"... of the fast-food chain back home, and visits to a drive-through were often the first order of business after their planes touched down at LAX...."
So begins WaPo's puff piece, "In-N-Out’s eastern expansion gets farther from its California roots." It's such a wonderful place; the only question is whether it might lose some luster by becoming more available.
But commenters over there are not taking the cue to drool over these hamburgers:
I don't eat at this place. Used to, then I found out they are big Donald Trump financial supporters. I will never eat there again.
Well, that kills it for me.
I didn't know that, but remember they had a very cavalier policy towards Covid, so that's 2 reasons.
Fundamentalists as well. Praise Jay-Zus
Well, add them to the do not go to place. Right there with Chic-fl-a or what ever it’s called. s
The owner is a fundamentalist MAGA type. Are you sure you want to support them?
In Utah they never required their employees to wear a mask...even at the high point.
Biblical verses with my food give me indigestion. Every time.
Are you sure you went to In-n-Out?
Yes. Look at the wrappers and cups. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/in-n-out/
The "biblical passages" on the wrappers tell you all you need to know. That the owners are Christian zealots and big Trump supporters and donators. Oh, and another thing you need to know, the burgers are skimpy and overrated by a country mile, and everything else is just meh....
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88 comments:
I always love it when people claim that someone, or some thing, wildly popular with the public is "over-rated", giving no arguments to support that opinion.
Apparently the sun shines from millions of asses.
Breathing oxygen?
Donald Trump breathes oxygen.
People who love Jay-Zus LOVE breathing oxygen!
There are TWO, TWO oxygen molecules in every molecule of CO2!
That should be enough for any serious progressive to stop.
They certainly tell you who they are.
After reading the WaPoo comments maybe the lines will be bit a shorter at In-N-Out. Certainly hasn't work for Chick-Fil-a.
The most nostalgic thing about In-N-Out Burger is what teenage boys used to do with scissors to the B and R on their bumper stickers:
In-N-Out
__Urge__
If you've eaten at 5 Guys or Culvers or many Smash Burger locations, then In-N-Out isn't actually better. They sell retro 1950s style food and are fun for what they are. It's the path not taken by McDonalds, and certainly preferable to McDs food.
Good. More for us. What a bunch of pansies.
Reminds me of the spice company Penzeys. The owner HATES Trump and told all of his customers that they aren't welcome to buy from him if they support him. Well guess what. We order from them KNOWING that he would be PISSED OFF that a Trump supporter is using his product. Fuck him. This is America, and I will buy what I want. (for now) I figure that is MY way at getting back at him for being an asshole.
The In-N-Out phenomenon in California is simply a desire to have an experience that is purely local. Unfortunately unlike Chicago pizza or Ney York deli pastrami or New England coast chowder house clam chowder, it is just a burger joint. Like so many other burger joints. So the rest of us are confused over the devotion to something familiar to the rest of the country.
I love Five Guys but it's so expensive! IN n Out is pretty great and actually fast food priced. I was excited about the expansion and believe that Tennessee being the Eastern headquarters is just window dressing until corporate totally leaves California.
Good. A place to go without having to put up with progressives, and less crowded now. Win, win.
I do agree with the commenter that said their burgers are over rated. Culver's burgers are far better, IMO.
LOL - McDs is a nostalgia trip for me! We always stop at one on our road trips, just because.
Not only are their burgers over rated, their grapes are really sour!
Wendy who said, “ We order from them KNOWING that he would be PISSED OFF that a Trump supporter…”. Umm, you are doing this wrong.
"There are TWO, TWO oxygen molecules in every molecule of CO2!"
Just breathe in, or you're worse than Trump.
after reading those WaPoo comments, i feel the need.. The need to FEED!!!
And DD Driver? Just keep telling yourself that.. Keep on telling yourself.. One day You'll believe it
When I was in college back in the previous millennium, Coors beer was a regional brand. It was sold in west Texas, but not in east Texas where I was. Guys returned from trips home in west Texas with a couple of cases of the stuff. It tasted so much better than Lone Star or Pearl, only because it was "imported."
Same thing going on here, I suspect.
