In-N-Out Burger

Started in 1948 as the first drive-thru hamburger joint with a two-way speaker box. They spread throughout southern california and have in recent years started popping up in northern california and elsewhere.

Their menu is simple and hasn't changed in years: hamburger, cheeseburger, double-double, fries, coke, shake. They offer a good meal at a fair price.

Most franchises are eerily identical, for customer comfort: no matter where you are, it feels like back home when you enter an In-N-Out. They all have the same seating arrangement, counter and kitchen space, decorations, and crossed palm trees out front.

It's been rumored that they're owned by the mormon church; this I can't confirm or deny. But it is true that on the crimp of each burger sleeve and the bottom of each cup, there's a biblical reference.

As an employee of In-N-Out Burger I am in on all the things we can offer customers. My manager even quizzed me on everything! Needless to say, I easily passed and recieved a raise from the minimum pay of $8.25 to $8.50 (Please keep in mind that in California the minimum wage is $5.75). Here are some other items:

Burgers
Whole grilled onions: Entire slices of onion which are grilled and put on the burger. One regular customer had 10 of these put on his burger.

Fries
Fries light: This option tells the fry person to pull the fries before they are fully cooked to a golden brown. My sister descirbes them as "mushy fries". Some people enjoy "20 second fries" leaving them virtually uncooked.
Fries with cheese: A melted slice of cheese is put on top of the fries for about $.20 more.

Shakes
Root Beer Float: Half vanilla shake and half root beer. I have never had this ordered before, but I sure know it can happen!

Drinks
Virtually any combination of drinks can be ordered. Common combination include: lemonade/tea, lemonade/7-up, and tea/7up.

Well, I think that about completes the list. If you go to an In-N-Out and order any of these things they should be happy and willing to oblige you. If not, just tell them how it is done. Happy eating! By Request: My opinion of why these items are "hidden" is to encourage regular customers to get to know the inner workings of In-N-Out and be proud that they know something that most people do not know. Don't we all love knowing something that other people don't? The menu hasn't changed since In-N-Out was first opened, so why should it change now? This is my opinion entirely, but I hope you see some sort of validity in it.

In-N-Out Burger only has a couple of "real" menu items. There's the burger, the cheeseburger and the double-double. There's fries. And then there's the drinks. And they're all good. Probably the best fast-food food around. But if you want variety, In-N-Out has tons of hidden menu items too. Amaze your friends with your insider culinary knowledge of the great In-N-Out Burger!

Order a Flying Dutchman and watch as people stare at your bunless oddity as it sits for pickup.

Feeling antisocial? Order a burger with 4 whole grilled onions.

Feeling self-destructive? Order a 10x10 and marvel at your burger with 10 beef patties, 10 slices of cheese filling the cardboard box with a receipt floating amidst all the grease. People will clap, pat you on the back and gape as you eat away a month of your life. Hey, you're only young once.

Oh, and in case you need to find the nearest In-N-Out, keep this phone number handy: 800-786-1000. That's the In-N-Out phone line, and they'll tell you where to find the nearest In-N-Out and how to get there. So far, I've found In-N-Outs in Culver City, Rancho Cucamonga and Kettelman City all with that number.

Happy eating!

• Animal Style: Mustard is spread on the bun before it’s grilled. Pickles, extra spread and grilled onions are added.

• Protein Style: You get the sandwich wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun.

• Old Fashioned Style: Ketchup and mustard instead of the sauce.

• Flying Dutchman: Two beef patties and two slices of cheese. That’s it. No bun, no veggies.

• Double Meat: Double-Double without the cheese

• 2 by 4: Two beef patties and four slices of cheese.

• 4 by 4: Four beef patties and four slices of cheese.

• X by Y: X beef patties and Y slices of cheese.

• Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Hamburger without the beef patty. This, however, costs just as much as a cheeseburger. Go figure.

• Veggie Burger or Wishburger: Hamburger without the beef patty or cheese. Somehow, this costs just as much as a hamburger.

• On the Sal: This is just lettuce and dressing. Nothing else.

• Fries Well-Done: Extra crispy fries. Some places will fry your fries twice to make them extra crispy. Yum.

• Animal Style Fries: Pony up a few more quarters for these DELUXE fries, which come topped with grilled onions, sauce and cheese for your eating pleasure.

• Choco-Vanilla Swirl Shake: Chocolate and vanilla shake.

• Neopolitan Shake: A custom mixture of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shake flavors.

• Home Run: This is when a car passes by the microphone without ordering and cruises right up to the service window.

