Amazon.com Review
In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules , --Brad Thomas Parsons
Author Stacy Perman's Guide to In-N-Out Burger's "Secret Menu"
Except for the addition of 7-Up and Dr. Pepper, In-N-Out Burger's menu has remained much as it was when the chain opened its first drive-thru in Baldwin Park, California in 1948. However, at some point in time, a "secret menu" emerged. Something of an insider's code, it is an off-menu series of variations on the chain's standard fare (Double-Double, hamburger, cheeseburger, and french fries) that has been passed on entirely by word-of-mouth through the years.
Although the "secret menu's" origins remain a mystery, part of its existence can be explained by the fact that In-N-Out Burger has always insisted on cooking-to-order each individual burger any way a customer wanted it prepared. Over time, several of these variations gained traction and somewhere along the way a number of them were given their own names. While frequently steeped in rumor and apocryphal tales the "secret menu" is almost always used by those In-N-Out customers in the know.
These are the most popular "secret menu" items. In-N-Out Burger has listed them on their website (and even trademarked their names) :
Double Meat : Two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, spread, (optional onions) on a toasted bun.
3x3 : Three beef patties, lettuce, tomato, sauce, three slices of American cheese, (optional onions) on a toasted bun.
4x4 : Four beef patties, lettuce, tomato, sauce, four slices of American cheese, (optional onions) on a toasted bun.
Grilled Cheese : Two slices of melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce, (optional onions) on a toasted bun.
Protein Style : Any burger served sans bun and wrapped in lettuce.
Animal Style : Any burger with mustard cooked beef, lettuce, tomato, extra sauce, pickle, and grilled onions on a toasted bun. (Note: the Grilled Cheese can also be prepared Animal Style)
A few more "secret" variations that have made the rounds for those in the know :
X x Y : Any number of beef patties with corresponding slices of American cheese (note on one memorable Halloween evening in Las Vegas a group of friends famously ordered and consumed a 100x100).
Flying Dutchman : beef patty or patties and American cheese slice(s) no vegetables or bun.
Veggie Burger (sometimes called a Wish Burger): no beef or cheese, just lettuce, tomato, or (optional) onions on a toasted bun.
Extra Everything : just like it sounds--extra sauce, tomato, lettuce, and onions served grilled or raw.
Chopped Chilies : mild chopped peppers are added to any burger.
The "secret menu" also extends to a variety of french fry variations :
Animal Style Fries : an order of fries slathered in melted American cheese, sauce, and grilled onions.
Fries Light : reduced cooking time resulting in softer, chewier french fries.
Fries Well-Done : increased cooking time resulting in crispier, browner french fries.
Cheese Fries : french fries bathed in melted American cheese.
Onion Variations :
The usual scenario is a whole slice of fresh onion cooked with the burger but In-N-Out will serve onions grilled, raw, and chopped if asked.
For those really in the know :
If you ask an associate at the counter they will give you a serving of yellow chili peppers.
Pickles are added only upon request.
From Publishers Weekly
Perman (Spies Inc.) casts an affectionate and admiring eye at In-N-Out Burger, the family-owned, Southern California chain that has become a cultural institution without franchising, going public, changing its menu or precooking its burgers. This book traces the history of the company and the Snyders, the family that founded and still owns In-N-Out, interspersed with the evolution of the fast-food industry. Perman never makes good on her promise to go behind-the-counter and analyze the company's dealings—her access to executives and family members did not extend to gleaning financial or strategic information—consequently it's never clear whether In-N-Out's conservatism is a conscious business strategy, a personal preference of the owners or plain complacency. More a glowing fan letter from an appreciative customer than exposé, this book has more to say about the company's celebrity fans, American family dynamics and our collective love affair with fast food. (Apr.)
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