Ugh, those icky, icky, christians don't know how to run restaurants:
Top 10 quick service restaurants ranked by sales per store, 2020
1 CHICK-FIL-A* $5,013.00
2 RAISING CANE'S $3,850.00
3 WHATABURGER $3,197.00
4 IN-N-OUT BURGER $3,060.00
5 MCDONALD'S $2,944.00
6 CULVER'S $2,624.00
7 FIVE GUYS $2,575.00
8 PANERA BREAD $2,500.00
9 KRISPY KREME $2,259.00
10 ZAXBY'S $2,200.00
*Open 6 days. If normalized to 7 day operation, $5,848 sales per store
https://www.qsrmagazine.com/content/qsr50-2021-top-50-chart Sorting and CFA normalization by me.
I find the $1200 gap between #1 and #2 especially interesting. Particularly since #1 is open 1 less day a week. I don't know about Raising Cane's but I do know Whataburger, In and Out, Culvers and most of the others. I like CFA (though I can't eat there because of the peanut oil) but is it really that much better than all the others?
Kind of illustrates the other side of the "get woke, go broke" cliche.
John Henry
Ugh, those icky, icky, christians don't know how to run restaurants:
Top 10 quick service restaurants ranked by sales per store, 2020
1 CHICK-FIL-A* $5,013.00
2 RAISING CANE'S $3,850.00
3 WHATABURGER $3,197.00
4 IN-N-OUT BURGER $3,060.00
5 MCDONALD'S $2,944.00
6 CULVER'S $2,624.00
7 FIVE GUYS $2,575.00
8 PANERA BREAD $2,500.00
9 KRISPY KREME $2,259.00
10 ZAXBY'S $2,200.00
*Open 6 days. If normalized to 7 day operation, $5,848 sales per store
https://www.qsrmagazine.com/content/qsr50-2021-top-50-chart Sorting and CFA normalization by me.
I find the $1200 gap between #1 and #2 especially interesting. Particularly since #1 is open 1 less day a week. I don't know about Raising Cane's but I do know Whataburger, In and Out, Culvers and most of the others. I like CFA (though I can't eat there because of the peanut oil) but is it really that much better than all the others?
Kind of illustrates the other side of the "get woke, go broke" cliche.
John Henry
I've only been to one once, but now that I know that lefties are again making their consumer decisions on the basis of whether they consider someone to be religious and/or conservative, I'm considering a lunch run today. I am not crazy about being urged to have a blessed day (and I *am* both religious ( though Episcopalian - and conservative!) but I recognize that the sentiment is kindly meant.
In-N-Out burgers are over-rated. Didn't live up the hype, for me. They weren't bad, just nothing to rave about. Just okay.
Some people love them.
Others prefer the taste of self-righteous intolerance, apparently.
I don't get the reverence for hamburgers.
Some are better than others, but all are boring and largely tasteless.
Wendybar, that is a very strange way to get back at someone. “I’m getting him back by helping him financially!”
Here in LA the In-N-Outs are usually packed, lines out the door and drive-thrus too. Nobody cares about the politics.
First of all, In-N-Out is great. Let's get that out of the way. I was one of those 'east coasters' years ago, working for an SF area based company. Twice a year we'd go out there for meetings and inevitably, for one of the lunch breaks, we'd be taken to an In-N-Out burger spot in the area. I was very skeptical. Then...I was taught how to order them, what language to use for what I wanted, and...they were great burgers. I was immediately hooked. So there's that.
Secondly- today's Californians are nothing like Californians used to be. Today they are all clones. These are not the sun worshipping, car loving, surf riding, independent people of the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's. These people slather on sunscreen before they go out via uber, not their own car, to get a vegan meat-like thing from a planet saving restaurant operator who, in his spare time donates his time to the Homeless Fund and his spare money to the Chelsea for Senate campaign. They check their phone each morning to know where to eat, what to think, and what words are banned going forward.
In-N-Out may not be the same outside of California in it's day. It may not work as it crawls east. But it probably can no longer work in a California that is drifting further from reality every single day.
Enigma… yes, the defacing of the bumper stickers was quite popular, lol.
Better burgers can be found, but not in the fast food lane. Leave the East Coast to White Castle… whose burgers identify their proponents as having their taste in their asses.
