I think the reason I dislike pickles is because I rather dislike the tangy taste of vinegar, and pickles are cured in vinegar. I suspect that's also the reason I am not a fan of beetroot (at least all of the beetroots I have had on burgers in Oz/NZ have been of the pickled variety).

I was, however, admonished in NZ for ordering a burger without beetroot and was informed that "the beetroot makes the burger." :rolleyes::p

Be sure to check out Shake Shack, which at first I pooh-poohed as an overhyped standard Midwestern burger shack burger brought to the middle of Manhattan, but subsequent visits to the other (non-Madison-Square-Park) locations have revealed my initial impressions to be incorrect. It is a darn good burger, even if it is basic. I can't speak for some of the uptown Manhattan branches, I've found that the Brooklyn location has a short line that moves very quickly.

As for other burgers in NYC, I'm sure you've done a ton of reading, and every foodie site has their own list, but IMHO, it comes down more to the butcher than to the restaurant. Any place on any list that serves a burger made from meat ground by Pat LaFrieda is guaranteed to be spectacular. I've had them at several places around the city as well as cooked at home and they never disappoint.

Sounds like your wife and I would get along well. :p

100% What you just said. Looking forward to trying out a few Pat LaFrieda burgers :D

In n Out, to me, is a fairly ordinary pattie with thousand island sauce. Yeah it does the trick and it tastes a bit fresher than McD's but the hype around it I find very strange, it's almost cultish. It's not surprising the hipsters go cray cray for it.

Terrible fries too.

My son who refuses to eat fast food said I have to go try In and Out Burger.. so next trip to CA or Vegas...off I go finally.. reading the last post they sound better than McDonalds, but are they really that good?

Are they better than McDonald's? I think that's never been in dispute.

Are they the best thing since sliced burger buns? Well, you have 588 posts in this thread prior to yours debating that very point. :p

Do make sure you pay attention to the posts just a few posts above yours that reference the secret menu and ordering things Animal Style. IMHO, it makes all the difference.

Flame away.

Of course I'd rather have a nice ribeye vs a double double animal style, thats not even a fair comparison.

+1

The only way to go. Those complaining about the fries will have their eyes opened wide. The regular fries ARE soggy and "well done" not only fixes that but makes them delicious! Don't even think of ordering animal style fries without using the words 'WELL DONE".

Just learned that DoorDash, a restaurant delivery service started in Silicon Valley is now delivering In-N-Out Burgers to my neighborhood. Brilliant. @:-)

Wish they would open one on the east coast, or at least at SFO or LAX :)

In and Out would do great if they were brought into one of the terminals. East Coasters would flock.

Yeah, I once used an expiring $200 travel cert to fly to LAX, catch the Parking Spot shuttle, have In-N-Out, and fly home. I got the miles, paid maybe $50 for the flight, and of course $5-ish for the meal. :)

Free rides to LAX In-N-Out are going away
 

Email this morning from the LAX Parking Spot folks:

Boooo! :(