Well, this story confirms what I’d been told: I-N-O’s range is constrained by distanced from a limited number of distribution centers.
I really wish they’d open a center in, say, Portland. Or better yet Pendleton, OR, where they could get fresh beef and cheap rent but still be on a highway network that could service a wide swath of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
As for the burgers:
They are really good fast food burgers. I’ve cut way, way back on those, and most I’ve eaten lately have been disappointing. If In-N-Out were up here (Portland OR) I’d probably limit my burger input to them.
5 Guys is so much better.
I like their burgers okay (their fries are near-inedible unless younger than 10 minutes old), but not nearly as much as Fatburger’s. Or my new favorite: the Dog Haus. Haven’t tried Five Guys yet since I don’t get down to Studio City anymore. I’ll try the Burbank location once they get around to opening it.
Not surprised. This is why you don’t see White Castle in the west.
I had I-N-O many times when they opened locations in the Bay Area, and meh. I never quite got what the big deal was and was never a fan of the secret menu shenanigans. The burgers were good but not mind blowing.
I much prefer 5 Guys for a good fast food burger.
FTFY.
And mushier.
I could write a long form Medium post, but I will distill it here.
In and Out is what people remember their burger experiences as.
Their fries suck cause they aren’t double fried.
I love their sparse menu.
I eat there once every year.
Double anything is dumb, get the smallest one they advertise.
Yeah that was my feeling when I finally had one on my last road trip to California. They were not bad just not amazing either. 5 Guys is good stuff and great fries but here in Seattle with Uneeda Burger, and Blue Moon I feel no need to go there. Besides Uneeda has poutine, why go anywhere else?
We have JAX in Houston, but better than that is Whataburger. W is actually damn good. Smash burger is here too, but meh. Five guys = ok. There are some small mom and pop ones too that rock.
I have a nightly craving for whataburger, but only take myself up on it once a month.
Oof. Really? In-N-Out is too salty as it is.
When I was working on Will & Grace, the writers there had a routine they’d indulge in every other month or so for lunch. They’d send one PA over to In-N-Out for a sackful of Double-Doubles. They’d send another PA over to McDonald’s for a shitload of french fries.
Best of both worlds.
Good idea. Wonder how it went ordering animal style at McDonald’s.
“I’ll have the smallest quadruple burger that you offer. And triple fry my fries dammit!”
If you like lots of salt and grease with a funky metallic flavor. No competition.
I kinda like burgers at Fuddruckers. They taste a lot like Fatburger, but they don’t have the badass jukeboxes. Better seating, though. And for drive-thru, I’d sooner have Wendy’s than In-N-Out.
Damn, I eat too many burgers.
Yeah. I’d like to see a true analysis of the salt content for both. I don’t generally add salt to anything, and especial not the processed foods in this country that have a lot of it to begin with. That being said, I order an In and Out burger when I’m on the west coast and afterwards I think: “I shouldn’t have done that.” I’ve been to a few Five Guys, and every time after a few bites I think: “I can’t eat this.”
Buttfuckers is good because I can get 4000 pickles and tomatoes, just like I like.
Part of it is that in-n-out really is fast food - their baseline cheeseburger is $2.25, with grilled onions. It does kind of favor the home-eater who has had more than 10, since by that point you’ve figured out which secret menu styles you like best.
An $8-$10 burger (like at Uneeda) is at a different level - although many a generic $10 burger has fell below a $2.25 cheeseburger from in-n-out.
Nice thing about SoCal is just how all these places are just here. I’d hit In n Out for it’s convenience, and will pick it over other burger joints. Five Guys I like it all the way, but just too many fries for a trip. Slaters with friends, mix it up with Fudd or Fatburger. A Dog Haus opened up in Fullerton and I’ve been going there for the hot dogs. Finally did try out Portillos, very interesting dog there, but it is a trip.