I agree with several other comments - Culver's is at least as good as any of the fancy places like Five Guys and In and Out and Smashburger. We're so glad we have one 15 minutes away despite living in KY.
Something like Five Guys, which was also a highly-praised local chain for some time. When it finally got here it didn't measure up to all the hoopla. You do get more of a choice there (and all the free peanuts you want!), but in the end a burger is just a burger.
For a large franchise In and Out is a good burger. Certainly better than Micky Ds or Burger King. I'd say on par with Wendys. 5 guys has got it knocked for best burger. Whalburger doesn't come close. Culvers does though. 5 guys fries are the best. Portillos was in the running but he sold the franchise and you're lucky today if you get a burger that is even warm.
I’m more than reliably informed that they’re trying to leave California. Even the surviving member of the Surfaris has moved to Tennessee
In-N-Out burgers are just a lame, Californian version of Whataburger, but with smaller buns. Here in Texas, we regard In-N-Out as just another annoying Californian immigrant trying to make Texas worse.
It must be exhausting for some people to go about their daily lives.
I had In N Out just once, about a year ago when I went to Phoenix on business. I missed dinner because of the time of my flight, and no restaurants open at Sky Harbor when I landed. By the time my ride picked me up I was starving....we hit and In N Out on the way to his place. Man it was good.
Well the penzeys comment is quite strange. Sorta like musks’s give me $8. We stopped using penzeys when they told me they hated me. We went with the original, the spice house in particular because they were apolitical.
Why should I ever suport such a narrow bigoted company such as penzeys.
In this case what dems call a bug, I call a feature.
West TX Intermediate Crude said...
When I was in college back in the previous millennium, Coors beer was a regional brand. It was sold in west Texas, but not in east Texas where I was.
I remember this one time.. Back in the '70's.
Me and my friend (and his basset hound) accepted a bet, that we could get an entire semi full of Coors, from Texarkana to Atlanta in 28 hours. Back then, the speed limit was only 55; so i drove a 'blocker' car to distract the cops.. It All got VERY complicated
wendybar said...
Good. More for us. What a bunch of pansies
I like the expansion East since it might mean the Japanese kids won’t be hogging all the tables at Shake Shack while they InstyTiKTok their lunch…
Here in LA the In-N-Outs are usually packed, lines out the door and drive-thrus too. Nobody cares about the politics.
There was lots of whining about Chik-Fil-A opening in Boston but the Copley location has been there for a year and the lunch line was still out the door when I walked by in December…
The In-N-Out Experience
My experience with them is they are good for what they are. The buns are fresh, the meat is hot and the lettuce and tomatoes are cold.
I have eaten out 3 times in the last year.
The kids got some chicken nuggets at McDonalds on our last road trip. I had steak and eggs at applebees and fasted the rest.
This is part of the habits discussion above.
Most people condition themselves to enjoy eating certain foods and to signal eating the foods that make them part of the tribe. Leviticus as example.
What we eat is as much a religion to people as the faith in supreme beings or secular institutions are. The pathways that are reinforced in our brain with regards to food are some of the strongest neural circuits we ever form.
I only care if the food/product etc. is good. It's got to be so tiring ordering life around politics every waking moment.
I had In-N-Out on my one sojourn to CA back in '03. It was everything I had hoped for.
Gilbar,
Did you have your "tin in the wind"?
I was just rocking out with my Jerry Reed collection yesterday.
Did you know that Burt Reynolds called Jerry Reed the best actor he had ever known?
In the 70s when I was still in the Navy there used to be a regular Air Force flight from Washington state to Roosevelt Roads. The AF guys would always load up with Olympia beer and sell it when they got here. Pretty good beer. I don't think it was available east of the Rockies.
John Henry
I quite like the animal-style burger, the basic one is kind of Meh to me. But the fries are quite good. A big plus is the staff is well-trained and they do their jobs well. The place is clean and well-run. Five Guys is the same way (I always get a hot dog there though). McD's (at least where I am -- Phoenix area) seems to be slipping a bit in that regard.
I have just discovered Coors (since my youth, I have pronounced it 'currs' just for fun). I keep a bunch of 'cheap' domestic for cooking brats and when I just want to guzzle some after a bike ride or something. I quite like it.
