Introduction
In-N-Out Burger is one of the most beloved fast food chains in the United States. It’s known for its delicious burgers, fries, and shakes. But there are some secrets that In-N-Out doesn’t want you to know. From secret menu items to hidden ingredients, here are 11 secrets In-N-Out doesn’t want you to know. So if you’re a fan of In-N-Out, read on to find out what you’ve been missing!
11 Secrets In-N-Out Doesn’t Want You to Know
In-N-Out Burger is one of the most beloved fast-food chains in the United States. But even the most devoted fans may not know all the secrets that the restaurant has to offer. Here are 11 secrets In-N-Out doesn’t want you to know.
1. The Not-So-Secret Menu
In-N-Out has a secret menu that is not so secret. The menu includes items like the 4×4 (four beef patties and four slices of cheese), the Protein Style (lettuce wrap instead of a bun), and the Animal Style (adds pickles, extra spread, grilled onions, and mustard).
2. The Animal Style Fries
In-N-Out’s Animal Style Fries are a fan favorite. The fries are topped with melted cheese, grilled onions, and spread. They are a delicious and indulgent treat.
3. The Not-So-Secret Sauce
In-N-Out’s secret sauce is not so secret. The sauce is a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish. It is the perfect condiment for burgers and fries.
4. The Double-Double
The Double-Double is one of In-N-Out’s most popular items. It is two beef patties, two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and spread on a toasted bun.
5. The 3×3
The 3×3 is a lesser-known item on the In-N-Out menu. It is three beef patties and three slices of cheese. It is a great option for those who want a bigger burger.
6. The Grilled Cheese
The Grilled Cheese is a great option for those who don’t eat meat. It is two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and spread on a toasted bun.
7. The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman is a unique item on the In-N-Out menu. It is two beef patties and two slices of cheese with no bun or condiments.
8. The Neapolitan Shake
The Neapolitan Shake is a delicious treat. It is a combination of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream blended together.
9. The Root Beer Float
The Root Beer Float is a classic summer treat. It is root beer and vanilla ice cream blended together.
10. The Freshness
In-N-Out prides itself on its freshness. All of the ingredients are fresh and never frozen. The beef patties are made from 100% pure beef and the buns are baked fresh daily.
11. The Quality
In-N-Out is known for its quality. All of the ingredients are of the highest quality and the burgers are cooked to perfection. In-N-Out is committed to providing its customers with the best possible experience.
One of the best-known things about In-N-Out Burger is, ironically, its “secret” menu. Once it was a point of pride for Californians ‘in the know’ to step up to the counter and order a Double-Double “Animal-Style” or to request a “3-by-3” or a grilled cheese, despite these items not being on the menu. Now the chain has fully embraced its secret menu and shares it openly, even posting it on the website and referring to it as the “Not So Secret Menu.“
Beyond the now well-known secret menu, there are some other facts about the company you probably don’t know. Despite the fact that In-N-Out is one of the most popular fast-food chains in America—it was bumped from the #1 spot by Chick-fil-A in 2019—there are some things you should know about the burger joint that are not common knowledge. Here are 11 secrets In-N-Out doesn’t want you to know. (Plus, come back after and read 11 Secrets Arby’s Doesn’t Want You to Know.)
If you love an In-N-Out Double-Double, you really need to make it an occasional treat, not a regular part of your diet, because it’s just so unhealthy. The burger has 670 calories, 41 grams of fat, and 18 grams of saturated fat. According to the Cleveland Clinic, that’s almost the total allotment of both types of fats for many adults eating a typical 2,000-calorie-per-day diet.
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An In-N-Out in San Francisco—the only location in the city—was temporarily shut down when the restaurant refused to check the vaccination status of indoor diners, according to CBS. This refusal was in direct violation of rules mandated by the government and that most chains are honoring. According to the report, Arnie Wensinger, the chain’s chief legal and business officer, said in a statement: “We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government.”
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In-N-Out staff is required to make sure your food not only tastes good but looks good, too. They are not allowed to place more than two burgers and two fries, four fries, or six burgers into those iconic red trays, according to Business Insider. Granted, the trays could hold more, but they would begin to be crowded or require stacking the foods, going against policy.
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While pay for most In-N-Out employees hovers well under $50,000 per year, and that’s even the case for assistant managers, according to Indeed, an In-N-Out store manager can make a surprisingly good income. Many managers make well over $100,000 per year, with some bringing in $200k, according to GlassDoor.
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If you’re going to get a shake from In-N-Out, go with vanilla. At 570 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 50 grams of sugar, it’s far from healthy, but it’s the lesser of three evils. The chocolate shake has 580 calories, 28 grams of fat, and 65 grams of sugar. The strawberry shake, however, has 590 calories, 24 grams of fat, and a whopping 100 grams of sugar. For reference, according to Harvard Health, you should have a maximum of 24 grams of sugar in a day.
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In-N-Out employees are required to wear white socks, white pants, white shirts, black shoes, a black belt, a red apron with a gold pin, a hat, and name tag the company issues. Any attempts to change or accessorize the uniform are met with pushback, a policy so strict it has even led the company to attempt to ban employees wearing pins that advocated for a better minimum wage, according to Inc.
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Most people know that Chick-fil-A has a strong Christian tradition, still closing all of its locations on Sunday, but many don’t know that In-N-Out has bible verse numbers printed on much of its packaging, like on the bottom of cups and takeout bags. CEO Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of the chain’s founders, explained to The Christian Post that faith helped her through a dark time in her life, including the death of her father and a string of failed marriages. Her uncle was the first to put the verses on the packaging but she has expanded upon it in recent years.
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We’re not talking about a “Not So Secret” menu item here, but rather a legitimately off-menu item that customers can’t order. According to a former manager quoted in Thrillist, each location has a signature secret menu item that the employees get to make and eat but that will never be offered to guests. These include things like tacos, salsa burgers, and fancy French fries.
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Although the chain likes to occasionally tease markets outside of its western domain, sometimes with temporary popup locations, there’s little chance an In-N-Out will open in the eastern states any time soon, if ever. That’s because In-N-Out restaurants never use frozen ingredients, so all locations must be within a reasonable drive of one of their meat distribution centers. That drive is set at 300 miles, and currently, the center farthest to the east is in Texas, according to Business Insider.
Unlike most successful fast-food chains, especially those that have been around for decades, In-N-Out is and always has been a private, family-owned company. It’s currently owned by the third generation of the founding Snyder family, according to Business Insider. Remaining private has allowed the company to retain a high degree of control over both finances—as franchising initially requires a huge outlay of money from the parent company—as well as information. Without shareholders or franchisees, the corporate leadership (aka the Snyder family and its direct reports) is beholden to no one and need not disclose any of the inner workings of the company.
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The Snyder family has a history of everything from drug and alcohol abuse to tragic plane crash deaths and lawsuits, both from without and within, according to Mashed. The legal battles have included one in which a vice president filed a lawsuit claiming a family executive was being forced from her role only to find himself counter-sued and accused of, among other things, billing work done in his private property to company accounts, reported the Washington Post.
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