Rules You Should Know For Eating At In-N-Out

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Few fast food restaurants are as legendary as In-N-Out. While chains like Whataburger and Habit Burger & Grill may maintain similar cult followings, they arguably lack In-N-Out's mystique. From the crossed palm trees that greet customers to a menu that's simple on the surface but endlessly customizable for those in the know, In-N-Out is overt in its commitment to separating itself from the competition at every possible opportunity.

Because it doesn't do things quite the same way as other fast food chains, there's simply more information than usual that anyone unfamiliar with the chain should know before visiting an In-N-Out. Some insight into how the menu works can help guarantee the perfect order. Plus, just understanding how the restaurant functions logistically will ensure a smooth and uncomplicated visit. Each of the following is a rule every customer should know for the best In-N-Out trip possible.

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In-N-Out famously maintains a so-called secret menu, and there's a lot more to it than the basics like ordering something animal style or customizing a Neapolitan shake. For those unfamiliar, animal style simply refers to the addition of pickles, grilled onions, and extra thousand island spread. Burgers and fries can both be ordered animal style. Milkshakes, meanwhile, come standard in chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla flavors. Any two or three of those can be combined, with the combination of all three referred to as a Neapolitan shake.

Another customization option on the secret menu is the 3x3. This refers to a burger with three patties and three slices of cheese. It's possible to raise those numbers, too. Ask for a 4x4 animal style for a truly indulgent burger. Just know that some In-N-Outs might limit how large they will make a single burger.

Other secret menu options include going mustard grilled, which means that the burger patty is literally grilled in a squirt of mustard. Well done fries are fried a little longer and come out crispier. Meanwhile, protein style simply refers to a lettuce wrap in lieu of buns, and the Flying Dutchman at In-N-Out is just two patties grilled with cheese, sans bread. The full extent of the In-N-Out secret menu is pretty expansive, and a little bit of digging will reveal even more secret menu items with their own lingo.

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The secret menu isn't the only way to customize an In-N-Out order. While this may not be a huge revelation, a request for, say, a hamburger without lettuce will be honored, even if there's no fun name for such an item. In fact, burgers can pretty much be customized however you like them. If you want raw onions and grilled onions on a burger, for example, ask for both. Or if raw onions are more your speed, ask for animal style but with raw onions subbed in for the standard grilled onions.

Other modifications include adding ketchup or mustard (or both), whole onion slices, a light amount of any ingredient, or an extra quantity of any ingredient. Those latter alterations extend to the fries, which can be ordered with light salt, no salt, or extra salt, for example.

Just know that customization has its limits. While it may be possible to order, say, a 3x3 animal style with whole raw onions and extra pickles, In-N-Out employees will not, for example, place a whole burger patty on an order of animal style fries. They may, however, serve you those fries with a separate, solo burger patty and leave it to the customer to combine them. Stick to the more reasonable In-N-Out burger hacks, and your request will likely be honored.

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For some customers, no In-N-Out trip is complete without an order of fries. While this likely applies to a larger contingent of In-N-Out customers, there are some who will recommend skipping the fries altogether. That group doesn't just consist of In-N-Out haters either, but plenty of diehard fans of the chain who just don't like the fries.

What makes the In-N-Out fries unique is the fact that they're made with fresh potatoes, sliced, fried, and seasoned with salt. The result is a fry that tastes less crispy and more like a cooked potato. Compared to, say, the fast food industry-leading McDonald's fries, they come out quite a bit softer.

For what it's worth, the fact that the fries are fresh and simple in character probably isn't the sole factor separating them from the competition. Even fans of fresh fries at other restaurants find the In-N-Out fries less satisfying, largely due to their softer texture — seemingly more so the result of frying technique than its ingredients. That said, there are some for whom ordering fries well done is a remedy. Just know going into In-N-Out that its fries are divisive, and it might be better to skip them entirely than end up disappointed.

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Inevitably, outside pretty much every In-N-Out location is a long line of cars filling up its drive-thru at most hours of the day. First of all, those drive-thru lines usually move fast, so don't feel like a long line of cars necessarily means a long wait time. In fact, employees are apparently often instructed to prioritize the drive-thru over walk-in customers, ensuring the quickest wait times possible.

With that said, anyone planning on waiting in an In-N-Out drive-thru line should remember to be mindful of nearby traffic. Those famously long drive-thru lines can become so unwieldy that they extend out of their dedicated lanes entirely and into nearby parking lots or roads. Typically, signage or employees will be on hand to ensure cars do not obstruct traffic. Regardless, use common sense, and leave a gap behind the next car in line if necessary to prevent blocking off cars that may be driving somewhere other than In-N-Out.

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After ordering in the In-N-Out drive-thru, the attendant employee — either through the speaker system or on a mobile tablet — may ask if you want to eat in your car. It's easy enough to say "yes" on autopilot, not fully knowing what this question actually means, and end up with a burger and fries that will go cold well before they make it home.

