My First Time at In-N-Out

Let me tell you a story.

I had a weekend trip planned for Phoenix. My wife and I were going up there so I could pace my buddy in his 100k race. This was the plan all along. We took our flight out on Friday and had pretty much a full afternoon and evening in the Phoenix area. The race was last Saturday so everything was looking like it was going according to plan. Then we got a call from my mom around 7pm. Our daughter had a 104.1 temperature. So, like I imagine most parents would do, we found the earliest flight we could get the next morning and headed home. we weren't going to have my folks, who are more than capable, have to deal with that kind of sickness. We wanted to be with our daughter and she wanted us to be there with her. My buddy running the race, who is also a dad, fully understood. My folks understood. We had to be back to take care of her. My job, as the at home parent, is to make sure my kids have the care they need, especially in a situation like this. And for those of you wondering, my buddy ran and crushed the race that Saturday, and my daughter, who was diagnosed with flu and strep, is feeling better. Her fever broke yesterday and now she is saddled with a nasty cough, but she is moving around and acting more like herself today. I say all of this to get to the point of what I wanted to talk about today, which is In N Out Burger.

I mentioned we made our flight before our daughter got sick, and we had an afternoon in Phoenix. My wife had been there before and mentioned that they had an In N Out Burger. She has been before, but I have not. I had actually kind of given up on the fact that I may never have this very popular fast food chain. I truly have no reason to go to the West Coast right now, although I'd love to, so the thought of trying this well known food spot was not really on my mind. That changed last Friday. We found one very near our hotel, we hadn't had lunch, we still had time before check in, so my wife decided it was time for me to try it. I was stoked going in. I have heard so many great things about their burgers, so I was eager to try one.

When we walked in, we ate there, it looked like your classic diner joint, which was very appealing to me. The staff at this location was incredibly friendly and made me feel like a regular the moment I stepped into the store front. I ordered the Double Double, which I have to assume is the regular pick for any newcomer, some fries and a soda. They gave us the cup to fill our drink, which was a bit of a letdown. For some reason I thought they had a soda jerk or something like that, but that's a me issue, not In N Out. After I filled my cup and sat down, all that was left was the waiting, and it felt like a bit of a wait. I don't know if this is just an Arizona thing, because the people who I have heard talk about this place that live in LA talk about how fast the customer service is. But they do make the stuff to order, so I did not fully mind the wait. After about 10 minutes, they called our order and I was ready to devour this food.

I went with my burger first and it was as good as advertised. The meat was flavorful and juicy and plentiful. The bun was soft and delicious. The veggies, we got them all on the burger, tasted fresh and fantastic. The pickles and onion had a nice crunch. The tomato was nice and firm. The lettuce added a nice freshness. The secret sauce was very, very good and added a whole separate flavor to the seasoning on the burger. And the cheese was melted and gooey. This was a fantastical mess of a burger and I couldn't get enough of it. My wife had about a quarter of her burger left and I about finished what was left on the table. I have eaten a lot of burgers in my 43 plus years, and the In N Out Burger is one of the better ones I've ever had.

The fries on the other hand were odd and not for me. First off they don't look as fried as other places. They also don't salt the fries, instead opting to give you a salt packet on top of the napkins they put on top of the boat of fries. And when I bit into my first one I was puzzled. They didn't have a snap. They were soft through and through. I told my wife, who does like the fries, that they tasted like they took mashed potatoes, shaped them into fries and then put them in the fryer for half the time other chains do with their own fries. I tried a few more, they're fries afterall, but I stopped after about seven. I wasn't into them. The texture was weird and off putting in my opinion. I have heard others say the fries are hit or miss and they were a miss for me. But that burger was so damn good that I am more than willing to overlook my distaste for the fries.

I implore anyone who is heading to a city with an In N Out Burger to try the burger. You will not regret it. I will definitely be looking to find more In N Out's on my future travels. I am a fan of the burger from here on out. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.