In'n'Out Burger Fries

How does this place serve up one of the most cherished burgers in Southern California (double double animal style with cheese) make it’s traditional accompaniment so atrocious? Cut fresh potatoes, immediately dumped in oil and single fried for a tray of the most flimsy, pale yellow cardboard excuse for fries on planet earth. No blanching or soaking or double frying. Sure you can order them well done for a tray of crispy grease bombs, or go animal style so the cheese, onions and sauce mask the atrocity underneath. Am I alone with this? [scratch.gif]

You are not alone.

They are awful.

However they likely have the highest margin on fries in the business since the only people involved with the fries are a potato farmer and some minimum wage skater dude.

I’ve always thought these were pretty good; chacun son gout and all that…

They also seem to cut the potatoes crosswise, making them the shortest fries around. I always get them ‘well done’ and don’t find them greasy though. People have tried to compare In-n-Out to Shake Shack for some reason. With one close to twice the price of the other, I find In-n-Out a much better value hands down.

Best mass produced fries (and perhaps arguably the best burger) is Shake Shack.

In our neck of the woods, the people behind the counter are paid considerably more than minimum wage, and I have never encountered a ‘skater dude’.

The fries are bad.

One thing I give In ‘n’ Out credit for is they pay their employees above industry standards and even offer benefits.

The fries could be better but not as bad as many make them out to be. Just order them “well done”.

Agreed on all counts. I always get them well-done too. They aren’t good but they aren’t terrible. You’re way more likely to encounter a “Mexican dude” than a “skater dude”, not that either really matter. Since they pay no less (and in fact more) than most chains, their margins are no different than others. Fries are better margin than sandwiches/burgers, but not as high as soda. Comparing InNOut to Shake Shake is not apples-to-apples as far as price, as someone else said. Shake Shack is in the next category up the cost chain.

Geez guys, I was just being glib with a couple stereotypes. Yes I give credit to InnOut for being more socially responsible. The point was whether or not these horrible fries have great margin.

In N Out fries well done are tolerable. Protein style double double with extra whole grilled onions and banana chill peppers for less than $5 all-in more than makes up for less than top tier French fries.

I always enjoy these threads. Arguing about which fast food chain’s fries or burgers are best/worst is like arguing about which mass produced grocery store wine is best/worst.

Double patty, single slice cheese, animal style. + their fries with ketchup + milk shake

[winner.gif] order the Fries with a “light fry”

Not really, IMO. Plonk TO ME isn’t enjoyable, and there is a vast difference between it an better wines. I am sure that some like you disagree, but a double-double cheeseburger tastes good and has simple decent ingredients. There are better burgers in the sea of burgers, but I don’t find as vast a difference there as I do with crap wine. Same with fries. You can get gourmet Kennebec fries at nicer places for $10, but they don’t taste much better than hot McD’s fries. That’s ignoring the health aspect. Otherwise fries are just a starchy vehicle for some fat and some salt, with texture being about the only important aspect of the preparation.

Oh and to drift, grocery stores carry plenty of good wine. I never understand why people keep up the “grocery store wine” moniker. As if the fact that it is sold there, or even produced in volume makes it bad.

I bought a case of 2008 Dom Perignon for $134 a bottle at a grocery store in Houston.

Hold on to your butts…

Best mass produced fries are…

McDonald’s. I’ll die on this hill so be ready.

I can support this opinion.

Didn’t even see John G’s post which already mentioned McD’s. I also whole heatedly co-sign his “burgers are all pretty good” these, which I’ve started a thread about already but the snobs around here weren’t ready to accept my truthbombs.

Eh, I think the whole place is grossly overrated and their burgers are mediocre at best. I don’t get the seemingly huge appeal of their burgers, unless you’re only comparing them to other fast food burgers, which wouldn’t say much.