Holy crap! how could I have forgotten about The HAT!
You guys just made me regret moving to san francisco.
As for the OP in and out wins for price/burger quality ratio, but if i had money to burn i’d eat at fat burger.
Apart from the one in Lincoln (near Sacramento) mentioned by Johnny L.A., there’s also one in the Bay Area: Pleasant Hill (Contra Costa County), just off I-680. List of US locations is here.
I’ve never eaten at Fatburger, but then I rarely eat fast food anyway. The couple of times that I’ve eaten food from In-N-Out I thought that the burger was fine, but the fries were like cardboard, much worse than how I make them at home. I’ll try silenus’s “well-done” idea next time to see if that minimizes the cardboard taste.
The only In-N-Out location that I’ve had experience with – Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco[sup]*[/sup] – is full of tourists, but the workers are still friendly and efficient.
[[sup]*[/sup]Cheap meal when walking around the northeastern waterfront in SF: get beer and other goodies at Trader Joe’s here , then an In-N-Out burger to go from here, then walk up to the picnic tables at upper Fort Mason, to watch the sun set beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. Burger & beers: <$10. View: priceless.]
I’m a native, and I haven’t even heard of The Hat!
Put me down for Fatburger over In-n-out.
Why in the world you would go to The Hat and not order a Pastrami sandwich is just weird to me.
Is The Hat actually a chain? The only one I know of is in Pasadena right off the 210, but I’ve eaten everytime I’ve been anywhere near Pasadena ever since I was a kid (I’ve been near Pasadena a lot more often than you might think for a kid who grew up in North Carolina.)
I’ve always ordered the same thing: Pastrami sandwich and chili cheese fries. My wife and I ate there as recently as a couple months ago.
That would explain it. I never go to Pasadena.
Interesting note: When I finally ate at Fatburger about two years ago I was disappointed because of these threads (no one thought this was the first Fatburger vs. In-N-Out thread on the Dope did they?)
I’m not trying to diss but I honestly don’t find anything special about Fatburger whatsoever. I like it - it’s a good burger - but it’s very common tasting. It’s what you’d get at Denny’s.
In-N-Out, however, no matter what else you say about it, is unique. I think for that reason alone most people are going to be more divided on it, while I think fewer people will actually dislike the Fatburger (not much to dislike, but not much to go crazy over, either.)
Yes, it is a chain. We eat regularly at the Upland location. The pastrami is good, and the serving sizes are ginormous. Never order a double burger and large chili fries unless you are Samoan, or three people.
Fatburgers are slightly better IMHO, but not worth the difference in price better.
I used to eat at the Original Fatburger in LA. The problem there was that the staff would never, ever get your order right, assuming you had any variations at all.
In&Out, on the other hand,* excels* at special orders.
I hated the soggy fries myself, until I found out they’d happily make them extra crispy.
In the San Jose area, the best “small local chain” is- without any doubt- Kirks Steak Burger.
::hijack-ish – sorry::
My vote goes to Clark’s. There are, I believe, two of them, so I hope that qualifies them as a chain. And the better of the two is the one in Mountain View, near Castro Street. Their burgers are excellent quality beef, char-broiled, and a bit expensive, but they’re my absolute favorite. Terrific chocolate shakes, too. They’ve been grilling at that location since 1945.
::end hijack::
So there’s a Fatburger in Pleasant Hill, eh? Thanks, Antonius. That’s a good lunch option next time we’re up there.
Clark’s are very tasty, indeed. But have you tried Kirks “Onion Frings”?
I like limp fries, and In ‘N’ Out’s never not understood what “plain” meant, so it’s no contest.
Heh…you’re closer to me than I realized.
I also love The Hat, and I’m glad to know I’m not the only person who isn’t ashamed to order a burger from there. Yes, the pastrami is excellent, but that is one damn good burger they serve up there. We generally hit up the one in Glendora.
Getting back to the OP, I love both In-N-Out and Fatburger, but I consider Fatburger to be much more of a treat. I agree with those who have said the prices seem high, but I still think the quantity matches the price. Also, and I think it’s a very close call here, I think the shakes at Fatburger are ever-so-slightly more delicious than an In-N-Out shake, although both are great.
I think this is the first thread mentioning In-N-Out where I wasn’t the first person saying how awful they are.
Never been to a Fatburger, but friends dragged us to an In-N-Out a few months ago. The burgers are okay, but nothing worth standing in line for. (The local mom-n-pop burger places near me are far better.) But the fries still suck. Limp as hell, so this time I got them well done. Overcooked as hell. Probably worse, in fact.
Why bother to use fresh ingredients if you ruin them?
I’d say In-N-Out is the most consistently disappointing eating establishment I’ve ever eaten at, and I’ve been to Burger Chef.
I got a kick out of that In-n-Out by Fisherman’s Wharf. The sign over one entrance has the traditional In-n-Out arrow pointing to the Hooters next door.
I can accept certain reasons for not liking In-N-Out. My wife, for example, doesn’t believe 1000 Island dressing belongs on a burger. Consistently disappointing, though? I’m afraid you’ll have to elaborate. I’ve never had better service, higher quality ingredients, or more attention paid to the preperation of my food at any other fast food place.
Hey, I was just on Castro street last night. I guess I’ll have to try Clark’s.
My argument is that you can’t compare Fatburger with In n’Out. It’s like comparing a tamale to a taco. One sells chiliburgers and the other sells hamburgers.
In n’ Out is the best hamburger.
This is the ranking of chiliburger’s:
1: Tommy’s
2: The Hat
3: Fatburger
I’m not even ranking our local Santa Barbara chiliburger, the Habit, because they don’t even offer the chiliburger at the State Street location. I mean, what the hell is up with that? I am actually boycotting the Habit for exactly that reason!
I eat at the local Fatburger only rarely. However, whenever I’m passing through LA, I must stop for a Tommy’s Double Cheese (You don’t have to ask for chili, because they ALL come with it).
Mind you, the only real place to get a Tommy’s is the original location on Rampart and Beverly. It is key to Tommy’s that you go to one with an extremely high turnover rate, or else the chili congeals to it’s cholesterol laden solid state.
Nevertheless, on the way to Balboa/Mexico, I have to make do with the Santa Monica or Fountain Valley location. On the way to Mammoth, I am forced to ingest at the intolerably slow Valencia location. Man, I’m getting hungry.
It’s at 615 W. El Camino. Eat one for me; I seldom get up there.
Are you saying that you only buy chiliburgers from Fatburger? I mean, their chili is decent, but their burgers are just fine on their own. I will, however, agree that they are two very different KINDS of burgers and making a comparison isn’t simple.
Agreed, although I’ll patronize the other locations out of convenience. But eating at Rampart and Beverly is an experience.
In-N-Out’s secret menu is da bomb.
10x10 challenge anyone?