In-N-Out Burger

Novato arrived on the California map on Nov 14, 2013 when In-N-Out Burger opened at Vintage Oaks. So when we arrived in Novato, our loving Aunt and Cousin were keen to show off their new addition.

The whole family was instantly hooked...

We loved the cheeseburgers - fresh tomato, fresh lettuce, great buns, just melted cheese, and tasty "spread". The fries were just exceptional - just crisp enough, not too salty, and creamy on the inside. And the shakes were smooth, and just thick enough.

Our stock order was:

• 3 Regular Cheeseburgers
• 2 "Animal Style" Cheeseburgers (see the Secret Menu below).
• 4 Fries (occasionally 2 of them "Animal Style")
• 2 Sodas
• 2 Vanilla Milkshakes

And we'd get change from $30. Where else can you satisfy a family of 5 for less than $30 with food this good?

The Itinerary

By the time we had left California, we'd visited at least the following In-N-Out Burgers:

• Novato (home base - at least 4 times).
• Auburn (on the way to Lake Tahoe).
• Davis (on the way back from Lake Tahoe).
• Camarillo (fueled us for the Outlet Mall).
• Hollywood (the queue was out the door).
• Burbank (Warner Bros Studio Tour).

The Essentials

If you haven't had the privilege to eat at In-N-Out, here are the essentials:

1. The Menu is really simple:

1. Burgers:
1. Hamburger.
2. Cheeseburger.
3. Double Double (double beef, double cheese).
2. Fries.
3. Drinks:
1. Milk Shakes.
2. Sodas (with free refills).
3. Milk.
4. Coffee.
2. The food is really fresh. They pride themselves on top quality beef patties, hand-leafed lettuce, and you can watch the potatoes being split into fries in store.
3. Each restaurant has exactly the same layout. You can literally place your order, pick up your drinks, and walk to your favourite booth with your eyes closed.
4. If you can't stop, take the drive through.
5. The prices are great!

That's it; that's all you really need to know.

The Secret Menu

You won't find the secret menu on the official price list, but its not such a secret. Try these:

• "Animal Style" Burgers - the patties are smothered with mustard before cooking, and they are topped with pickles and fried onion. 
• "Animal Style" Fries - with cheese, fried onion, and "spread". 
• "Protein Style" Burgers - the burgers are wrapped in lettuce leaf rather than buns.
• "4 x 4" - 4 meat patties and cheese.

There are others, like "Neapolitan shakes", "Diced Jalapeno" additions, etc, but the above are the most popular. The kids swear by their burgers "Animal Style".

California Dreaming

When we returned to Sydney, we read that In-N-Out had a pop-up store in Darlinghurst on 20th Nov 2013. Please come back to Sydney permanently - we're still dreaming of California and In-N-Out!