In-N-Out Burger and Denver (price, store, eat)

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by denverian

That was a fast food place i LOVED because I've lived in San Antonio.

I lived in San Antonio too and that's where I fell in love with Taco Cabana (and taco's in general, especially breakfast tacos!).

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by denverian

I think there were two or three. That was a fast food place i LOVED because I've lived in San Antonio. My guess is that they were in the wrong places and they didn't advertise. But I love their food and any time I go to TX, I have to go there.

There was one at Broadway & Mineral - I believe it is where the Pizza Hut/Wingstreet is now. Not sure where else they were. I liked the chips and salsa.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by chilicheesefries

There was one at Broadway & Mineral - I believe it is where the Pizza Hut/Wingstreet is now. Not sure where else they were. I liked the chips and salsa.

There was one in Boulder near 28th & Arapahoe.

[ANAPA]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

That being said, I find that after eating a few burgers at Good Times and then having an In N Out Burger, the difference is really only slight. Both are excellent burgers so it's not like we're in a "burger wasteland." Plus, In N Out Burger's fries are disgusting...they turn into chalk as you're chewing. At least Good Times has decent fries, IMHO.

Their fries are disgusting??? Dude, they cut the potato right in front of you and deep fry them right then and there and serve them to you. How could they possibly turn into chalk?

[Willy702]

Maybe one or two locations would be fine in Denver, but its very noticeable after you get outside California that In N Out loses its insane popularity. Here in Vegas most of the locations (except for the one next to the Strip and where all the tourists see it) are just modestly busy, nothing like what you see in California. Same thing around Phoenix, certainly profitable traffic but not the dive for any open seat crowd you see at a location in So Cal that has been there 50 years. Up in Reno I have seen one location that is often pretty much empty, something I'd never thought would happen because Renoites always made a point to stop off for it on the way back home from SF or Sacramento before it opened.

I'm sure management realizes there comes a point where they will have diminishing returns so they won't be aggressive in going further than they are now. Anyways the burgers have been getting smaller and smaller and the prices have gone up so its not the great deal or experience it used to be.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by denverian

I can't think of any other SoCal chains we don't have here. Seems like Carl's is the main one, and I was surprised to see it here. I rarely eat fast food, like maybe once every couple years. Except for Chipotle, since it's healthy, I might eat 3 or 4 times per year.

Are there Pollo Locos here?

-There aren't enough Carl's here.
-There aren't any Wienerschnitzels here (we do have Hamburger Stand, which is the same thing, but they are scarce).
-I can live without El Pollo Loco (I don't think I'll plan a trip to the one on Federal any time soon, but I knew it was there).

I'd love to have some of the local chains that we had in the IE, like Baker's and Miguel's Jr, though I know that's next to impossible (I'm in the pseudo-planning stages for a trip back to CA, just to EAT!!!).

Overall, there doesn't seem to be enough small-chain, mom/pop drive thrus around here. In CA, there's one on every corner. Here, everything is big chain, fast-casual, or not good.

I "only" eat fast-food pretty often . On the road a lot.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by Willy702

Anyways the burgers have been getting smaller and smaller and the prices have gone up so its not the great deal or experience it used to be.

Well, I sort of disagree. Their main competition on the national level as the top quality/popularity/cult regional fast food chain is Five Guys, and Five Guys is still double the price for the same food. $5.50 for a double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink compared to $10.00 at Five Guys for the same thing(A double cheeseburger being the default, single sold as a Junior burger). Jack in the Box has been mentioned a lot in this thread and In-n-Out is still a better deal, sometimes significantly if you go for the more specialty burgers on their menu(which the combos can run you up in the 8$ range).

In-n-Out isn't the best hamburger available, but that doesn't fall to a fast food chain, that falls to a restaurant, perhaps somewhere like Red Robin high up on that list. But on the fast food level, the quality control and freshness are unrivaled while the menu simplicity and very competitive pricing make it a distinct competitor for the top fast food burger chain.

I also think it helps that they don't provide you with unrealistic expectations from advertising campaign photos and such of the food. The majestic Big Mac in a commercial never looks like the limp, soggy sandwich you actually get. I'm a Jack in the Box and Carls Jr diner on occasion, but I'm always disappointed when I get a Western Bacon Cheeseburger or Sourdough Melt and see how pathetic it looks compared to the promotional material advertised on menu and in commercials.

Originally Posted by ANAPA

Their fries are disgusting??? Dude, they cut the potato right in front of you and deep fry them right then and there and serve them to you. How could they possibly turn into chalk?

Part of the problem people have with them is that they are only fried once. French fries are generally fried twice, and In-n-Out only fries once. You can ask for the fries "well done", though, and that rectifies the situation.

They also don't put any additives into/onto the fries or cooking oil to enhance taste or texture. The frozen, prepackaged fries that most chains utilize can be/are treated with various starches, batters, flavorings, preservatives, etc and the cooking oil can be a mixture of oil and other substances. McDonalds is notorious for this, having originally fried their fries in oil and beef fat. They switched to vegetable oil about 15-20 years ago but then added beef "flavoring" to the fries to make up for the loss of beef flavor that they want in their fries. In-n-Out cuts a fresh potato and fries in 100% vegetable oil. No gimmicks, but no subtle ingredients to enhance taste or texture other than salt.

[HighlandsGal]

I personally think In-and-Out burgers are overrated. And Jack-in-the-box, at least the one on Kipling and I-70, is pretty disgusting too. I will take a burger from My Brother's Bar over those any day.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

Well, I sort of disagree. Their main competition on the national level as the top quality/popularity/cult regional fast food chain is Five Guys, and Five Guys is still double the price for the same food. $5.50 for a double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink compared to $10.00 at Five Guys for the same thing(A double cheeseburger being the default, single sold as a Junior burger). Jack in the Box has been mentioned a lot in this thread and In-n-Out is still a better deal, sometimes significantly if you go for the more specialty burgers on their menu(which the combos can run you up in the 8$ range).

In-n-Out isn't the best hamburger available, but that doesn't fall to a fast food chain, that falls to a restaurant, perhaps somewhere like Red Robin high up on that list. But on the fast food level, the quality control and freshness are unrivaled while the menu simplicity and very competitive pricing make it a distinct competitor for the top fast food burger chain.

I also think it helps that they don't provide you with unrealistic expectations from advertising campaign photos and such of the food. The majestic Big Mac in a commercial never looks like the limp, soggy sandwich you actually get. I'm a Jack in the Box and Carls Jr diner on occasion, but I'm always disappointed when I get a Western Bacon Cheeseburger or Sourdough Melt and see how pathetic it looks compared to the promotional material advertised on menu and in commercials.

Great post! Now you really make me want to try in-n-out comparing it to 5 guys, which I love. The one thing that is that the fries can feed more than 1 person so if you're going with others you can cut the cost per person.

The best burger debate is so diverse because no two people are going to agree. I see alot of people mention Smashburger. I tried it once, it was good not great and I've got other places I go more often. The Big Mac's a joke it's so small and when I got to McDonalds I go with the McDouble because it's only a buck and for that price it's not bad. Every time I get the Carl's Jr coupons for buy 1 six dollar burger get one free I decide to try it and without exception it is the awfulest burger(s) I've had (for any price!). Best burger I've had is Cheeburger Cheeburger. Massive amount of toppings and patties that you can eat by themselves because the meet actually tastes good.

[Count David]

Add Smashburger to the overrated list (IMO).