Hi you California dopers (or any other that want to chip in),
In a couple of months I’ll be spending some time in LA, and while I don’t plan to eat a whole lot of fast food, I am kind of interested in In-n-out Burger. This is mainly because of the many backpackers from california I’ve met over the years, and who all have been quick to say it is totally different from Mcdonals and such and also really great/good/briljant/etc.
So what’s the straight dope about In-n-out burger?
In-n-Out is pretty cheap, and it doesn’t make you feel sick to your stomach the way the big fast food franchises do. Personally I think a turkey burger at Fat Burger is much better, but costs more. But if you’re in L.A., there’s a cornucopia of great things to eat from cuisines across the world that isn’t fast food burger stuff, much of it vegetarian, and if you know where to go, it isn’t expensive. Go to Thai Town/Little Armenia, or Korea Town, or the Iranian district, or try Dino’s Greek chicken.
In-n-Out is halfway between fast food and a classic burger joint burger. If you really want the L.A. burger joint experience, try The Apple Pan. There’s only one, it only has counter service, and it’s been around forever.
Animal Style.
That’s all I have to say.
Animal Style means grilled onions on it, so if you don’t like grilled onions, don’t bother.
I say go for a 4x4, fries well done, and ask for a packet of the special sauce to dip the fries in.
That’s what I came in to say.
Burgers Animal Style, no lettuce, and Animal Fries. The best fast food lunch, period.
Joe
I like In-n-Out, and you do need to get a burger & fries there. However, I gotta give a shout-out to Tommy’s also. There, you must have a Chili Cheeseburger and Chili Cheese Fries. You just must.
For a high-end hamburger restaurant, Hamburger Hamlet- especially for the French Onion Soup!
Oh hell, Canter’s Deli/Bakery also. I recommend the Reuben. Corned beef preferred but turkey acceptable. IF you get a lump of fat in the c… beef (it has happened once to us in many times of eating there), let them know. The one time it happened, it ruined my brother’s meal & I think if he’d have fussed & given them a chance to make it right, it would have improved our mood for that evening.
Oh, Canter’s homemade dill pickle spears alone are worth going there!
I just read the link about The Apple Pan. I can’t believe I haven’t been there. Adding to the list for April’s trip, in which I also plan to see Mamma Mia! at the Panteges AND L.A. Opera’s Der Walkure WITH Placido Domingo!
The thing about the APple Pan is to make sure it is open. It has some pretty strange hours, if I recall.
Typical SD…somebody comes in asking about “X”, and gets 8 responses on why “Y” is better.
In-n-Out is by far my favorite fast-food chain burger. (The fries are nothing particularly special, imho). And I think the best thing about the burger is the bun. They’re kind of crispy around the edges, which makes for a wonderfully satisfying crunchy beefy cheesy experience.
Closed on Mondays and cash only (or it was the last time I went, about 3 years ago). The Apple Pan is the best restaurant burger in the city. In fact, it’s one of my favorite restaurants hands down.
In-N-Out is the best fast food hamburger in existence. But it’s important to remember that it’s still a fast food burger. My wife, who is from Pennsilvania, wasn’t able to reconcile that and hates In-N-Out because “It’s just a fast food burger.” I tried explaining that they have taken the fast food burger and turned it into a work of art, that In-N-Out is the pinnicle of the fast food art, but she doesn’t get it. In-N-Out is good and it’s cheep and they have great milkshakes. I like mine Double Double Animal Style with Ketchup and Mustard instead of spread, with animal fries. Be prepared to wait in line to order, most places are fairly busy all the time, and I personally think that In-N-Out tastes best at about 12am after a few beers, but that’s just me.
If you want the best fast burger in a non fast food style, Fatburger is the way to go. Fatburger is the best hamburger chain in California. It isn’t as much fast food as it is a really fast burger stand (if you can understand the difference.) If you are looking for a really tastey burger that is more like something that you would make yourself go there. It isn’t cheep, but it isn’t too expensive either, and you can get your burger served with a fried egg, which is way better than it sounds.
Tommy’s is an institution. They invented the chilli burger and an entire style of chili that has spread nation wide. There are so many imitators of Tommys chili that it’s stupid. It’s probably worth your time to go to a Tommy’s just so you can know.
Then there is Astro Burger, and Fathers Office, and and and. We do burgers really well in LA.
Come to LA, eat our burgers, they rock. Then let me show you the Mexican food.
If she’s from PA, she must know about Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries. Now, I’ve never eaten an In-N-Out Burger, but Five Guys are definitely the best fast food burgers on the *East *Coast.
You gotta order off the secret menu for it to be worth it. In-N-Out fries are a little on the soggy and tasteless side. But animal fries well done are one of the wonders of the world.
