We had never eaten at In-N-Out before. We live in Barcelona, and In-N-Out is one of those American things you hear about long before you ever see one — the queue, the Double-Double, the people who insist it is the best fast food in the world.
So on a trip to California we finally went, to the branch on Westminster Boulevard, and ordered like tourists: a Double-Double, a plain hamburger, a cherry Coke and two milkshakes. About $20 for two people. July 2024.
What should you order at In-N-Out the first time?
The short answer
Order a Double-Double Animal Style, fries Animal Style, and a chocolate shake. The standard menu is deliberately tiny — burger, cheeseburger, Double-Double, fries, shakes, drinks — but In-N-Out publishes a set of variations on its own website that regulars order by default and first-timers never hear about. Plain fries are the one thing people find underwhelming; Animal Style fixes them.
Quick picks: where to stay in Los Angeles with kids
Best Western Westminster Inn – our base for eight nights in Orange County. Free hot breakfast, an outdoor pool and free parking, 9 miles from Huntington Beach. Unglamorous, and a fraction of what the same room costs downtown.
Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica – three blocks from the pier and right beside the Metro E line, so you get the beach and the city with no hire car. Free hot breakfast, a rooftop pool and suites with room for four. We didn’t stay, but it’s where I’d book a first trip.
The Biltmore Los Angeles – the 1923 landmark on Pershing Square where the Academy Awards were founded, with the Metro across the road. We got it at a trade rate plus a 50% promotion, so always check for an offer before you assume it’s out of reach.
Affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Two of these three are hotels we stayed in ourselves.
The not-so-secret menu — order from this
This is the part I wish we had known before we went. In-N-Out lists these on its own site, so you are not being clever by asking — you are ordering normally.
| What to say | What you get |
|---|---|
| Animal Style | The patty cooked in mustard, plus pickles, grilled onions and extra spread |
| Animal Style fries | Fries with melted cheese, grilled onions and spread |
| Protein Style | Your burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun |
| 3×3 / 4×4 | Three or four patties with matching cheese |
| Grilled Cheese | Everything except the meat — the one to know if a child is not eating beef |
| Flying Dutchman | Two patties and two slices of cheese, nothing else |
| Neapolitan shake | All three flavours in one cup |
If you order one thing from this list, make it Animal Style. It is the difference between “that was a good burger” and understanding why people queue.
What we actually ordered, and what it cost
- Double-Double — two patties, two slices of cheese
- Hamburger — the plain one
- Cherry Coke
- Two milkshakes — one strawberry, one chocolate
Around $20 for the two of us. July 2024
For the quality that felt like genuine value, and it is noticeably cheaper than the equivalent order at most European burger chains.
The burgers
The Double-Double was the standout. The beef was juicy and properly seasoned and clearly fresh — In-N-Out does not freeze its beef, and there are no heat lamps, freezers or microwaves in the building. You can taste the difference, and I say that as someone who was ready to find it overrated.
Crisp lettuce, good tomato, soft bun, and the spread — a Thousand Island variant — pulling it together.
The plain hamburger was the same thing in a smaller package and perfectly good. But if you are only going once, get the Double-Double.
The fries — and the mistake we made
We came back a few days later for the fries, and this is the honest bit: they were not what we expected.
In-N-Out cuts whole potatoes and fries them on the spot, which gives a light, almost airy texture rather than the crisp, salty, industrially-consistent chip you get elsewhere. If you like a crunchy fry, plain In-N-Out fries will disappoint you. Plenty of Americans will tell you the same.
What we should have done: ordered them Animal Style. Cheese, grilled onions and spread over the top. That is how most regulars order them, and it turns the one weak item on the menu into the one people rave about.
We did not know. Now you do.
The shakes
Both were excellent. The strawberry was properly fruity rather than sweet-syrupy, the chocolate was thick and smooth. Ask for a Neapolitan if you want all three.
The cherry Coke is worth ordering too — it comes from the fountain and it is better than it has any right to be.
With kids
We were two adults on this visit, but for anyone bringing children:
Patio seating at Westminster, plus a drive-thru if it is one of those days.
The plain hamburger is the safe order and it is genuinely good.
Grilled Cheese from the not-so-secret menu is the answer for a child not eating meat.
The menu is small enough that nobody gets overwhelmed.
The Westminster branch
Address: 6292 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CA 92683 — just east of the 405. Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:30am to 1:00am; Friday and Saturday until 1:30am. Facilities: drive-thru and patio seating.
Check the current hours on In-N-Out’s own site before you go.
The late closing is genuinely useful if you are jet-lagged, which as a European family arriving in California you almost certainly are. A burger at midnight on your first night is a real option.
Internal links: Westminster, California travel guide
our Best Western Inn Westminster review
A bit of background
In-N-Out was founded on 22 October 1948 in Baldwin Park, California, by Harry and Esther Snyder. It is still family-owned and it has grown slowly and deliberately — around 424 locations, across California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Tennessee, and nowhere else.
That scarcity is part of why it matters to people. If you are visiting from Europe, this is genuinely a thing you can only do here.
So — is In-N-Out worth the hype?
Yes, with one adjustment.
The burgers deserve the reputation. Fresh beef, a short menu done properly, and prices that feel fair in a country where fast food often does not.
The fries do not, unless you order them Animal Style — and that is the whole point of this article. The hype is real; the default order is not the best order.
What we would do differently: Double-Double Animal Style, fries Animal Style, chocolate shake. That is the order.
More from this trip
Internal links:
Seal Beach day trip from Los Angeles
Newport Beach, whale watching and Balboa Island
Huntington Harbour, Orange County’s hidden gem
Whole Foods Market in Long Beach
Frequently asked questions about In-N-Out
What should you order at In-N-Out for the first time?
Order a Double-Double Animal Style, fries Animal Style, and a chocolate shake. Animal Style means the patty is cooked in mustard and comes with pickles, grilled onions and extra spread, and it is how most regulars order. Plain fries are the one item first-timers often find underwhelming.
What is the In-N-Out secret menu?
In-N-Out publishes a set of menu variations on its own website, so ordering from them is completely normal. The main ones are Animal Style, Protein Style (a lettuce wrap instead of a bun), 3×3 and 4×4 (three or four patties), Grilled Cheese (no meat), the Flying Dutchman (two patties and cheese, no bun) and the Neapolitan shake.
Where is the In-N-Out Burger in Westminster?
It is at 6292 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CA 92683, just east of the 405 freeway. It has a drive-thru and patio seating, and opens 10:30am to 1:00am Sunday to Thursday and until 1:30am on Friday and Saturday. Check current hours before travelling.
How much does In-N-Out cost?
It is inexpensive by American fast-food standards. Our order of a Double-Double, a hamburger, a fountain drink and two milkshakes came to around 20 dollars for two people. Prices change, so treat that as one data point rather than a current menu price.
Are In-N-Out fries any good?
They divide people. In-N-Out cuts whole potatoes and fries them on the spot, which gives a light, airy texture rather than a crisp one, and if you are expecting a crunchy fry you may be disappointed. Ordering them Animal Style, with melted cheese, grilled onions and spread, is what most regulars do and it transforms them.
Which states have In-N-Out?
In-N-Out operates around 424 locations across California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Tennessee. It has never expanded beyond the western and southern United States, which is part of why visitors treat it as a destination.
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