Burger Review - In N Out...

Address: 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite L24, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: (800) 786-1000
Webiste: http://www.in-n-out.com/

Review:

What more can be said about In-N-Out that has not been said by millions of their rabid and loyal followers? The California-based burger chain has a cult-like following, and has been producing some of the worlds best burgers since Harry Snyder opened up his first drive thru stand in Baldwin Park in 1948.  300+ locations later, and still going strong.

I have been to In-N-Out countless times - I am not from California, nor have I ever lived there. But because I appreciate all things burger, In-N-Out was on the must try list from practically everyone that has every visited one of their many locations west of the Mississippi River (sadly, they have yet to reach Colorado).

The location I most recently visited was actually not in California - it was the first In-N-Out located on the Las Vegas Strip, near the High Roller observation wheel in the Linq Promenade. When talking to the manager on a subsequent trip, he mentioned that this location is far and away the busiest location in the country, and I believe it. For some perspective - while visiting this time, I timed the cycle between order numbers. They ran through an entire cycle of 100 orders in 37 minutes. That's 100 orders, not 100 burgers, as my order included 2 Double Doubles and 2 singles alone. But my wait time - despite the order line being out the door - was less than 10 minutes.  Pretty amazing logistics, when you think about it.

It goes without saying that EVERYTHING is fresh and cooked to order. For today's order, the burger was cooked near perfect, and the bun was slightly blackened at the edge, as usual. The fries were perfection - fresh cut, deep fried and served hot. The cheese was completely melted and not burned at all.

In-N-Out started in a day where serving fresh beef and cut fries was somewhat of a rarity. Many chains and sit-down burgers offer the same sorts of experiences now - whether following the In-N-Out lead or realizing that ingredients matter.

I know that this is blasphemous to many, but In-N-Out is not the best burger that there is. Not even close.  It isn't even my favorite burger chain, and barely cracks the top 5 burger chains out there. Which isn't to say that they don't have a burger worth recommending - they do, and I continue to go there on business trips all the time, and will continue to do so. Just understand in these days of a "burger renaissance", there are hundreds of quality choices out there, and In-N-Out is one of many worth experiencing.