Simply put, In-N-Out will serve food in an uncovered cardboard box to anyone planning on eating in their car. This is ultimately a courtesy, since that box can help catch stray crumbs or serve as a flat surface to put down a burger mid-car meal. The trade-off, however, is that the uncovered, car-ready food will not travel well. So, anyone claiming that yes, they will be eating in their car, pretty much has to eat their meal right then and there in the In-N-Out parking lot, or else end up with a cold burger at home.

One way the In-N-Out menu stands out from its competitors is its surface-level simplicity. Of course, a seemingly straightforward menu is just the tip of a much larger iceberg, on account of the secret menu and a wide range of additional possible customization options. Also adding to the menu's true depth are free chili peppers.

At many In-N-Out locations, chili peppers are self-serve, located near the ketchup station and available to dole out in the same paper ramekins. At some In-N-Outs, such as those that are drive-thru only, chili peppers are not self-serve, but they are still free and can be requested from employees at the counter or order window. Furthermore, chopped chilis can be added directly onto burgers or fries. Some customers even get creative with their chilis, opening them up and adding their seeds and liquid to a serving of ketchup or fries for an extra kick. If you prefer your food extra spicy, be sure to seek out the complimentary chili peppers during your next In-N-Out visit.

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The food at In-N-Out isn't just tasty, it's also somewhat inexpensive compared to its closest competitors. Value is precisely how the chain came out on top in our showdown to find out which burger joint was better between Five Guys and In-N-Out. It's no wonder, then, that just like the drive-thru line, In-N-Out dining rooms are busy at virtually all hours of the day.

Because so many people are often eating at In-N-Out at any given time, it's worth showing some consideration to your fellow customers when picking a seat. Seating is typically divided between booths that can fit four or so people at a time, tables that either seat several small groups or larger groups who opt for consecutive table spaces, and small counters with individual stools. That counter-style seating is essentially there for anyone dining solo, freeing up booths or tables for those with larger parties. Solo diners, then, should take a seat at the counter out of consideration for their fellow customers. Meanwhile, if possible, smaller parties should keep to the booths so that larger groups have access to the tables.

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Casual customers may not know that, for the first decade after opening, In-N-Out didn't serve fountain sodas. After those first 10 years, soda fountains with Coca-Cola products became standard at In-N-Out restaurants. Nowadays, a standard line-up of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and even Barq's root beer is still available at the soda station. However, rather than Sprite — the Coca-Cola company's flagship lemon-lime soda — In-N-Out restaurants serve 7-Up.

There's a story explaining the reasoning behind this quirk of the chain's drink menu, but as it lacks official confirmation from In-N-Out, it falls within legend territory. According to said legend, In-N-Out suffered a catastrophic fire in its early days of operation. Supposedly, a nearby 7-Up warehouse loaned its space to In-N-Out as the burgeoning business recovered from the fire. Regardless of whether or not this tale is true, Sprite simply isn't available at In-N-Out restaurants, despite every other major Coke product's presence at the soda fountain.

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Activity at In-N-Out typically ranges from just pretty busy to super incredibly busy. In fact, some claim that the LAX In-N-Out is the busiest restaurant in the world. When ordering, there are more likely than not going to be at least a few customers waiting their turn in line behind you. So, it's worth keeping those customers in mind and expediting the ordering process as much as possible.

On a base level, keeping the line moving means knowing what you want to order as soon as you approach the cash register or drive-thru employee. One way to ease the ordering process even further is to understand how employees input burger orders. According to In-N-Out workers, it's not possible to remove cheese, for example, so not specifically asking for a no-cheese burger ahead of time requires the cashier to re-input your burger.

Furthermore, ordering a burger either animal style or mustard grilled apparently resets any other modifications, so if you want one of those options, be sure to clarify upfront. Keep these simple tips in mind, and your order will be a breeze, getting your food to you a little faster and letting the next person in line order a little sooner.

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For plenty of Californians and residents of a select number of additional states, a trip to In-N-Out is a standard occurrence. But for those visiting a state with an In-N-Out for the very first time, that inaugural trip to the famed burger chain can feel like a big deal. Inevitably, some of those visitors hyping up their In-N-Out experiences leave disappointed.

Here's the thing: In-N-Out is delicious, and its legion of fans can attest to that fact. However, that doesn't transcend the fact that it is fast food. If you expect a burger that tastes above and beyond any burger you've ever tried before, you will probably find the iconic Double-Double a little subpar. There are absolutely better burgers out there, but they're almost all at higher price points. In-N-Out is a holistic experience; the fact that its food is so tasty and uses such high-quality ingredients at a refreshingly low price point is, in combination, what makes the chain so uniquely good. There are plenty of restaurants that check two of those boxes, but rarely all three. As long as your expectations are reasonable, it's easy to have a great meal at In-N-Out.