Dinner, Animal Style

Greetings, Readers.

Recently, I had been going through my catalog of reviews and noticed one glaring error. One especially glaring error since I live in southern California, the birthplace of many fast food joints.

So, Readers, let’s talk about In N Out Burger.

If you don’t live out west, you’ve probably heard of this fast food chain that started in 1948. Whether from its references in The Big Lebowski or from the whispered rumors of a “secret menu” (all of which are totally true…or mostly), In N Out is a western staple of fast food.

When approaching the counter, the menu is deceptively simple: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, fries and either soft drinks or shakes. This is where you can start to get creative. Would you like a “3 by 3” (3 patties, three slices of cheese)? Or how about “Protein Style” (a burger with lettuce leaves in place of the bun)?

Then of course, there’s  “Animal Style” where you get an extra dose of sauce and grilled onions on top of the patty.

For this time, and pretty much every time I go, I ordered a single cheeseburger, Animal Style, with Animal Style fries and I swapped my soft drink out for a chocolate shake. The ingredients arrive to each In N Out location fresh and aren’t stored at the locations under heat lamps or in freezers. They’re fresh in and fresh out, which means that their flavor is much better than your regular run-of-the-mill fast food location.

The patties, while on the thin side compared to other chains, burst with flavor, and the fresh lettuce provides a lively crispness to the sandwich. The American cheese and Animal Style addition add a nice mellow flavor the round out the sandwich.

Oh, and for you newbies, the fries are freshly made at each location. A potato goes into a small fry maker, a handle is pulled, and fresh-cut fries shoot out.

And don’t forget the chocolate shakes. Made with real ice cream, these are definitely the best shakes you can get from a fast food location, so don’t miss out on them.

All in all people, if you’re out West and you’re looking to try a fast food location, you can’t go wrong with In N Out Burger. The fresh ingredients and great flavors make this a can’t miss food tour stop in Southern California.

If you’ve had In N Out Burger before, Readers, what’s your usual order?

Until next week…