They cite to Bible passages on the bottom of their cups, etc. I would have no problem with inspirational quotes, but to pick one religion over others is disrespectful to your customers of other persuasions. People that just want to buy a fucking hamburger. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if they were hiding messages from the Koran, etc.
They cite to Bible passages on the bottom of their cups, etc. I would have no problem with inspirational quotes, but to pick one religion over others is disrespectful to your customers of other persuasions. People that just want to buy a fucking hamburger. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if they were hiding messages from the Koran, etc.
Ate there just last night...the burger was delicious and the soda was plentiful as you can still refill your own cup.
Never a big fan of the fries but my wife loves them.
Give me a Double-Double (with onion), McDonalds (old school with grease) fries, and a Swensens milkshake, and you have the ultimate 'junk food' meal...
'5 guys has got it knocked for best burger.'
I really wanted to like these.
One opened up near us a few years ago and we gave it a try.
By far the best looking fast food burger I'd ever seen...they could have used it for a photo shoot.
But there was hardly any flavor.
Maybe I'll try again...
Interesting how none of those comments have anything to do with the quality of the burger.
It's all politics, all the time with these people.
Wonder if they investigate the owners of ALL the restaurants they eat at, or only those that are obviously Christian?
'They cite to Bible passages on the bottom of their cups, etc. I would have no problem with inspirational quotes, but to pick one religion over others is disrespectful to your customers of other persuasions. People that just want to buy a fucking hamburger. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if they were hiding messages from the Koran, etc.'
It's a private company.
Eat somewhere else.
You won't be missed...
Yeah, everyone from Texas can fight me but I think Whataburger is meh.
Peeps like in-and-out burger because its fast and cheap and you can see them cooking the food. The also keep their restaurants clean and pay the help relatively good wages.
The supersmall menu keeps the lines moving and prices down.
Personally, I like their fries, but their burgers are just average. very average. I'd rather go to chick fila or burger king.
In-N-Out is misunderstood by non-Californians. It is the best and cheapest fast-food burger compared to McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc; it’s not as good as 5 Guys, The Habit, etc, but those cost twice as much and when you’re traveling you’re often looking for the least-expensive acceptable option — to satisfice, as the economists say. Plus they print Bible verses on their packaging which irritates all the right people.
Speaking of willful irritation, I had never heard of Chick-fil-A until all the right people started telling me I had to boycott it. Naturally I had to seek it out and since then it’s become our go-to cheap road food (except on Sundays). They do their one thing really well, and when I say “thank you” to their employees they always say “it’s my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome.”
Perhaps In-n-Out figured out the same thing as Chick Fil-A; their critics were never their customer base. Further, they understand that succumbing to their demands to observe the pieties would not make them customers, so EF'em.
We have In-N-Out in Arizona. They are pretty good burgers, but they're not burgers from the Gods. I don't know how far East they've spread. At one time they weren't going to open up much past New Mexico because they don't want to freeze the meat and the meat suppliers that are up to their standards are based on the west coast.
It's a lot like Coors beer not being available east of the Mississippi when I was in high school. We had hundreds of urban legend reasons as to why, but the reality was that due to their brewing processes the beer just didn't ship well beyond a certain point.
FWIW, The Habit is pretty much an upscale version of In-N-Out with more burger toppings. (Including avocado!)
Never heard the politics of sole owner being used against it out here. Anthony Bourdain claimed he never flew into LAX without stopping at the location on Sepulveda.
I've never understood making a trek for a fast food burger. I tend to go with McD, walking distance from home, or Shake Shack, across the street from work. But I have low standards, growing up down the street from Wimpy.
Biblical verses with my food give me indigestion. Every time.
Yes. Look at the wrappers and cups. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/in-n-out/
Funny thing about that is; that was done very unobtrusively and didn't come to light until some of these same In-N-Out obsessives found out what it was.
Let the whiny simps eat tofu.
I'm putting together a business plan for a chain named "Innies and Outies", to message the binary through sammiches and soft-serve.
I aim to break Achilles' fast.
I fear wendybar will boycott so as to support me.
Their burgers are ok. Good for the price. I never noticed the Bible verses before. I'll have to look for them next time.
