There’s a fast food chain in a small number of the western states in the US that is popular among the locals for its ridiculously tasty burgers. It goes by the name of In-N-Out Burger and is a place that our Japanese reporter Yoshio makes a point of visiting whenever he’s in the US. Join us below as Yoshio lists four solid reasons why, even for a man who grew up on Japanese food, In-N-Out Burger shouldn’t be missed.
1.) The food is cooked after the customer has placed an order
What is great about this burger chain is that all meals are cooked after an order has been placed. This means that the finished product is fresh and packed full of flavor. What’s more, the way the crispy lettuce and onions complement the juicy hamburger meat is second to none!
2.) A price that is easy on the wallet
When you think about how much time and effort the staff put into making your order, you’d be forgiven for expecting a much steeper price. But this establishment’s prices are ridiculously cheap. Just to give you an idea of exactly how low the prices are, a hamburger comes in at US$1.95, and a cheeseburger at US$2.25. There’s also the Double-Double Burger which contains two patties as well as two slices of cheese and costs just $3.30!
3.) Such a price can’t be right can it?
The secret behind keeping the price so low lies in the limited menu. In short, this fast food chain keeps its menu simple by offering only three types of hamburger. Of course, you still get to choose a side order but this too is limited to fries and a drink. By keeping things simple, not only is it possible to cut costs but also to come up with a product that packs a punch in terms of both quality and taste.
Our reporter Yoshio made the analogy of it being like some ramen shops in Japan that are insistent on serving only one particular flavor of ramen. Such ramen shops are proud that the type of ramen they serve is perfected to such a level that you don’t need anything else.
4.) Ordering ‘off the menu’
Although strictly speaking the burgers on offer are limited to just three types, for those customers looking for something that little bit more exotic there’s also an unofficial menu. For example, there’s the ‘protein style’ menu which ditches the burger buns and replaces them with lettuce, which is wrapped around the patties. It’s a simple idea but when our reporter got his jaws around the juicy treat, by no means was he disappointed. There’s also ‘animal style’ which nets diners additional sauce, mustard fried into their patties and grilled onions.
Japanese fast food chain MOS Burger also released a limited time salad wrap burger earlier this year, but in terms of taste it doesn’t even come close to In-N-Out Burger’s offering, Yoshio said. Can you tell he’s converted yet!?
There you have it, folks! Four solid reasons why In-N-Out Burger should make it onto your must-visit list. By the way, In-N-Out Burger can only be found in some parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Southern Utah and Texas. Therefore, it might be best to check out the official website to confirm the exact location before you head out. One last thing, the burger chain is so popular that its recommended avoiding the lunch time peak as you’ll be in for a long, long wait!
[ Read in Japanese ]
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