Tag: food

  • In-N-Out Redux – Animal Style

    In-N-Out Redux – Animal Style

    Okay, I finally returned to In-N-Out to try the Animal Style I promised in my last post.

    There was a line outside this time. I was there during that period that isn’t quite twilight but isn’t full dark either—the sun had either just gone down or was almost there. The line only filled about half of the outside queue, though, and I was inside in about 15 minutes.

    Already almost dark outside, in line and ready

    This time I ordered the Double-Double Animal Style, the fries Animal Style, and another shake. I went with chocolate because chocolate is naturally less sweet than strawberry, and I wanted this visit to be at least somewhat comparable to the last one. Same basic meal, but this time with the special stuff.

    So many workers, busy as bees, and super nice!

    I waited while they went through the numbers, just like last time. This time I actually remembered to ask for ketchup when I picked up my order, and they were very happy to provide it. I found a seat, took the obligatory picture of my food, and dug in.

    If you don’t think this is nummy, I’ve already lost you.

    So, what does Animal Style actually mean?

    A regular Double-Double already comes with lettuce, tomato and In-N-Out’s spread, with onions optional. Animal Style takes that basic burger and changes things up: the patties are cooked with mustard, pickles are added, the onions are grilled, and you get extra spread.

    I’ve tried cooking hamburger patties with mustard myself, and it’s actually not super easy. You can’t really do it with a frozen burger, and it doesn’t work nearly as well with hamburger that has been sitting around for a while. You need to fresh-press the patty, mustard it and get it onto the grill.

    It’s worth the effort, but it is effort.

    Or you can pay In-N-Out to do it for you and ask for Animal Style.

    And about that spread: if you’ve never had it, think of something a little like Thousand Island dressing. It’s the same general idea as McDonald’s having its own special sauce—there’s a resemblance to Thousand Island, but ultimately it’s In-N-Out’s own spread, not Thousand Island dressing.

    The Animal Style fries are a different matter—and there is a price difference. They were about $2.16 more than the regular fries. The regular fries get covered with melted cheese, grilled onions and that same In-N-Out spread.

    And then they hand you a fork.

    Trust me. The fork is needed.

    It took me longer to eat this meal than the previous one because this one is worth savoring, and you can’t exactly pick up the fries and eat them normally. They’re slathered in all that stuff. Very tasty. Quite rich.

    The burger itself was excellent. That is definitely how I’m ordering it every time I go in there from now on. It costs the same as the regular version, and I’m giving the Animal Style Double-Double a 10+. It adds enough flavor that I don’t need bacon. I don’t need mushrooms. I don’t need anything else piled onto it.

    It’s great the way it is.

    And I was right about the chocolate shake. It wasn’t too sweet. In fact, it was quite good. I suppose I could try vanilla next time, but I suspect it would be super sweet, so…no. I’ll stick with chocolate or get a soda.

    I was full when I left, and the entire meal was less than $13.

    I am not trying to say that one restaurant is better than every other restaurant. But In-N-Out is, by far, the least expensive burger place I’ve eaten at in the Portland area. That is objectively true.

    Don’t troll me on it.

    I also took some surreptitious pictures while I was there. You can see those great big safety pins hanging from the employees’ belts, you can see the crowdedness, and you can even see just the general vibe of the place.

    Had to get a shot of the safety pins!

    Then, after I finished eating, I went back to the counter and asked, “How can I buy one of those shirts?”

    She told me I didn’t have to get back in line. Since I was only buying a shirt, I could just go to the next open register.

    So I did.

    I bought the shirt.

    It was only $20, and it’s worth it because it’s a cool-looking shirt.

    It’s got a Corvette on it.

    What’s not cool about a Corvette?

    So I returned home and modeled my new shirt, fresh after a shower.

    Look ma, stubble… and a new shirt.
    Ok, I’m no influencer, I’m not trying to be. How do they do this?

    No, I don’t look like an influencer.

    I’m not trying to be an influencer.

    I’m just telling you what I saw, what I ate and what I really enjoyed.

    And there will be a next time.

    I won’t claim these are the best burgers ever. I will claim that they are very good and very much worth the price I paid. I’ll be back up there. I might go to a movie early enough that I can have dinner beforehand. I might go to an early enough movie that I can grab a burger on the way home.

    Either way, In-N-Out is now going to be part of my plans whenever I’m up in that section of Beaverton.

    Next time?

    Animal Style Double-Double: definitely.

    Animal Style fries: maybe.

    Chocolate shake: probably.

    Clearly, a good decision
  • In-N-Out Burger — NE Evergreen Parkway & 185th, Hillsboro

    In-N-Out Burger — NE Evergreen Parkway & 185th, Hillsboro

    I finally made it out to the new In-N-Out — not sure exactly when it opened, but it’s been a few weeks. They’ve still got traffic cones blocking off part of the street, a security guard directing drive-through traffic, and it’s still pretty crowded inside. No line out the door anymore, though the stanchions and fabric channelways are still set up out front, so it clearly had that energy not too long ago.

    I ordered a Double-Double, fries, and a strawberry shake — figured that was a good trio for a first visit. Got ticket number 14. While I waited I heard them call 82, 83, 90, 84, 85 — no rhyme or reason to the order, but I liked that they don’t bother padding the numbers with letters or extra digits. They’re confident they’ll get to you before it gets confusing. They’re not running 100 people deep. Says something about how they’ve got their turnover dialed in.

    My number came up eventually. Burger and fries were ready, but the shake needed another 30 seconds or so. I grabbed a seat and started eating — didn’t grab any ketchup packets, which I’d normally do for dipping, but the place felt a little too chaotic to bother asking. Broke my own rule of eating fries first (Taco Bell: hard shell first, McDonald’s: fries before they go cold) because the burger looked too good to wait. And it was good. Didn’t even miss the ketchup, which is saying something.

    The fries were bare-bones — just a packet of salt on the side, add it or don’t. I salted them up and ate the whole batch, no ketchup, no complaints.

    The shake was the one letdown. A little too sweet for my taste. I know enough about the relationship between temperature and sugar perception from making my own ice cream — my guess is it wasn’t cold enough, maybe from too much liquid in the mix or from sitting out a bit too long, and that threw off the balance. Still drank all of it.

    The whole place is decked out in classic red-and-white retro diner style, with artwork all over the walls. Staff outfits were a nice touch — the guys wear those little paper envelope-style hats, the women wear ball caps. Good food-safety call keeping hair up either way, though I did wonder if there’s ever been any pushback over the gendered uniform split. Also noticed the aprons are tied off with an oversized safety pin — three inches, easy — which felt like a deliberate retro costume choice rather than a functional necessity, and I thought it was a nice detail.

    They had T-shirts for sale too. Didn’t buy one, but there was a design I liked — a Corvette driving under a sign that says “Entering Portland,” playing into the fact that this location is brand new to the area. $20 though, so maybe next time.

    Prices were genuinely reasonable. You can’t walk out of Five Guys with a burger, fries, and a shake for under $15 — this was $11.30, and it was a double patty burger. No bacon, no mushrooms, no signs they’re chasing any menu trend anytime soon. Turns out I didn’t need any of that. It was just a very good burger.

    Next time: animal style.