets at the expensive end.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gre
Fresh buns everyday, real potatoes being cut up in plain view, and no freezers, no microwaves, and no heatlamps is not a "gimmick".
So you have to order them special to get those???
Last edited by missydarlin; Aug 25, 08 at 11:22 am.
Reason: removed off topic content
French fries are definitely better when processed with corn starch and all that other stuff. I order a la carte at In 'N' Out usually get 2 burgers with grilled onions and vanilla shake. For shoestring french fries, the best place is called McDonald's.