I've eaten at Halal Guys before. I wouldn't mind verses from the Koran on their wrappers, unless it was something like "Kill the infidel."
https://www.here-chicky-chicky.com/
I tried them when I worked in San Diego. They weren’t worth going back. Especially not with Carl’s Jr. on every corner. There was a Carl’s Jr. in my hotel parking lot AND across the street from my workplace. I put a lot of weight on that year.
I tried Five Guys near me. Twice, because people told me the first time had to be a fluke. Nope, it tasted like high school hot lunch burgers. The “famous” fries were salty and starchy but not very potato-y.
My favorite burger franchise was Mooyah. But it wasn't fast at all. I sometimes waited up to 15 minutes after ordering one. Apparently other customers were less willing to wait that long, because the only location anywhere near me closed a couple of years ago.
I can make a pretty decent cheeseburger at home, and don't often go out of my way to grab one at a restaurant. But I'll go miles out of my way for a Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich.
Readering said...
"I've never understood making a trek for a fast food burger."
Philistine. It's because you have never had a really great burger. Zuckers Tap in Delafield Wisconsin. Long ago. Fresh beef just grilled. Not seasoned. Mild cheddar. Grilled onions and mushrooms. So good you didn't want to ruin it with katsup. Once you've had a truly great burger you'll go out of your way to avoid McDonalds. Try 5 guys.
Earnest Prole said...
In-N-Out is misunderstood by non-Californians. It is the best and cheapest fast-food burger compared to McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc; it’s not as good as 5 Guys,
I remember when In n Out opened their place in El Centro, CA. They had cars around the block in line. We stop there driving to CA and back to AZ. Never had a 5 guys. We usually stop in Yuma and there is a traffic issue around noon. Family owned although a number of execs were killed in a plane crash a few years ago. They pay above minimum wage and the kids work hard.
I refuse to eat at in and out burger because it is a subtle reference to the act of sexual intercourse.
I finally got a chance to try In-N-Out a couple of years ago on a trip to Texas, as well as Whataburger. Both were good. We have Culver's and Five Guys here locally, and I like those, too. The best burger I've had in recent years was at Burger Fi; their CEO Burger, which is a blend of Wagyu beef and brisket, is outstanding. It is served with candied bacon-tomato jam, truffle aioli and aged Swiss cheese. They also have really good onion rings the size of teacups. Recommended if they have one near you.
I might have liked In-N-Out better if I hadn't been told how great it was before I tried it.
It's kinda like saying, "You want to hear the funniest joke ever?", before you tell it.
Our nearest In-n-Out is in Keizer (Salem), OR. So, no. I'm not driving three hours for a burger.
However, whenever we travel to Vegas, our very first stop (even before checking in) is the In-n-Out next to the UNLV campus. Maybe it's the rarity that makes me like them more than others.
Anthony Bourdain claimed he never flew into LAX without stopping at the location on Sepulveda.
Been to that one several times flying in and out of LAX. Sitting outside, soaking up the sun, watching 747s land while eating not one, but two double-doubles.
In n Out is ok but never thought of it as something special. There was one across the parking lot from the hotel I usually stayed at in San Jose. If it was late and I just wanted to grab something and crash it was fine, but if there was a line I went down to the McDonalds a bit down the street and it was fine too.
"Philistine. It's because you have never had a really great burger. Zuckers Tap in Delafield Wisconsin."
Zunkers? Does not look like fast food. I'm always on the lookout for a great burger. What I usually order if lunching in a new place, to see how they measure up. But some time ago decided not wise to order them the way I order my steaks. Too much unwarranted risk. Of course, everything is relative. when the original Hard Rock Cafe opened in London, in 1971, its burgers seem like a revelation. Now?
I go to 5 Guys whenever I have one of my cars smog-tested across the street. Burgers nothing special. Sometimes I just get the fries, which they seem to take more pride in. and good shakes...
Kenji Lopez-Alt from Serious Eats has a piece where he tries to recreate a double-double, animal style. Turns out one of the main reasons their burgers are so damn good is that the ground beef is 60-40 lean-fat ratio. Yummmmm! https://www.seriouseats.com/in-n-outs-double-double-animal-style-burger-recipe
Taking offense at Bible references is hilarious. Aren't these people mostly athiests? What do they care if there's references to a fairy god in the sky?
