Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I tried In-N-Out for the first time recently in California. It was the most disappointing and tasteless meal I'd had in a long time. What is all the fuss about? Aren't there enough burger joints already here, and better than this?
Great American Bites: Is In-N-Out Burger overhyped?
Larry Olmsted, Special for USA TODAY Published 5:00 a.m. ET Aug. 1, 2013 | Updated 2:50 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2013
Quote:
The scene: Few – if any – fast food chains enjoy the fandom given to California-based In-N-Out Burger, which has built an almost cult-like following since its first store opened in the Los Angeles area in 1948.
Quote:
The most obvious thing that sets In-N-Out apart from its competitors is the scant menu, which ostensibly features nothing but burgers and cheeseburgers, plus fries, shakes and soft drinks. No chicken nuggets, fried fish, salads, breakfast sandwiches, onion rings and no wraps of any kind. Burgers and fries are the mainstays,
Quote:
The food: Despite its very passionate loyal following, the actual burgers at In-N-Out are not especially good. The very basic, thin fast-food patties housed in generic buns are nearly identical to those at McDonald's or Burger King. What does set them apart are the trimmings, as the chain emphasizes freshness. The thick-sliced tomato, onion and crispy lettuce are noticeably superior to their competitors. A burger with the works, which includes their signature "spread" – think Thousand Island dressing – becomes a substantial and fairly tasty combo; a great value at less than two bucks for a burger (and just $3.30 for a loaded double cheeseburger). If you order your burgers or cheeseburgers more on the plain side, though, you may have trouble understanding what the In-N-Out fuss is all about.
I tried In-N-Out for the first time recently in California. It was the most disappointing and tasteless meal I'd had in a long time. What is all the fuss about? Aren't there enough burger joints already here, and better than this?
Every region of the country has a home-grown cheap hamburger chain or two that the locals have for some reason fallen in love with. We've got Blake's...places like White Castle or Whataburger are a lot bigger, but are fundamentally the same kind of thing.
So is In-N-Out, but there are so many Southern Californians in this part of the country and they're so vocal and confident in their opinions that lots of people throughout the West and Southwest (including many who've never eaten there) have come to believe the hype and imagine In-N-Out as something more than what it is: just another regional cheap hamburger.
Personally, I'll take 5 Star or Laguna Burger over In-N-Out any day...
Every region of the country has a home-grown cheap hamburger chain or two that the locals have for some reason fallen in love with. We've got Blake's...places like White Castle or Whataburger are a lot bigger, but are fundamentally the same kind of thing.
So is In-N-Out, but there are so many Southern Californians in this part of the country and they're so vocal and confident in their opinions that lots of people throughout the West and Southwest (including many who've never eaten there) have come to believe the hype and imagine In-N-Out as something more than what it is: just another regional cheap hamburger.
Personally, I'll take 5 Star or Laguna Burger over In-N-Out any day...
I'm an expat from SoCal. I didn't eat at In-N-Out all that much when I lived there, mostly due to the crowds and cleanliness problems that resulted. I will go to bat for the burger, however. Pretty darn good with that sauce and the crisp extras. The fries, meh. I went to Habit much more than In-N-Out when in L.A., though.
I would be more likely to dismiss Blake's as a cheap regional burger than In-N-Out. Too often the burgers come out cold there. (Better fries, though.) But I do like Blake's. Would like to see Steak 'n Shake here.
I agree about the Laguna Burger -- you pay more and get more meat and it's really good. I also like, here in ABQ, the steakburgers at the Freddy's chain.
Best burger I've had here is at Holy Cow, but that's well beyond a franchise burger.
I would be more likely to dismiss Blake's as a cheap regional burger than In-N-Out.
Blake's Lotaburger was founded in 1952 by Blake Chanslor, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Blake's has 75 locations, most of them in New Mexico, with several locations in Tucson, Arizona and Texas. All Blake's Lotaburger restaurants are company-owned.
We have Blake's Lotaburger here now... They have been here a long time... There is no In-N-Out currently in New Mexico...
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 10-19-2018 at 06:28 PM..
She moved the company into Texas for the first time in 2011 and into Oregon four years later. Last November, In-N-Out announced it would expand to Colorado—once it finishes building a new regional headquarters and a patty-making facility there, likely by 2020. New Mexico may be next, a few years after Colorado, Snyder says,
Every region of the country has a home-grown cheap hamburger chain or two that the locals have for some reason fallen in love with. We've got Blake's...places like White Castle or Whataburger are a lot bigger, but are fundamentally the same kind of thing.
This makes sense, I guess. I grew up in White Castle country and never understood why people ate those things.
This makes sense, I guess. I grew up in White Castle country and never understood why people ate those things.
They were different. When I was much younger we would drive from Miami to New York City every summer. It was a 3 to 4 day drive each way. I remember all the eating places we would pass. White Castle was one I remember stopping at...
I would be more likely to dismiss Blake's as a cheap regional burger than In-N-Out. Too often the burgers come out cold there. (Better fries, though.)
I find Blake's to be hit or miss. Which is odd considering they are a geographically restricted chain and all sites are company owned. You would think at least in Albuquerque that all locations would be occasionally subject to spot checks for quality, but some stores are just sloppy.
However, when Blake's is good, and to me, that is more often than not, it is a solid, all-American burger (with green chile) :-)
I think one of the most underrated burgers in town and it is not a franchise, but it is a "real" diner burger, is the one produced by Route 66 Diner on Central just west of University Blvd. Outstanding burger and perhaps my second only to Laguna in the realm of fast food/diner type burgers.
The Frontier, while widely appreciated in general is rarely singled out for its burgers, but that is a real solid diner burger as well.
If and when In n Out comes to Albuquerque, I'll eagerly try it to see what all the hype is about. I have heard enough praise to be interested, and enough scorn to keep my expectations in check.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
