# So anyone eat at In-N-Out Burger in Texas yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182 "2011-05-17T04:45:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/21 "2011-05-17T16:01:36Z")
I live less than 5 miles away from one of the new In-N-Out’s in Texas (the one in Frisco) and have never eaten at one. Several of my friends are from Southern California and were very excited when they heard In-N-Out was coming to the area but are quick to keep the hype in check. We have some great gourmet burger options here that are in a different league. Last Wednesday when they opened I drove by at 11:00PM just to see how busy they were - the line was CRAZY! I drove the length of it and guess there had to be at least 50 - 100 cars just waiting. There were throngs of people in front waiting to get inside too. Lest you think Texans are crazy - the news stations were out there to cover the hype as they opened their doors. One of the newscasters asked the crowd “who here is from Southern California!?” and nearly everybody raised their hands! The early crowd is filled with people who are recapturing a taste they grew up with while the rest of us just can’t quite grasp the concept of waiting 3 hours for a fast food burger. I figure I’m going to let the lines die down a bit and then hit them one evening in a few weeks. I’m looking forward to finally trying one! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/22 "2011-05-17T16:04:26Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Is there another chain called Sonic? Y’all can’t possibly be speaking favorably about the kind with carhops; those are just thin frozen hockey puck burgers, unless they’ve revamped their menu in the last couple of years. It is the one with the carhops, but we did not have them in Michigan until recently. The burgers were about as good as In N’ Out burger, so they must have changed their food radically. But they were, indeed, more expensive than In N’ Out. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/23 "2011-05-17T16:04:37Z")
Double Double with grilled onions and no other veggies is amazing! Get some Animal Style fries to go with it and you’re set. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/24 "2011-05-17T16:15:45Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It is the one with the carhops, but we did not have them in Michigan until recently. The burgers were about as good as In N’ Out burger, so they must have changed their food radically. > > But they were, indeed, more expensive than In N’ Out. Sonic has revamped their burgers in the last few years. I don’t know exactly when they made the change but their burgers are much better than they used to be. They’re in the same league as Whataburger now. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/25 "2011-05-17T17:04:19Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Eh.. I’ve had In-n’-Out before in California, and while very tasty, I’m not about to drive 20 miles to Frisco or Allen for a fast-food hamburger when I have a Whataburger not a mile away from my house. > > And for some reason, people in big Texas cities like to line up when a popular restaurant chain from elsewhere opens nearby. The same huge line phenomenon happened when Krispy Kreme opened in Houston in the late 1990s. (and was a huge PITA to boot; I lived almost across the street from the Westheimer one, and the lines would snarl traffic horribly) Yes, but Krispy Kreme left Houston in 2006. I heard it was a disagreement with their franchisee & they planned to be back. Years later, Shipley’s still rules… I’ll check out In-n’-Out after the crowds die down a bit. Although we still have to wait for the chain to move south. No hurry. But I _am_ jealous that Trader Joe’s will open in the Metroplex first. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/26 "2011-05-17T17:13:00Z")
I’ve tried In N Out, though not in Dallas yet, and I don’t get the raves. I do think they’re better than Whataburger, FWIW. But if I’m going to get a fast food burger, I’m probably going to spend the extra 5 minutes and walk into Five Guys. Add time to the equation, and I’ll probably swing by the Tailgate or Guy’s Meat Market. I need to try Hubcap Grill, one of these days. (all of these are local Houston hamburger joints, though Guy’s sells a little bit of everything Cajun meat-wise) But people in Texas do seem to go nuts when a new-to-us chain opens. I remember in Austin when Krispy Kreme opened and I’ve never seen lines that long for anything, and I’ve waited in line for World Cup tickets before. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/27 "2011-05-17T17:32:19Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Yes, but Krispy Kreme left Houston in 2006. I heard it was a disagreement with their franchisee & they planned to be back. Years later, Shipley’s still rules… > > I’ll check out In-n’-Out after the crowds die down a bit. Although we still have to wait for the chain to move south. No hurry. But I _am_ jealous that Trader Joe’s will open in the Metroplex first. I know they left- I just recall the lines of cars on Westheimer when they opened. (side note: “The Burger Guys” is on Westheimer about a block or two away from where the Krispy Kreme on Westheimer used to be; while not fast food burgers, they’re AWESOME- their duck fat fries are a transcendent food experience) I love me some Shipleys… I grew up not far from the Alief one on Bellaire just before Kirkwood. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/28 "2011-05-18T12:00:21Z")
