Anyone else think In-N-Out is incredibly overrated? (Los Angeles, San Jose: shop, stats)

[Samoi137]

I don't care for it, and I like burgers, though not most fast-food burgers (I have had some excellent burgers at burger joints, but if it's fried I'm generaly not a big fan). I guess if you compare it with McDonald's, it's good. But good atmosphere, as one described it?????? I guess that must vary by location. I ate at one in Ontario, near the airport. Outdoor seating. Traffic. No choice, really. I found the food maybe high-end fast food but still fast food. Do they still have prayers on the place mats? Botton line is that I'm not a fan, but I don't hate to eat there. Lots of other options forme. Those who like the place, fine. There are restaurants out there for almost everyone.

Gross generalizations about where to get the best in one type of food or another, of course. My wife (Brazilian) likes thin crust pizza, and actually likes mayonnaise on it. She finds Chicago style pizza gross.

[user_id]

I'm still baffled by people expecting In-N-Out to be anything other than fast food. Its still fast food? Yeah...that's because its a fast food joint....

[nslander]

Originally Posted by RaymondChandlerLives

You pretty much don't know what you're talking about. At all. Ever. SoCal is king for burgers and burger culture. This pretty much sums up how inferior the East Coast burgers are compared to Los Angeles:

Cruelest April Fool's Joke So Far: In-N-Out Coming to NYC: Gothamist

That someone went to the trouble of pranking New York City with the promise of an In-N-Out says it all. The comments from angered New Yorkers = priceless. If someone had tried that here with Five Guys, the sound of complete indifference would have been deafening.

The folks who think food sucks in a state that produces half the nations produce are provincial homers who think flimsy slices of "pie" are good eats. They live in agriculturally weak regions with crap weather and it shows in their offerings. The phrase "meh" comes to mind.

Ag in the West: Facts About California Agriculture

We keep the best, and ship the rest...to you.

Btw, that "concensus" you're getting from reading chowhound is a complete 180 from reality. SoCal generally wins out amongst foodies in burgers/mexican/central american/korean/japanese/thai and competes with San Francisco (another California city) in chinese food. East coast cities do well in pizza and...um, pizza. Cheesesteaks.

Yeah, I'm sure a food critic would rather eat Mexican birria in Philadelphia over L.A. Or sushi in Baltimore over what's found in Sawtelle. Keep dreaming.

The East Coast is in this conversation only because too many of its homers simply can’t see the cattle for the cows. CA pervasive burger culture ranges from McDonald’s to Carls Jr. to Jack in the Box, to Bob’s Big Boy to Tommy’s to Fat Burger to In ‘n Out to Umami, to thousands of smaller, better joints, from the Apple Pan to Castle’s to Father’s Office…..


In case words are too confusing:

Burger Town - YouTube

Also, in addition to its disadvantaged access to fresh produce, the East Coast is almost entirely dependant on states west of the Mississippi for domestic beef.

1. Texas ----------13.8------- 14.3%
2. Kansas ---------6.7 --------6.9
3. Nebraska ------6.6 --------6.8
4. California ------5.5 --------5.6
5. Oklahoma -----5.4 --------5.6
6. Missouri -------4.3 --------4.5
7. Iowa -----------4.0 --------4.1
8. South Dakota 3.7 --------3.8
9. Wisconsin -----3.4 --------3.5
10. Colorado -----2.8-------- 2.8
What state leads the nation in production of beef cattle

The most popular burger brands and their constituent product are sourced and developed nowhere near the East Coast. EC wannabe foodies should stick to what they do best: complaining the quality of about bagels to be found in LA.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by RaymondChandlerLives

You pretty much don't know what you're talking about.

I'm not in California, so that's almost conclusive proof that I know far more than you about food. I wonder if you've been in California so long that you even know what good food is?

Still trying to think of one California food that has any traction outside the state.

California ribs? California BBQ? California pizza? California hot dogs? Nah. Not happening.

In all those food surveys where they drive around the country and find the best of something like BBQ or hot dogs, they always feel the need to jam a California place in there. It never looks as appealing as the rest of the places on the show, and it's obvious they're just doing it to sell the program to the big California market.

Listen, INO burgers don't suck. That place is just way overrated and overhyped. Their fries do suck.

You really can't expect too much impressive in meat-and-potatoes offerings from a state known for tofu and sprouts.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

I'm not in California, so that's almost conclusive proof that I know far more than you about food. I wonder if you've been in California so long that you even know what good food is?

Still trying to think of one California food that has any traction outside the state.

California ribs? California BBQ? California pizza? California hot dogs? Nah. Not happening.

In all those food surveys where they drive around the country and find the best of something like BBQ or hot dogs, they always feel the need to jam a California place in there. It never looks as appealing as the rest of the places on the show, and it's obvious they're just doing it to sell the program to the big California market.

Listen, INO burgers don't suck. That place is just way overrated and overhyped. Their fries do suck.

You really can't expect too much impressive in meat-and-potatoes offerings from a state known for tofu and sprouts.

Jesus christ, why is it that you hate California so much?

Do you like burritos? The burrito as it's known in the US is Californian...

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

I'm not in California, so that's almost conclusive proof that I know far more than you about food. I wonder if you've been in California so long that you even know what good food is?

Still trying to think of one California food that has any traction outside the state.

California ribs? California BBQ? California pizza? California hot dogs? Nah. Not happening.

In all those food surveys where they drive around the country and find the best of something like BBQ or hot dogs, they always feel the need to jam a California place in there. It never looks as appealing as the rest of the places on the show, and it's obvious they're just doing it to sell the program to the big California market.

Listen, INO burgers don't suck. That place is just way overrated and overhyped. Their fries do suck.

You really can't expect too much impressive in meat-and-potatoes offerings from a state known for tofu and sprouts.

Never had real Santa Maria style BBQ, eh?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Style_BBQ

[Mr_Geek]

There's more to food than ribs, BBQ, pizza and hot dogs.

[BeauCharles]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

I'm not in California, so that's almost conclusive proof that I know far more than you about food. I wonder if you've been in California so long that you even know what good food is?

You really can't expect too much impressive in meat-and-potatoes offerings from a state known for tofu and sprouts.

What a load of crap. We have 38 million people from every corner of the country and the globe from tiny, hick ranching and farming towns to mega cities, from Oregon to Mexico. They didn't all have collective amnesia when they moved here and forget how to cook. We've got everything from Pacific Rim and Nouvelle cuisine that makes the "best of" restaurant lists for the country to killer BBQ joints in the "hood" to biscuits-and-gravy truck stops in the San Joaquin Valley (Klein's). Toss in every imaginable Asian and Mexican restaurant (from Americanized to scarily authentic). If you can't find it in this massive state it ain't worth eating. I know I shouldn't feed a troll, but I get so sick of some rust-belt fool spouting off about a place he knows NOTHING about.

[slo1318]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

How do they keep that sad little palm tree in the parking lot alive in Ft. Worth?

Its actually the crossed palms like in SoCal, you cant see the other one. That variety does fine here, has to be wrapped if theres a deep freeze coming, but thats it....

[slo1318]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Never had real Santa Maria style BBQ, eh?
Santa Maria Style BBQ - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I was at a famous BBQ joint in Austin Texas yesterday, and lamenting the fact that a good tri tip bbq in California is better. The bbq here is good, but tri tip cant be beat.

greghenry obviously is young and has not traveled. California has great food, Im further impressed everytime I come home.

And to all the anti In-N-Out people, go home.....
Were talking the best of fast food here, lets not compare it to Joe Schmo's burger in your home town.....