It is my favorite fast food, and it is worth eating at. Probably not the best burger in the whole world, but it is a part of being in California. We used to drive an hour and half just to get it.
Man, right now I am so far from a good burger it isn’t even funny. California, I miss you!
Good question, I will have to ask her about Five Guys. She did recently introduce me to the wonders of Tastey Kakes and Wilbur’s Chocolate though. (Via mailorder). Why don’t they sell Tastey Kakes out this way? I am not big on snack cakes, but damn, that is what a snack cake should be!
A note about the milkshakes: you can order them in any size.
And they’re really damn good.
Two! Two notes about the milkshakes…
Meh.
In-n-Out is good for serving up with quotes from The Big Lebowski (“Those are good burgers, Walter.” “Donnie, shut the fuck up!”) but Mo’s in Burbank or the Apple Pan on W. Pico are the places to do. (I prefer Fatburger over In-n-Out, but the latter is more widely available.)
I’m not a fan of Canter’s (mentioned by FriarTed) as it always seems greasy and the waitstaff seems to be all surly 50-something year olds, but it is an iconic LA landmark. For greasy spoon I prefer Original Pantry downtown, which seems to employ nothing but ex-cons. My real preference for late night diner food though is Fred 62, over in Los Feliz, and Swingers in West Hollywood.
However, if you want the real, Mildred Pierce-esque Los Angeles experience, you need to get fried chicken and waffles. It doesn’t really matter where, although Roscoe’s is quite popular.
Stranger
I don’t dig on Swingers (I prefer Cafe 101 in Hollywood) but I used to live at Fred’s when I had an apartment in Loz Feliz. And the Pantry is great, though at 3am (and really you shouldn’t go to Canters unless it is past midnight) I think Canters has better people watching.
Roscoe’s. Yes, Roscoe’s. You must eat there when visiting LA. You must also get a cupcake from Sprinklesat some point in time. If you have to choose only one, go for Red Velvet. We served them at my wedding.
See, I think Five Guys sucks because their burgers are thick and they only do them WELL DONE. On thinner burgers I don’t mind, but if a burger has any heft to it then I greatly prefer it medium. The thing people seem to like about Five Guys is all the crap, er toppings, they load on top. I’m also underwhelmed by their fries, which seem to me a pale imitation of the ones I used to get in Baltimore.
Of course everyone’s mileage varies. I’d take In-n-Out over Five Guys any day of the week. In-n-Out has the advantage of costing (a lot?) less, iirc.
One nice thing about In-n-Out is that there food is always extremely fresh for a fast food place. For example they cut their own fries for each batch.
In-n-Out is the best of the fast food burgers, but it’s still just fast food.
Ed
They don’t sell Tasty Kakes in California for the same reason you don’t get In-n-Out in the west. They want to control freshness.
I would just say manage your expectations. In n Out has such a devoted following and giant hype behind it, that it might be difficult for the burger to live up to those expectations. That said, I think it’s an awesome, awesome hamburger. I remember liking Fatburger slightly more, but I just keep coming back to In n Out when I’m in the area. I’m addicted.
But, remember, the main thing with In n Out is that it’s a very basic burger cooked on a flat top grill/griddle. The beauty is in the perfect simplicity. The meat is good quality and freshly formed into patties (never frozen). It’s griddled to a perfect, slightly crispy and caramelized edge. These are small patties (either 1/6 pound or 3 oz, I think), so they generally cook up to well doneness, which I think is appropriate for this style. Cooking it to a lesser doneness would not allow for that outside caramelization to occur fully–at least in my experience it would be difficult. That said, looking on the web, it appears that it is possible to request the burger at a lower level of doneness.
The buns they use are just the right fluffiness and lightness to complement the burger and, if I’m remembering correctly, they’re briefly griddled, too, so they get a slightly crispy edge, as well. I think a double is the right ratio of bread to meat. The rest of the ingredients are just the typical onions, lettuce, tomato, and “spread,” which is a Thousand-Island-like special sauce. All taste as fresh as the burger.
So, don’t go in there expecting a giganto half-pound patty, grilled over an open fire, topped with Roquefort, truffles, and cracked black pepper aioli. Just think simple, basic California/diner-style burger, and think of In N Out as quintessence of this style of burger.
As for the fries, they’re solid. Very fresh-tasting and potatoey. I like my fries to have a bit of skin on them, but that’s a personal preference. Like the burger, the fries are cleanly and impeccably executed.
Oh, and the service. In n Out may be the only fast food chain I’ve been to that, no matter which outlet I go to, all the employees act like they actually want to be there. I mean, they look positively happy to be working there.