The burgers are fine except for the monstrous 3 inch slice of onion they put in the burger. I need a half a packet of Tic-Tacks to cover up THAT onion breath!
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I got a watermelon on Saturday. It fell out the back of my car and rolled downhill 4 houses. The neighbor saved it and said I would’ve gotten a strike if there were bowling pins in the street. 
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You just need to ask for grilled onions…
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those in the know, ask for grilled onions…
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This is the way.
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I love a good burger and think In-n-Out is very overrated. I actually don’t know anyone in my circle who likes it. I tried it a couple of times when they first opened in Texas and just didn’t get the hype. I wouldn’t even put them above McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or BK. And don’t let an In-n-Out get lukewarm. If not eaten immediately upon purchase, they are actually gross. That’s not true for the other fast food burgers. I can wait to eat those until I get home.
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Totally agree, and their french fries are inedible. Huge pass for me.
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Whataburger is WAAAAY better in Texas!
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I like In-n-Out. So sue me. The tomatoes are fresh, the lettuce is crisp, I get light sauce. And yeah I do eat it right away, but I do that with all fast food. I don’t find other brands any good if I wait to eat them either.
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I realize we’re getting off topic, but we used to go to McDonald’s a lot back in Illinois. We lived close to their global HQ. In fact, son interned there all three summers of college in their IT department. But since we’ve moved to California, have only been once - and that was on a road trip during the pandemic driving son back to Seattle. There are just too many other good choices!
I personally am not particularly a fan of In-and -Out, but do prefer it to Dicks aka have it our way, not yours.
Hatch Green Chili cheese Whatabuger if available…
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It’s good to define what burger you are comparing. If you are comparing McDonald’s/BK default hamburger/cheeseburger to In-N-Out default hamburger/cheeseburger, I expect few would choose the former. In-N-Out uses fresher and higher quality ingredients, leading to a more consistently higher quality result. In all surveys I am aware of, In-N-Out burgers are ranked higher by customers. For example, Consumer Reports asked 30,000 customers to rank fast food burgers on scale of 1 to 10, based on taste. The ratings from highest to lowest were as follows. Of the 21 ranked chains, In-N-Out came in 2nd, and McDonald’s came in last.
Burger Taste Survey
1 . Habit Burger – 8.1
2. In-N-Out – 8.0
3. Five Guys – 7.9
4. Smashburger – 7.9
…
3rd to Last. Burger King – 6.5
2nd to Last. Jack in the Box – 6.5
Last: McDonald’s – 5.8
Critic surveys follow the same pattern. One with pictures and prices (2021) is at I Compared the Same Meal From in-N-Out and McDonald's . She concludes by saying:
While I enjoyed both burgers, the double cheeseburger from In-N-Out simply blew me away. It impressed me so much that I forgot all about the fries. Frankly, the burger was filling enough without them, anyway.
I also thought that In-N-Out was an excellent value, even compared with a larger chain like McDonald’s. If I were to eat one meal again, I would definitely go for In-N-Out, thanks to its juicy, cheese-coated burger.
As stated in my earlier post, I favor other chains because I do not get the default burger. I prefer other meats to hamburger beef. I prefer other cheeses to American. I prefer other breads/buns. I prefer more vegetable toppings, including things like green pepper and spinach. I don’t like any sauces. It should come as no surprise that I prefer Subway, or customized and unique burgers at other chains to In-N-Out’s default burger, even though I recognize that In-N-Out is a high quality burger.
In-N-Out French fries are a different story. Many (most?) echo your comments. People go to In-N-Out for the burger, not the fries. One theory is that In-N-Out use of fresh and clean ingredients for everything produces a different taste for fries than customers have come to expect. Customers as a whole don’t want French fries that taste like potatoes. They want fries that taste like oils and other additives, that drown out the natural potato taste.
McDonalds is like the vending machine of automobile travel. Honestly, I never eat McDonalds but when we are traveling, if there is not a Chick Fil A or now a Buccees, we’ll swing through McDonalds and just get a filler meal until the next decent sit down restaurant. And, they are cheap!
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I prefer natural potato taste (I prepare baked thick-cut, skin-on at home occasionally). I have no words for In-N-Out fries, but fresh potato isn’t it, and I’ve watched them being made there. I think the oil is what ruins them? I don’t get the love for their burgers either. I prefer almost any other chain.
Debating individual tastes is pointless and way off topic here.
(Also, many don’t care for the proselytizing on their packaging either.)
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Are we now comparing fast food places? If so…I’m a huge Shake Shack fan.
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I’ll pay good money for a quality burger, no matter how disastrous inflation gets.
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The best meal I’ve had at a burger place recently was at Habit Burger. I ordered a Chicken Club Sandwich which is marinated chicken breast on toasted sourdough with bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado. In the consumer reports survey I posted earlier, Habit Burger ranked highest among the all 21 fast food chains, and it did not disappoint. Ingredients were all fresh. The meal was prepared well and cooked in the style I prefer. I haven’t all of these ingredients together before, but the combination worked well. The avacado seemed to be a good substitute for the cheese I usually order, providing desired moisture and consistency, while still retaining crispness on the bacon. I can see why this is such a popular selection.
Fitting more with the thread, a summary of how sticker prices have changed at my local Habit Burger is below. “Meal” adds fries + drink. Prices have outpaced inflation on all items, but the most rapid increase occurred on the Charburger, increasing by nearly 10%/year faster than inflation over the past 2 years. Perhaps Habit Burger has more of an established brand name and customer base than in the past, so they feel less need to draw value seeking customers in with their lowest priced burger option. Other items appear to have a higher markup and profit margin, as one can see with the meal costing more than double the burger. I personally wouldn’t pay $10 for a fast food sandwich. Instead I paid $2 for the Chicken Club, using an app deal.
2024 $ Inflation adjusted prices in 2022 → Today
Charburger: $4.88 → $5.79
Charburger Meal: $10.31 → $11.89
Chicken Club: $9.77 → $10.69
How did I know you were going to post stats on burger ratings?
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DW got a watermelon on Monday for $4.99. Decent size one. It wasn’t a mini.
I guess it is being reported today that April CPI was a little lower than expected.