Anyone else think In-N-Out is incredibly overrated? (San Diego, San Francisco: house, design)

[wrcousert]

The burgers are great. Much better than anything McDonalds, Carl's Jr. or Wendy's has.

I recently tried something new though - "The Habit". They just opened up a restaurant in Murrieta. I don't see any reason to go back to In-n-Out.

[smdensbcs]

This may not be why the masses flock there, but if anyone's ever read Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation," In-N-Out is apparently one of the very few chain-type fast-food restaurants that "does it right" and is not part of the environmental / public-health nightmare fast-food is generally known for. From ingredients to employee retention/pay, it's the "anti Mickey-D's" from a sustainability perspective. I still prefer the classic local one or two off places (i.e. Apple Pan, etc) but In-N-Out does a great job overall.

[Mr_Geek]

Originally Posted by wrcousert

The burgers are great. Much better than anything McDonalds, Carl's Jr. or Wendy's has.

I recently tried something new though - "The Habit". They just opened up a restaurant in Murrieta. I don't see any reason to go back to In-n-Out.

The habit is awesome but fills a different need than in n out for me.

I crave both at different times.

[jeffredo]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

You should hear what we call you. It's also pretty lame for you to try to imitate our food then knock where you got all your ideas.

California pretty much invented drive-ins and fast food (for better or worse). As for In-N-Out, its pretty darn good for a fast food burger and fries. Better than most (and I been all over the country). There are some stellar independent burger joints in The City, but if I'm in the vicinity of an In-N-Out I have no qualms about eating there over other fast food restaurants.

[parker]

Out of the mouths of babes, "Daddy, how come In-N-Out can make a burger so much better than any other burger place?"

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

As for In-N-Out, its pretty darn good for a fast food burger and fries.

Back to Square One. What's good about the burger? Let's just talk burger and bun. The patty is thin and bland, and the bun is uninspired. Again, just talking about the patty and bun, what's great about either?

Originally Posted by parker

Out of the mouths of babes, "Daddy, how come In-N-Out can make a burger so much better than any other burger place?"

Children do love their bland hamburgers, don't they? It's cute until they ask for one at the Chinese restaurant, the Mexican restaurant, the steak restaurant and at the real burger restaurant. Good parenting will wean them off that.

[smdensbcs]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

Back to Square One. What's good about the burger? Let's just talk burger and bun.

OK. The meat itself is, if I recall, not processed in an industrial slaughterhouse like nearly every other fast-food "restaurant." The typical fast-food burger is literally disgusting, both in how it made it's way from the cow to the burger warming-device AND in the actual experience of biting into that semi-flaccid nastiness. An In-N-Out burger, as I recall, is not disgusting in either of those ways. It is neither flimsy and limp like a "heat-lamp" typical fast-food burger nor is it hockey-puck hard like a 7-11 convenience store burger. It is, in other words, made fresh, to order. That in itself puts it in a class almost by itself compared to any other fast-food chain.

Again, I prefer the one-off Mom and Pop places serving equally high-quality meat, but In-N-Out sets the standard for quality chain-type fast-food burgers. Is there some other large chain out there that is NOT utterly nasty? I actually like Good Times in the Denver area, but not sure they're on the scale of in-N-Out in the number of locations.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by user_id

Perhaps for someone in Northern California, but In-N-Out started in the LA area in 1946 which is probably about when you were born.

Actually, I was born in San Diego in 1946 and raised in Newport Beach, lived in Costa Mesa while working in Santa Ana and in Santa Monica while working in L.A. Correct me if I'm wrong but the last I knew, those were all in Southern California.

Obviously they weren't as wide-spread or as hyped back in the dark ages as they are now.

Oh yeah, and my father was stubborn and wouldn't go out and get me one the day I was born.

[Radical347]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

Also, what is this near-religious California fascination with "freshness," as if it doesn't matter how bland the food is, as long as everything is fresh. So what that INO is "fresh." Their pickles aren't fresh. The mustard isn't fresh. The salt isn't fresh. The fries are fresh, and fresh fries are horrible. Slow down, and cook those puppies twice. Once on low temp and once on high. Freeze them overnight after the first cooking, if you want.

Taste is what matters. If freshness makes a better taste, then fine. If not, then do things differently. Fresh is a means, not an end. This is food, not church.

Because fresh food does taste better, same seasonings for same seasonings, and is better for you. What was the point of bringing up mustard or salt? If there was a fast food joint that used freshly made mustard and freshly harvested sea salt, I'd go there instead. But there's not.

[Lumerian Feast]

Man, when I started this thread, I had no idea it would be going strong after 38 pages and three years. Funny thing is... now I kind of like In-N-Out.

Also, I know there's no comparing a fancy burger to a drive-thru burger, but I've become kind of an Umami addict. GREAT burger.