[xoutofstepx]

Thursday, March 26th
7:30pm


In-N-Out
24001 Avenida De La Carlota
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

See you there!

 

[tsunami racer]

sort of off subject but i was just having a heated discussion with a friend about the "mystique" of In-and-Out burger and how I felt it was completely over hyped and the burgers and fries were not all that good.

i'm more of a Fatburger kind of guy, who likes to taste the meaty thick beefy patties and crispy fries (thin or fat), and if i wanted a couple thin little drink coasters masquerading as a burger patty, i'd save my money and go get a Big Mac. the "once fried" fries at In-and-Out are too "Fluffy" and tasteless and the food always takes too long, though i suppose Fatburgers are cooked to order too, but at least Fatburger gives you a number and they bring your food out to your table, unlike In-and-Out where you have to stand around like a nervous orphan at a soup kitchen waiting for your turn.

the debate escalated to insults about each other's tastes in food and derogatory comments about our respective mothers, but in the end, i guess some people like In-and-Out and others prefer the meaty goodness of Fatburger.

there's another small chain that has begun to spring up in a few locations in SoCal called 5 Guys. they're from the DC/Virginia area and they have good meaty burgers and crispy fries. There's one in the Carson Mall (off 405 by IKEA) down the street from my office and it's real good. not necessarily a suggested location for a car meet, but just a tasty burger.

sorry for the tangent but just consider it a bump for this meet

 

[mikester]

sort of off subject but i was just having a heated discussion with a friend about the "mystique" of In-and-Out burger and how I felt it was completely over hyped and the burgers and fries were not all that good.

i'm more of a Fatburger kind of guy, who likes to taste the meaty thick beefy patties and crispy fries (thin or fat), and if i wanted a couple thin little drink coasters masquerading as a burger patty, i'd save my money and go get a Big Mac. the "once fried" fries at In-and-Out are too "Fluffy" and tasteless and the food always takes too long, though i suppose Fatburgers are cooked to order too, but at least Fatburger gives you a number and they bring your food out to your table, unlike In-and-Out where you have to stand around like a nervous orphan at a soup kitchen waiting for your turn.

the debate escalated to insults about each other's tastes in food and derogatory comments about our respective mothers, but in the end, i guess some people like In-and-Out and others prefer the meaty goodness of Fatburger.

there's another small chain that has begun to spring up in a few locations in SoCal called 5 Guys. they're from the DC/Virginia area and they have good meaty burgers and crispy fries. There's one in the Carson Mall (off 405 by IKEA) down the street from my office and it's real good. not necessarily a suggested location for a car meet, but just a tasty burger.

sorry for the tangent but just consider it a bump for this meet

IMO In 'n Out and Fatburger are kind of an "apples and oranges" thing, I enjoy them both, so I don't see a conflict really. I think they're each very good burgers in their own way - In 'n Out being kind of the quintessential So Cal style drive-through burger perfected, and Fatburger being more in the vein of the home-style (or, maybe diner-style) -thicker, juicier and far more customizable.

Personally I love my Fatburger with turkey meat instead of ground beef, and a fried egg on top (offsets the inherent leanness / dryness of the ground turkey). And at In 'n Out, I go with a double-double, animal-style.

I don't think the fries at In 'n Out are all that great, but if you ask for them done extra-crispy, they are better than otherwise. But the shakes at In 'n Out are really really good :up:

I hadn't heard about 5 Guys, thanks for the tip will have to check it out !

 

[ZJChaser]

you guys need to go to the counter The Counter : Custom Built Burgers : Honolulu I prefer fat burger slightly over in n out but the counter beats them both....by a good margin.

 

[mikester]

you guys need to go to the counter The Counter : Custom Built Burgers : Honolulu I prefer fat burger slightly over in n out but the counter beats them both....by a good margin.

I agree, but again, really a different animal (sorry about that, bad pun)

I mean, despite the name, it's much more of a true sit-down type place than the other places, with a decent wine and beer list. Also the Counter is going to cost a lot more, but absolutely a superior product, and nearly limitless customization possibilities. And the burger is pretty huge, even if you order "just" the medium one.

Did you try the combo appetizer thingy, with all the great starters/sides ? Awesome :up:

And their shakes are really good too.

 

[ZJChaser]

oh ya There is one 2 minutes from me so I've tried it all. Yes its a different animal but totally worth the mention

 

[mikester]

oh ya There is one 2 minutes from me so I've tried it all. Yes its a different animal but totally worth the mention

Have you tried the burger at Houston ? I've heard that it's very good too, but haven't tried it yet.

 

[sleeprfocus]

Have you tried the burger at Houston ? I've heard that it's very good too, but haven't tried it yet.

