In-N-Out is a famous fast food chain from California that is often referenced in pop culture and loved by celebrities and chefs. It has a regular menu and a secret menu that is not so secret anymore.
In-N-Out’s regular menu consists of burgers, fries, soda, and shakes. You can also customize your order by adding or removing things like extra patties, cheese, or bun. The restaurants use fresh and high-quality ingredients and have reasonable prices.
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The History and Allure of In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a fast food chain that originated in California in 1948. It has expanded to some other Western states, but it has fewer locations than other chain fast food restaurants. This is because In-N-Out does not franchise its operations, but rather keeps them family-owned to ensure food quality and consistency.
In-N-Out has been praised by customers as one of the Top fast-food restaurant chains. It has also won the admiration of top chefs such as Thomas Keller (of French Laundry fame), the late Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsey (of the Hell’s Kitchen show), and Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa). Julia Child was a loyal fan of In-N-Out as well and even ordered its burgers to her hospital room.
In-N-Out Burger is famous for using natural and fresh ingredients, which is why it has such a devoted following. Because it is not franchised, In-N-Out has been able to operate in places where chain restaurants are usually banned, such as Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Because In-N-Out has relatively few locations, it is often a must-visit for tourists who are in California or in a state that has a store.
The In-N-Out menu is centered on burgers: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and the double-double (which has two hamburger patties and two slices of cheese). They also offer french fries, fountain sodas, and three flavors of milkshakes. In 2018, In-N-Out introduced a new menu item – hot chocolate with marshmallows – which was a big deal for the chain.
In-N-Out burgers come with lettuce, tomato, with or without fresh or grilled onions, and a spread (similar to Thousand Island dressing). The chain also lets customers add extra patties and slices of cheese for an additional charge. After one customer ordered a 100 x 100 (100 patties and 100 slices of cheese) in 2004, the company capped these customized orders to no more than 4 x 4.
Besides the main menu, In-N-Out has a “secret” menu (which can be seen on the In-N-Out website). Secret menu items include a 3×3, and a 4×4, grilled cheese sandwiches, Protein Style burgers (wrapped in lettuce instead of buns), Animal Style burgers (cooked in mustard and with extra condiments, Neapolitan shakes, and the Flying Dutchman, which is 2 patties and 2 slices of cheese with no bun, condiments, or vegetables. Protein Style and Animal Style burgers are so popular that the company trademarked the names.
In-N-Out Menu and Prices
In-N-Out has a simple and classic menu that has not changed much since 1948. It offers the following items:
Burgers
- Double-Double Burger: toasted bun, 2 cheese slices, 2 beef patties, lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions (grilled or raw). Price: $4.90.
- Cheeseburger: toasted bun, 1 cheese slice, 1 beef patty, lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions (grilled or raw). Price: $3.50.
- Hamburger: toasted bun, 1 beef patty, lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions (grilled or raw). Price: $3.15.
Combos
- Double-Double Combo: comes with french fries and a medium drink. Price: $9.15
- Cheeseburger Combo: comes with french fries and a medium drink. Price: $7.75
- Hamburger Combo: comes with french fries and a medium drink. Price: $7.40
Sides
- French fries: fresh potatoes cut by hand and fried in sunflower oil. Price: $2.15
Drinks
- Soft drinks: Coke, Diet Coke, Seven Up, Dr Pepper, root beer, pink lemonade, Minute Maid zero sugar lemonade, iced tea. Price: $1.95 (small), $2.10 (medium), $2.30 (large), or $2.50 (extra large).
- Milkshakes: chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla. Price: $2.80
- Milk: $0.99
- Coffee: $1.35
- Hot Cocoa: with marshmallows. Price: $1.35
In-N-Out’s Secret Menu Prices
In-N-Out does not display the prices of its secret menu items, so you have to calculate them by adding the extra items (such as $1.20 per extra burger patty) to the regular menu prices. Here are some of the secret menu items and their prices:
Burgers
- Protein-Style Burger: burger patty wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. Price: $3.05
- 3×3 Burger: burger with 3 beef patties. Price: $7.30
- 4×4 Burger: burger with 4 beef patties. Price: $9.49
- Animal-Style Burger: burger cooked in mustard and topped with extra spread, cheese, and grilled onions. Price: $3.89
- The Flying Dutchman: two beef patties with two cheese slices melted in between, no bun, veggies, or condiments. Price: $2.30
- The Grilled Cheese: bun with two cheese slices, onions, spread, lettuce, and tomato. Price: $2.35
Fries
Animal-style fries: fries with spread, cheese, and grilled onions. Price: $4.25
Roadkill Fries: fries with spread, American cheese, a crumbled beef patty, and caramelized onions. Price: $5.85
Milkshakes
Neapolitan Milkshake: milkshake with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors in one cup. Price: $3.05
Why Are In-N-Out Prices Different by Location?
In-N-Out is famous for its low prices. You can get a combo meal at In-N-Out Burger for less than a similar meal at McDonald’s or another chain. However, its prices have gone up due to inflation and other factors. There are also price variations between locations.
The reason for this is quite simple: the cost of running a business is higher in some locations. For example, in Los Angeles, the minimum wage is $16.90 per hour (compared to $15.50 per hour in other parts of California). In Utah, where In-N-Out also has some restaurants, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. When labor costs are much higher in a certain place, this will usually result in higher menu prices.
Other costs – such as rent or mortgage and food costs – also affect menu prices. Restaurants set prices based on their desired profit margin. When it costs more to produce a menu item, a restaurant will usually raise the price to maintain that profit margin.
Of course, In-N-Out is still a great value for many customers – especially in cities where the cost of living is already high! The food is freshly made, high quality, and very tasty.
How Budget Branders Can Help Burger Restaurants
You may not have the same fan base as In-N-Out, but you can still make your burger restaurant successful and profitable. In-N-Out has done well with its branding strategy, with its distinctive yellow and white logo printed on cups, wrappers, and even merch. You can also print your logo on disposable items to create a similar appeal.
At Budget Branders, we work with small, independent food service businesses to help them get the high-quality disposable items they need at a reasonable price. We understand that most restaurants don’t have the budget or the space of In-N-Out to store hundreds of thousands of promotional items. That’s why we make it easy for you to get the high-quality products you need at a fraction of the cost. We can provide you with the takeout supplies that burger restaurants need like custom paper cups, custom wax paper sheets, custom napkins, custom soup bowls, custom sandwich bags, and custom deli bowls.
