Some burger joints build a following the slow way, one satisfied customer at a time. In-N-Out has been doing it for decades, and on a recent visit just off Sunset Boulevard in California, the results were on full display. The drive-thru was jammed with cars. The dining room was packed. And a visitor who stepped up to order says he stood in the queue for about ten minutes before he even got close to the counter.
The visitor is the creator behind @GaryEats, who stood in front of the restaurant and narrated the scene. “It is absolutely packed in there,” he says, with so many cars that the line around the building kept going. He points out that the chain has only 442 restaurants in America, which helps explain why a single location can draw such a crowd.
Why So Few Locations Makes for Such Long Lines
That store count is part of the story. By the creator’s number, In-N-Out has a few hundred restaurants across the country, a small footprint compared with the giants of fast food. He adds that the chain only opens a new restaurant within about 500 miles of its distribution center, and that there are none in Europe, so most of the restaurants are clustered in California.
For first timers and tourists, a stop at a famous location is something like a pilgrimage, and that is why a Sunset Boulevard lot can feel like a festival. The creator admits he cannot get his head around the queue. He decided to join it anyway, since a first visit is a first visit, and warned that it could be quite a wait.
Ten Minutes Inside the Door
The wait inside alone took about 10 minutes. By the time he got in out of the line, there were loads of people still waiting for their orders to come out. Staff offered water to the people standing around, which he called quite a service.
The menu board gave him another surprise. He called the prices incredibly cheap: a cheeseburger for $4.45, fries for $2.15 and shakes for $3.25. The big question, as he put it, was whether any of it was good. As a first timer, he said he was a novice, so he asked the counter for help and ordered a cheeseburger animal style, a plate of animal fries with chopped chilies, a triple burger and a strawberry milkshake.
What Came Out of the Kitchen
The order did not arrive exactly as requested. He had asked for the triple burger, but the tray held a double double and a plain cheeseburger instead. After a long wait, he decided he could not face queuing up again, and he took the tray as it was, noting that his accent might have been to blame at the counter. He even said he would go back in to apologize to the staff, because he was not sure who made the mistake.
The animal style burger got the best reviews. He explained that animal style means a lot of the chain’s sauce, which he compared to a thousand island dressing, along with extra pickle and tomato, and a patty cooked with yellow mustard. His verdict was that this was a proper burger, with a nice soft bun, a bit sloppy and juicy, and a fantastic crunch from the chopped lettuce. He said the sauce was so generous that it dominated the burger a little, but he still called it a good burger, and he said the double double was a good burger for the money.
The strawberry shake got a thumbs up as well. He pointed out that it is made with real ice cream, thick and sweet, and that it actually tastes like strawberry.
The Fries Were the Letdown
Not everything impressed him. The animal fries come topped with melted cheese, caramelized onions and the same sauce, and he liked the cheese and the onions, and the chilies gave it a zing. But the fries themselves were the weak link. He described them as short, dry and without much potato inside, and he said they were a disappointment even for the price. The sauce, he admitted, makes them a little addictive, but he said they need a lot of help.
It is a useful reminder that a famous menu rarely wins on every item. A great burger and shake can come with a so so side, and the toppings can carry a plate that the potatoes cannot.
Drive-Thru or Dining Room?
The big question for anyone facing a long line is where to wait. Here are a few thoughts to help you decide.
- Look at both lines. If the drive-thru stretches around the block, walking in can be quicker, as long as the dining room is not just as crowded. The ten minute wait the creator describes was inside the queue, so it pays to check.
- Go off peak. Mid afternoon visits, between lunch and dinner, are often calmer than noon or early evening.
- Know your order. With a short menu, you can decide in advance and be ready when you reach the register. Say it slowly and double check the tray before you leave the counter.
- Bring patience and a friend. One person can hold a table while another orders, which saves everyone time.
- Be safe in the parking lot. Busy lots with cars lining up are tricky, so watch for pedestrians and follow any staff directions.
Is the Wait Worth It?
That is a matter of taste. A ten minute wait for a burger, fries and a shake is not much by the standards of a busy tourist stop, and many people are happy to do it. Others would rather skip the line and find a quieter spot. It helps to remember that crowds can be a good clue about quality, but they are not a guarantee that you will love every item.
The creator’s closing moment shows how busy things stayed. When he wrapped up, cars were still queuing to go around, and the staff was calling out order numbers: “72, 73, please.” In a spot like this, the line is not a sign that something is wrong. It is often a sign that something is working.
If you are planning a visit to Los Angeles, a stop at a well known burger place can be a fun part of the trip. Just plan some extra time, check your tray, and keep an open mind. And if you do end up in a long line, take a moment to enjoy the scene: a parking lot full of people who all decided, on the same afternoon, that this was the place to eat.
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