I like Houston's burgers but the best two burgers I've had in LA are at Comme Ca and at Father's Office. These are gourmet sit-down restaurant burgers, don't compare them to In-N-Out please :no:

 

[mikester]

sort of off subject but i was just having a heated discussion with a friend about the "mystique" of In-and-Out burger and how I felt it was completely over hyped and the burgers and fries were not all that good.

i'm more of a Fatburger kind of guy, who likes to taste the meaty thick beefy patties and crispy fries (thin or fat), and if i wanted a couple thin little drink coasters masquerading as a burger patty, i'd save my money and go get a Big Mac. the "once fried" fries at In-and-Out are too "Fluffy" and tasteless and the food always takes too long, though i suppose Fatburgers are cooked to order too, but at least Fatburger gives you a number and they bring your food out to your table, unlike In-and-Out where you have to stand around like a nervous orphan at a soup kitchen waiting for your turn

LOL I know what you mean about the waiting, at In 'n Out ! I think they prioritize the Drive Through line, so next time you might want to just use the drive-through.

I'm going to guess something, and please tell me if I'm right or not. I'm going to guess that you didn't grow up in So Cal ? I say this because I think that In 'n Out has a soft spot in many long-time So Cal residents, because it's so much of an institution in the southland and it hasn't changed in any meaningful way (that I can think of) in forever. The menu, the outfits, the food, has remained for all these years. Even the prices, I think, have stayed remarkably low and offer good value for money. I love that they DON'T offer anything but what they've offered for what, 45 years ? Burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, soda and shakes. Keepin' it simple. They're still family-owned and run, and they have very good quality control, from the production of their ground beef (all done at their headquarters in the San Gabriel Valley) on down. And, they have the reputation of treating their employees well, unlike many other fast-food places.

BTW, I'm not saying you're right or wrong (it's your palette and all that), just pointing out a few reasons that I think In 'n Out is so popular.

 

[tsunami racer]

i've been to The Counter in palo alto and i was happy they opened one up down the street from me in Marina Del Rey. very good too but yes, the comparison is a bit different for In-and-Out versus $10 burgers at The Counter.

and i did grow up in SoCal, which makes my ill comments of In-and-Out even more blasphemous anic:

 

[mopho]

Biggest thread hijack evAh!!!111111 anic:

rotfl

 

[tsunami racer]

no it's not!! it's talking about In-and-Out burger, where the meet is.

besides, this VW meet thread is getting more exposure than it has ever gotten on LT!!

 

[mopho]

:no: It went to Hamburger Talk (HT) on the very first reply, you're not even discussing euro hamburgers.



BTW "Hamburger Habit" saved my life

 

[tsunami racer]

BTW "Hamburger Habit" saved my life

how? did you finally get a job?

 

[mopho]

I would like to throw Apple Pan hamburgers into the mix, oishi!

Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles | A Hamburger Today

 

[mopho]

how? did you finally get a job?

Yeah


No! I was sitting at a stoplight with my wife in the car last month and the sign for Hamburger Habit caught my eye, as I was staring at it, the light turned green but I was so mesmerized by the name that I did not react right away. Just then some dirt bag ran the red light at like 70mph, had I not been staring at the Hamburger Habit sign, we would have been T-boned and killed

 

[Frips_Girl]

I've never been to an In & Out burger place. I just tried Bob's Big Boy for the first time and have also tried Ruby's... my fav is the Huntington Beach Pier location just for the scenery.

Back to the topic... is this a good car meet? What shows up?

 

[Trendy Exige]

I ate at The Counter plenty of times in Santa Monica. I'm happy to go get some in Irvine if someone wants to get in touch with me. :clap:

Another recommendation is Barney's Burger but its in Brentwood. Apple Pan is a great place too but its not in my top 3.

you guys need to go to the counter The Counter : Custom Built Burgers : Honolulu I prefer fat burger slightly over in n out but the counter beats them both....by a good margin.

 

[Trendy Exige]

Father's Office was sensational 3 years ago. It stop being known for its food, rather for its Dive Bar. Its now crowded with bunch of sausages trying to hit on lonely women who live around the Montana area in Santa Monica.

Another good place to get a Kobe Burger is place called Taste on Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood.

I like Houston's burgers but the best two burgers I've had in LA are at Comme Ca and at Father's Office. These are gourmet sit-down restaurant burgers, don't compare them to In-N-Out please :no:

 

[Trendy Exige]

If anyone haven't tried Houston's I stongly recommend the Hawaiian Ribeye Steak cooked in medium rare.

Have you tried the burger at Houston ? I've heard that it's very good too, but haven't tried it yet.