[QUOTE=Great Antibob] In-N-Out won my loyalty when I heard about their treatment of employees. The starting wage for their CA employees is $10/hr. I don’t think it’s as high in other states (Nevada/Arizona/Utah/Texas), but they are dedicated to paying well above minimum wage. [/QUOTE] CA state minimum wage is $8.00/hr, but many regions and cities have “healthy” rates that either require employers to provide health insurance or pay extra if insurance is not provided. Minimum wage in Santa Barbara for employees that don’t receive health insurance benefits is $15.45/hr or $13.24 if they do receive basic health insurance. In San Diego, minimum wage is $11.00/hr or $13.20 without health insurance. Beyond that, I don’t care for In-N-Out. The semi-concealed religious aspects irritate me and the food is boring - undercooked fries and unexciting burgers. You should not need to use a mysterious secret menu to get good food out of a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/29 "2011-05-18T12:40:00Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Beyond that, I don’t care for In-N-Out. The semi-concealed religious aspects irritate me and the food is boring - undercooked fries and unexciting burgers. You should not need to use a mysterious secret menu to get good food out of a restaurant. To each their own. I totally understand why someone would feel that way. Like I said in my previous post, it’s just a fast food burger and if you go in expecting anything else you are going to be disappointed. But you bring up two other points that I would like to touch on. 1. The religious thing. I think this isn’t happening anymore, but when it was I found it fairly amusing. It was the result of one of the members of the owning family becoming a born again, and it was very unobtrusive. You only knew it was there if you were looking for it, the most obvious thing being the printing of the name of a bible verse on the inside rim of the bottom of their drink cups. That family member is, I believe, either dead or retired. But I think it is an indicator of one of the things that is good about the chain. It is run and controlled by the same family that started the first restaurant. In-N-Out and McDonalds were founded around the same time down the street(ish) from one another. McDonald’s embraced the franchise model and corporate ownership, In-N-Out decided to focus on slow grown of the brand and a commitment to quality food. It took a long time but In-N-Out is slowly becoming big and has yet to sacrifice quality. It’s a good example of the way things can work if you don’t go for the quick buck. 2)The secret menu. While the secret menu is fun, you aren’t dependent on it to get quality food. All the secret menu is is short hand for modifications that anyone could make to their burger. Extra sauce, well done fries, extra cheese, this is the sort of thing that you can ask for pretty much anywhere In-N-Out just has standardized slang for it. This is also the result of them having been a fairly small chain for the majority of their existence. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/30 "2011-05-18T18:49:38Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > You should not need to use a mysterious secret menu to get good food out of a restaurant. It’s on their [website](http://www.in-n-out.com/menu.asp), appropriately titled “The Not so Secret Menu” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/31 "2011-05-18T19:06:59Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > You should not need to use a mysterious secret menu to get good food out of a restaurant. You don’t. The good food is on the regular menu. While “animal style” has its adherents, the simple cheeseburger or double double is, in my opinion, the best thing on the menu. That said, the so-called “secret menu” is a good bit of fun and adds to the branding and mystique of In-N-Out. But, no, it’s not like they’re hiding all the “good stuff” on that menu. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/32 "2011-05-19T00:29:30Z")
Ok, not to bring the thread even farther off topic, but I just read [this article](http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/05/in-n-out-vs-five-guys-vs-shake-shack-the-first-bi-coastal-side-by-side-taste-test.html) from A Hamburger Today comparing In-N-Out, 5 Guys and Shake Shack and found it pretty entertaining. Thought I would pass it along. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/33 "2011-05-19T01:39:05Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > It’s on their [website](http://www.in-n-out.com/menu.asp), appropriately titled “The Not so Secret Menu” Where? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/34 "2011-05-19T01:40:05Z")
Nevermind. Found it. [Not so secret menu.](http://www.in-n-out.com/secretmenu.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/35 "2011-05-19T01:44:36Z")
I passed by the new place on my way home today. The drive-through line extended out into the parking lot of the shopping center behind them, and they had people out directing it. This strikes me as more than a little bizarre. On that same stretch of road–less than a mile, and all on the same side–there’s also a Five Guys, a Fuddruckers, a Steak ‘n’ Shake, and a Freddy’s. It’s not like good burgers are so scarce in the area that it’s worth waiting in that kind of line. In a month or so, when the shiny has worn off and people are being less crazy, I’ll probably try it. In the meantime, Five Guys will do fine. (They seem busy as ever. I suspect the line loons are coming in from all over the metroplex because of the hype, while most of the locals are sticking to whichever place was their favorite before.) ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/36 "2011-05-19T23:32:46Z")
I’m a die-hard In-N-Out fan. A 5-Guys just opened nearby (Orange County, SoCal), and I’ve tried them, too. They’re very good, but more expensive than In-N-Out. Don’t forget that simply watching the organized chaos in the kitchen is entertainment in itself. Those guys & gals really \*hustle \*& get paid well to do it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182/37 "2011-05-20T00:51:14Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > Don’t forget that simply watching the organized chaos in the kitchen is entertainment in itself. Those guys & gals really \*hustle \*& get paid well to do it. That’s the other thing. Consistently, at every In N Out I’ve ever visited, the staff that worked there really looked like they wanted to work there. It’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it at a fast food chain–it’s like they got the whole crew doped up on happy pills. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-anyone-eat-at-in-n-out-burger-in-texas-yet/582182.md?page=1)