From Wikipedia, “In 1990, McDonald’s was pressured into switching to frying oil that was entirely vegetable oil due to the National Heart Savers Association’s campaign against saturated fats.”
Though I remember that McDonald’s restaurant workers assured customers that the French fries were appropriate for vegetarians to eat, without mentioning the beef tallow.
After the change, IiRC, it wasn’t tallow that they added (or maybe they did for a short time), but rather some “beef flavoring” which did include animal-derived ingredients. That was around early 2000s. I suppose I can Google it, but I’m running around a bite.
Actually, here’s one quick article. In the US, they use milks derivatives, so not vegan, but I guess vegetarian. In other markets, they are vegan:
In-N-Out Burger was probably my favorite burger in high school in the late 70s. Every other bumper had an adulterated “In-N-Out urge” sticker. When I went to college in Long Beach, I discovered Tommy’s Original Burger and it has been my favorite ever since. I’ll still occasionally have In-N-Out when the lines aren’t around the block, but I honestly can’t say it’s any better than most of the bigger chains. Either their burgers tasted better back in the day or (more likely) the big chains have upped their game since then.
Oh, if only there was a Tommy’s somewhere nearer to me. But both Tommy’s and The Hat are a good half hour from home, while In-N-Out is just down the street from work.
Maybe it’s because I’ve mostly been to AZ locations and a handful of CA ones, or maybe it’s because I’ve never been through the drive-thru, but I never had an issue with an uncomfortably long line there. Are you guys mostly talking drive-thru?
Of course! This is California, no actually walks into a fast-food restaurant.
Edited to add: but, seriously, it’s actually rather difficult to walk up to an In-N-Out because you have to cross the drive-thru lane at least once and sometimes twice.
Mostly, but the busier locations will have lines inside as well. I know the one in my town will have lines through the parking lot and out onto the street from 11am to 1pm 7 days a week. Same same from 4pm to about 7pm.
I am. I just assume a long line of cars outside is indicative of the line inside. There are just too many other options in California to risk that kind of time suck on something that’s not really much of an improvement over any other burger.
When some of the newer ones have opened in other states in recent years, there’s been a lot of buzz and lines literally wrapping around the block.
Just before the pandemic, around Nov 2019, one opened up here in suburban Houston, and the drive-through line was literally a mile long for the first 2-3 months. The pandemic itself didn’t help, since the dining area was shut down as the pandemic got going so there was no choice but the drive-through.
I didn’t even bother trying to go until a year after the store opened.
It’s much more normal now.
A couple of times, I’ve visited a fast food restaurant to find a very long drive-thru line, but I was able to park, go inside to order and get take-out and leave before I’d have been served in the drive-thru line.
Well, except for those of us who obviously think it is. Though if I had a Tommy’s or The Hat, I might check that out, as well.
At any rate, I’ve never been more then fourth in line inside. They’re pretty quick and they just have a shit ton of employees. I was amazed one day when I started counting them in the Chandler location (near Phoenix). I think I counted about 15. A normal McDonald’s or BK around here has around 5 that I can see.
A similar business with drive-thru lines around here is Chicago’s local chain (well, now it has locations in other markets) Portillo’s. Every time I pass the one a couple miles from my house, the drive-thru is a madhouse. Like twenty cars in line for hot dogs, burgers, and Italian beefs. Unlike In N Out, it doesn’t have a local reputation of being nearly universally beloved. It clearly has it adherents. (And I think it does a fine job, and if you want local fast food, Portillo’s is a good yardstick.) But there’s like a great independent joint right down the street that serves good-to-great versions of hot dogs, beefs, and hamburger. Like literally two blocks down. No lines. So that’s where we always go. I’ve never been to this particular Portillo’s yet (well, once I sent my wife during the peak pandemic to sit in line and get a beef there.)
I’ll do that all the time. If the line is more than three or four cars deep, I park and go inside. There have been many times the local McDonald’s had a line ten cars long, and I would just go inside and be immediately served, or with only one or two people ahead of me. (And now, of course, you have the app and can order ahead.)
Me too. It’s just that the line of cars at an In-N-Out is usually many times that and I’m resistant to take the time to test the theory that I can park the car and be, well, in and out as quickly as I could if I went elsewhere. FWIW, I live in a town (San Luis Obispo, CA) that doesn’t allow drive-thrus. I haven’t missed them at all. We have most of the fast food chains, but not an In-N-Out.
This happens with every new buzzy restaurant. Whataburger has recently opened in GA, and the most recent location had the local police warning people to take alternative routes.
I remember when Krispy Kreme opened close to my hometown in NJ and there were lines for miles.
Yeah, the In-N-Out near us has a smallish parking lot and when it gets busy there, which is often, the drive thru line snakes thru the parking lot, which is also full, so it becomes a gridlock situation. If we cannot even park we wont bother even going inside, and just go somewhere else. It’s just a hamburger.
My first experience was shared with fans who thought these were something akin to heaven. To me it was nothing special- just another burger.
I do not get the love. The lines are always waaaay too long, as is the wait.
And to talk about the relative freshness of fries is kind of silly. Ditto the lettuce and tomato - this isn’t health food we are talking about.
In my opinion it’s all about the hype - I doubt they would fare all that great in a blind taste test.
But I won’t be going back again soon because I don’t feel like waiting 20 minutes for “fast food”.
ETA: The Habit Burger is the best chain burger, imho.
Heheeh, you will not be fond of Whataburger, then. I sometimes wonder if they start the process with the burger’s parents when I order.
They’re OK. But you’re right, I’d pass if I saw the long line.
For down and dirty chain burger fair, I prefer Burger King’s mustard whopper.
First, there’s a number of people in this thread who were not very exposed to the hype or nostalgia who love it. LIterally, my first bite into an In N Out had the reaction of “OMG, this is one good fucking burger.” And I knew abosolutely nothing about it other than it’s a regional burger chain.
Second, there are “blind” and not-so-blind fast food hamburger tests out there, and the ones that include them do show In N Out in the top two or three. Typically Shake Shack seems to come up first most often, sometimes In N Out, sometimes Five Guys . Anyhow, the problem with a “blind” burger taste test is if you have any familiarity with the different chains offerings, you’ll be able to figure out what burger you’re eating by texture, smell, etc. Like if you can’t figure out which is a BK and which is McD’s even without tasting it, something is wrong with you.
Another problem is how are you going to get all the burgers at their freshest and desired serving temperature at the same time? That’s a pretty difficult ask.
That said, I would bet good money it would do very well in such a test. But I also think in such a test the tasters favorites are going to be quite divided, with a number of chains scoring overall pretty close to each other, and then a few significantly below the pack.
No. Hype would be Krispy Kream. If In-N-Out was all hype, there wouldn’t still be lines around the block. There was a time when a quality burger like there’s had little competition and I think their continued success, now that there is, depends mostly on customer loyalty and habit (no, not The Habit - which, by the way is better),
I don’t know where you live, but when the “Hot” sign is on for Krispy Kreme down here, there are significant drive-thru lines.