It's also hilarious to see people getting angry about how it's disrespecting other religions by NOT including their sacred texts on the bottom of a soda cup.
In-N-Out doesn't serve chicken. Guess that means they're disrespecting chickens. They don't serve ribs. Guess they're disrespecting pork. They don't do X, which means they're disrespecting X.
LOL
I understand why some folks don't like In-n-Out - my kids prefer 5 Guys or Whattaburger. Or Culvers. I just like the In-n-Out presentation and flavor. I like the cost. 5 Guys may be better (Cook Out burgers may be better), but when it comes to cost, InO wins all the time.
I can't understand the narrow-minded bigots who base their food choices on whether a utensil has a bible verse hidden on it somewhere. It reminds me of the P&G Satanist controversy.
Weird fact - my father used to go to the first McDonalds in San Bernardino when he was a teenager. I used to go to the first 5 Guys in Arlington VA (it was a carryout only). I didn't think 5 Guys was going to succeed.
readering said...
"Philistine. It's because you have never had a really great burger. Zuckers Tap in Delafield Wisconsin."
"Zunkers? Does not look like fast food."
It's not. it's a datum from which all other burgers are measured.
HopDoddies is a franchise in CA. as well. It was one of those places when they first opened the original burgers were first rate, but now they are. meh.
I would rather go hungry than eat a MickyDs burger. There's so much better stuff out there.
jim5301: "They cite to Bible passages on the bottom of their cups, etc. I would have no problem with inspirational quotes, but to pick one religion over others is disrespectful to your customers of other persuasions. People that just want to buy a fucking hamburger. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if they were hiding messages from the Koran, etc."
Perhaps you could gather up some of your other lefty Karen wussy pals and mount a demonstration or 2 in support of your islamic supremacist brothers and sisters.
Something tells me if this burger chain ONLY offered up koranic verses you would have zero problem with that. You would even laud them and claim anyone complaining about it were islamophobes and h8ters and probably nazis.
jim5301: "They cite to Bible passages on the bottom of their cups, etc. I would have no problem with inspirational quotes, but to pick one religion over others is disrespectful to your customers of other persuasions. People that just want to buy a fucking hamburger. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if they were hiding messages from the Koran, etc."
Perhaps you could gather up some of your other lefty Karen wussy pals and mount a demonstration or 2 in support of your islamic supremacist brothers and sisters.
Something tells me if this burger chain ONLY offered up koranic verses you would have zero problem with that. You would even laud them and claim anyone complaining about it were islamophobes and h8ters and probably nazis.
"wendybar said...
Reminds me of the spice company Penzeys. The owner HATES Trump and told all of his customers that they aren't welcome to buy from him if they support him. Well guess what. We order from them KNOWING that he would be PISSED OFF that a Trump supporter is using his product. Fuck him. This is America, and I will buy what I want. (for now) I figure that is MY way at getting back at him for being an asshole"
Penzey's sister runs www.spicehouse.com and sells the same stuff. Keeps her politics to herself, also.
I wouldn't mind Koranic verses on the cups, so long as I don't get beheaded.
I know that Wimpy burgers are crap, but having eaten so many growing up, I have a soft spot for them. Especially the one with a fried egg on it. I was thinking about Wimpy just this morning.
Thanks Rusty, I'll have to look for that. 2 places for good cheap burger meals in LA are Pie n Burger in Pasadena, down the street from Caltech (cash only), and Apple Pan, Westwood across from the now shuttered Westside Pavilion. It used to be just indoor stools, but now outdoor seating also, and some reduction in traffic without WP.
Before I leave this thread - and there's nothing better than a burger thread - we have a Five Guys in Olympia. It's on the west side.
I heard all about Five Guys. Went there once a few years ago. Not five minutes away.
Took more than 20 minutes to get a burger and fries, and there weren't more than 10 people in the entire joint. It was ... edible.
Maybe it's more about the pride and workmanship of the people who are serving us then the actual brand.
Their food is inedible. And such small portions.
It's a freaking burger, you either like it or you don't. Stick the politics, people are so brainwashed.
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