IN-N-OUT BURGER

Sara Fitzgerald, Staff Writer

Have you ever heard of a “4 x 4” burger or “animal style” french fries? If not, you have never eaten at In-N-Out Burger. In 1948, Harry Snyder and his wife Esther opened the very first location in Anaheim, California. The idea of the restaurant is to have fresh ingredients every day: no frozen or processed foods. With the 300th restaurant that just recently opened in 2015, the original idea of fresh ingredients every day still applies. In-N- Out is mostly a California franchise, but lately locations have spread to Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. Born in California, I can say I have been raised on In-N-Out burger. It was a tradition to go to In-N-Out after a volleyball tournament or after a football game since the restaurant doesn’t close until 2 a.m. on the weekends. It is normal and typical for anyone who lives in or is visiting California to eat there at least once. Unlike my family and friends, I went there at least three days a week; I am obsessed. If you ask any person who eats meat and lives in California, they will say In-N-Out is the best burger place around. There is no way anyone can deny the secret sauce that is all slathered on the bottom bun. Nobody knows exactly what they put in the sauce, but that is what makes it ten times better. One of the best things to order from the secret menu (which really isn’t a secret menu since everyone knows about it) would be the Animal Style french fries. The fries have melted cheese, the secret sauce, and bacon all piled on top. The real printed menu consists of only five items: Double-Double burger, Cheeseburger, Hamburger, French Fries, and handmade milkshakes. The milkshakes are delicious, by the way; there are only three flavors, though: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. The not-so-secret menu has six different items: Double Meat, 3 x 3, 4 x 4, Grilled Cheese, Protein Style (which is no bun; they have lettuce instead) and Animal Style french fries. In-N-Out restaurants open right up at 10 a.m., and from the minute they open, there is a long line of hungry customers. The weekend before I left for Georgia, I had In-N-Out four times; I knew the East Coast didn’t have any locations. I had to make sure I had my burger fix before I left California. Even if someone in Georgia tells me there is an awesome burger place here, I will still say In-N-Out burger is the best burger place ever. In-N-Out Burger deserves a “best burger award,” if there is one. I cannot wait until I visit California again during Thanksgiving and get to bite into a delicious Double Double Burger.