One Cheeseburger, Animal Style

Seeing as I have nothing better to talk about this evening, I'm going to keep going on my topic of things that I would miss if I ever moved out of state...



Cheeseburger, Animal Style**
Fries
Small Diet Coke

That would be my typical order.

**Animal Style = Mustard is grilled on the burger and it is served with grilled onions (no thank you), extra sauce (think- thousand island dressing) and pickles.

So, what is it about In-N-Out that makes them so popular? It's obviously not their extensive menu (3 items). For me, I love that the hamburger bun is a little crispy, the meat patty is thin and the sauce and pickles make it extra delicious. Everything is fresh- even their fries. You see them using this machine to julienne sack upon sack of potatoes. Plus, everything is made to order. Nothing is standing around under heating lamps, and, come to think of it, they don't even have heat lamps. Additionally, the joints are always kept clean and the staff is always exceptionally friendly. No matter how many times I go, I always check under my soda cup to see if they still print them with John 3:16 and on the burger wrapper (I think?) is a verse from Revelation.

One heads up, though... if you are ever visiting CA and going through their drive thru, you may be asked the question, "is that for here or to go?" The first time I heard that in the drive thru, I looked over at my sister with this dumbfounded look on my face and mouthed, "here or to go???". Wouldn't the fact that I'm in my car just naturally lead to the presumption that this meal was 'to go'? I have come to find out, however, that when they ask you that, they are really asking, "are you going to be eating your food in the car or waiting until you get home?" Because if you are eating it in your car, they will wrap the burger so that only half of it is wrapped up, thus allowing ease of consumption and the place it in a box top, versus a bag, for easy accessibility. They will also provide you with a paper tray liner so you can lay it across your lap and avoid spilling all over yourself.

The only downfall to visiting an In-N-Out is the wait. If you come during peak times, the lines in the drive-thru can, easily, wrap around the building and the lines inside aren't much better. Because everything is made so fresh, you also have to factor in a longer wait to receive your food. But, it is SO worth it!