Here's a list of the biblical references found on some of the wrappers and cups too, hidden in discreet places.

• REVELATION 3:20 (burger and cheeseburger wrappers): Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

• JOHN 3:16 (soda cups): For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

• PROVERBS 3:15 (milkshake cups): She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. (mmm... milkshakes)

• NAHUM 1:7 (Double-Double wrapper): The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

www.Yumfood.net
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/sleuth/sleuth2a.htm

In-N-Out Burger was founded in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California by Harry and Esther Snyder as the first drive-thru hamburger stand. In-N-Out is a family owned company that has locations in 3 states (California, Arizona, Nevada) and is one of the favorite hangouts for Southern Californians.

Interestingly, In-N-Out was slow to start as a chain and didn't expand much under Harry Snyder. However, following his death in 1976 his son Rich became CEO at 24, and expanded the chain from 18 stores to 93 at the time of his death in 1993. It was also during this time that Rich, working with his brother Guy, started what many people can see driving on Interstate 10, the In-N-Out University where managers are trained. Located in the same area is In-N-Out's headquarters where a commisary was built to help the company keep direct control of all stores. The company also sells merchandise with 2 stores (Baldwin Park and Las Vegas, Nevada), as well as online and mail order possible. One can pick up catalogs at any restaurant.

Jack In the Box says, "We don't make it until you order it," I suppose In-N-Out takes that literally. They proudly admit that they always use fresh meat, and one can see employees peeling and slicing potatoes for french fries. It's a little bit of a wait, and you have to take a number when you order, but it's quite good I assure you (Although if you order a shake, expect to be quite thick). They also cater to special events, often at my brother's school's open house, they'll have one of their cookout trailers there selling food.

The company has also come under fire, although nothing major has apparently occured, for putting passages from the Holy Bible in the crimp on the bottom of their cups. This offends quite a bit of people. Although I personally dislike religion displayed anywhere but at a place of worship or on something personal, it is a private company and they have the right to do what they want. Besides, it hasn't slowed down business, who has time to look under their cup to see what verse they got for lunch?

Menu

Shakes
Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla

Burgers
Double Double, Hamburger, Cheeseburger

And of course..fries and soda.

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Store Hours
Sunday through Thursday 10:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m.

winged had some commentary, since nuked, about Christian references at In-N-Out, stating that he and his friends were highly offended at them, and that they had decided to boycott the chain because of them. To them, I say: go for it.

It's your right to withhold your business from someone whose beliefs you don't support. Go to Wendy's (oops, Dave Thomas was a well-known United Methodist layman), or Chick-fil-A (aw, shoot, that doesn't work either; their corporate purpose is "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A" (www.chickfila.com/Company.asp) -- they're even closed on Sundays). Even the widow of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc recently donated $1.5 billion to the Salvation Army (update 3 February 2004). Guess you're just going to have to stick with Burger King. Fine by me; if In-N-Out, or any other such business, find that their religious references are causing them to lose business, they'll either stop doing so or fold the company.

Capitalism's a great thing. It allows us to run our business affairs the way we think best, so long as we're not violating a certain basic set of rules. If that means the owners of In-N-Out subtly proclaiming their Christianity, and you refusing to go there because of it, that's fine by everybody involved. And if you start a competing burger chain and drive them out of business through competition, that's the system working well.

A more general theme running through this is that in America over the past 20-30 years, some vocal non-Christians seem to have developed a finely-tuned sense of outrage toward any Christian references appearing in their daily lives -- for example, winged's original WU mentioned some sort of lawsuit against In-N-Out over this, although my research has led me to believe that's an urban legend. While I understand that they don't particularly care to have religion appear in unexpected places, they have the right not to listen, read, buy or whatever once they find out that the people behind those places aren't in it solely for the dollars. I therefore find their outrage to be a bit of an overreaction.

The free market allows you to direct your social and economic activity elsewhere if you so desire -- there's no element of force being used to make you go there, just your stomach's desire for good fast food. If you're really disturbed, drop a corporate office a letter stating why you will no longer patronize their business -- they will take notice, although they may send you back a letter kindly informing you that they prioritize their subtle evangelism over profit margins.

The boycott option is there, and it is legitimate. If you'd prefer to limit your consumption to strictly non-religious organizations (granted, that's not too limiting) the same way some evangelicals will only buy Christian music, read Christian opinion sites, and send their kids to Christian schools, go right ahead. Your dollars won't be going to endorse something you don't believe in. But don't deny people of faith the same freedoms to express their faith that you prefer to use in the other direction.

Live and let live, OK? And enjoy your burger and shake, whereever you buy it.