“Ode” to In-N-Out

I’m in San Diego this week visiting friends, and after a long travel day, I arrived on Tuesday just before 10 pm in balmy California so very hungry. I would have given my right arm for a green smoothie. My friend Jason rattled off some suggestions, but when he said “There’s In-N-Out Burger….”, my immediate answer was a big YES. Not a green smoothie, but if the movie stars eat In & Out after the Oscars, it must be good, right? (And it was almost TTOTM – I will leave you to decipher – so a fresh burger and fries sounded amazing.)

There was an incredibly long line up at the drive-thru, so we went into the restaurant. It was crowded but we didn’t have to wait long. The staff is super friendly and all wear long aprons attached in the back by humongous safety pins. My research tells me they are treated quite well, and on the food end of things, In-N-Out uses natural and fresh ingredients. The calorie count of each menu item is also listed for you, so you know what you’re in for from the get-go.

The Brit had wanted to go to In-N-Out when we were in Washington, but they haven’t opened that far north, yet. When they do, we are hopping in the car so I can bring him there.

Because, the verdict? Totally worth the hype. Cheap, cheerful, tasty and fresh. My burger and fries hit the spot. That doesn’t mean I’m going to eat that every day that I’m here, but it was certainly a nice treat.

Get Thrifty: Order a combo. It’s always the best value for your money. 

Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.

~ Audrey Hepburn ~

And if Audrey Hepburn ate treats, everyone can eat treats.