An In-N-Out Employee Has Answered All Your Burning Burger Questions
Josephine is a staff writer at Junkee Media. You can…
Everyone goes crazy for In-N-Out. Kim Kardashian is positively obsessed with it and Anthony Bourdain has given it his sought-after tick of approval. Even our Queen Beyonce can’t get enough of those juicy ‘burgs. It’s a cult, complete with a secret language.
It’s a mandatory on any trip to the USA west coast and, now, we’re privy to all the brand’s secrets. As part of an Ask Me Anything thread, current In-N-Out employee and Reddit user booshley shared their favourite secret menu items, what first-timers should choose, and the weirdest things you can order. And yes, they get free meals.
Is the secret menu a real thing?
Yep! Turns out, there’s a whole world of In-N-Out that you won’t see on the menu board — you just have to know what to ask for. According to booshley, you can pretty much ask for anything you want. So, what’s their favourite secret menu item?
“I like the Flying Dutchman,” they said, which is two slices of cheese and onions sandwiched between two beef patties. “And the grilled cheese with extra spread and grilled onions on an extra toasted bun.” They also really like In-N-Out’s root beer float.
However, if you wanted anything more than a 4×4 (a four-pattie burger), you’re out of luck. “We aren’t allowed to make anything larger than 4×4’s anymore. 4×4’s are already ridiculously hard to wrap and anything larger would just look like a total mess,” they explained. “Again, it’s about presentation. If you want a larger burger, we can give you cheese patties on the side but we’re not allowed to actually assemble it for you.”
But with so many anything-goes orders, how do the workers not stuff it up? “We read back the order at least three times in the drive. So just listen to make sure they got it down right and you’ll be set.” Phew!
What should first-timers get?
This one’s important for travellers like us. If you’re a complete newbie to the In-N-Out game, but you still want to make the most of the experience, what’s the best thing to order?
“If you like spicy, you should try adding chopped chillies to your burger,” booshley advises. “I personally like mustard-fried patties, which is when the cooks add mustard to the meat while it’s grilling and adds pickles to the bottom bun.”
The key is to get creative. “Ultimately, the more you customise your burger, the more you’ll enjoy it. We can customise almost anything, so don’t be afraid to ask.”
What’s the weirdest order they’ve had?
Seeing as you can order pretty much anything you want, there have been some really bizarre requests. As booshley put it, “This job has made me learn that there are a lot of picky people.”
“One guy wanted lettuce that was not too green, but not too yellow,” they explained. “So we had to show him the lettuce to ask if it was an OK colour to use on his burger.”
“Another weird one,” booshley continued, “Was a lady who only wanted three ice cubes in her drink, and a guy who wanted us to use mustard instead of spread on his animal fries.” That’s a lot of mustard.
Once again, reddit delivers.
(Lead image: punctuated / Flickr CC)
Josephine is a staff writer at Junkee Media. You can find her words on AWOL, The Cusp, food she bagsed in the fridge.