Best fast food burger: In-N-Out
Photo by Alyssa Morin.
In-N-Out may not have invented the hamburger but they were California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand. In 1948, Harry and Esther Snyder got the chain started in 10-square foot outpost in Baldwin Park. Now 65 years later, In-N-Out boasts 290 stores throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Texas, and it is Harry and Esther’s granddaughter, Lynsi, at the helm.
The quality of the burgers starts long before the drive-thru line. In-N-Out owns its own patty-making facilities in California and Texas where great care is taken in transforming high-quality beef chuck into fresh, hand-ground patties. No restaurant location is more than a day’s drive from a patty facility, ensuring that every location gets fresh beef delivered daily. Every burger is cooked to order and you will not find a single microwave, heat lamp or freezer in any In-N-Out restaurant.
The menu is small, even when you include the not-so-secret menu items like the animal style, grilled cheese and the 4×4. But every sandwich, shake and fry is made fresh and beyond satisfies fast food cravings. And In-N-Out is yet another reason why California living is hard to beat.
3801 Inglewood Avenue, RB 310-786-1000.
Runner-up: The Standing Room, 144 N Catalina Ave, RB, (310) 374-7545.