French Fry Diary 351: In-N-Out Burger

One of the places I get the most recommendations to do reviews of their fries for here at French Fry Diary is In-N-Out Burger. The problem is that while In-N-Out is a strictly west coast place, I am strictly an east coast guy. Sigh.

There is good news however. On The Bride's recent west coast excursion she had the chance to visit an actual In-N-Out Burger, and she got all sorts of stuff for me (no food, just giveaway items), and kinda reviewed them by proxy. Isn't she just a sweetheart?

The Bride was hungry and stopped in on her way to Los Angeles from Anaheim after midnight. She was surprised to find them both open and very busy. Almost sounds like White Castle a little.

Not knowing about In-N-Out's secret menu, The Bride just got the standard burger, fries and a drink. She saw others getting melted cheese and other stuff on their fries but didn't see it on the regular menu. She knows why now. Among the fries available from the secret menu include several variations of soft to crispy to extra crispy (almost like meat - light, light well, well, extra well), cheese fries, and the notorious animal fries.

In-N-Out Burger peels (sometimes) and fresh cuts their fries from Kennebec potatoes in house for hot and tasty regular cut French fries. The Bride said her fries were a bit underdone, so I wonder if maybe she said the word 'light' at some point while ordering.

Either way they looked good, and the burger tasted good. Hunger appeased after midnight by the west coast's famous In-N-Out Burger. Maybe I'll get there in person one day.

Potato Patch Animals

These animal-shaped potatoes were the Photo of the Day over at the Coast to Coast AM website.

Coast to Coast AM is a late night radio program hosted by George Noory that deals with the paranormal and the unusual. Being an insomniac, I listen to Coast a lot, and not just because I can't sleep. It's informative, insane, and always entertaining.

Here's what Diane P., the listener who sent in the photo had to say about it:

"These are potatoes I dug up from my garden. I think they look like animals...... I see a turtle, a duck, a pig, a rat, and a short-necked giraffe. Weird, huh? Yes, I see things in the clouds too, don't you???"

See the full story here.

French Fry Diary 95: Worst Fries in America

Friends Ray, Domenic, Joe and a host of other friends, acquaintances and strangers sent this link to me:

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/46018/americas-worst-french-fries-and-what-you-should-eat-instead/

Thanks, folks!

The folks at Eat This, Not That are fond of putting down the favorite fried food as bad for you, in fact they’ve made quite a career of it.

What really amazes me is how they are quick to attack Arby’s Curly Fries, Jack in the Box’s Bacon Cheddar Wedges, and Five Guys’ Fries (!) among others, they follow it all up with recommending McDonald’s Fries as being the best fast food fries. Something seems askew here. They’re recommending Mickey D’s but then they leave In-N-Out Burger’s Animal Style Fries off their worst list? I mean, come on, guys, if you’re going to be Health Nazis, at least be consistent!

And for the record, I have nothing against McDonalds Fries, it’s just that I know there are better – including, most significantly, Five Guys’ Fries. And nothing against the Animal Style either, as I haven’t had the chance to try In-N-Out Burger yet, but I will as soon as they open one out here on the East Coast.

French Fry Diary 21: The Most Dangerous Fries on Earth?

In-N-Out Burger is a California-based fast food chain that is reputedly one of the best, but it being on the West Coast and me being on the east, I have no way of knowing that. Hopefully someday I’ll find out.

One of the things that sets it apart from other chains is its simplistic menu, but don’t be fooled by that. Those in the know are hip to In-N-Out’s ‘secret menu,’ a way of ordering anything they want that’s not officially on the menu.

One of these ‘secret menu’ distinctions is the “Animal Style Fries” which come with melted cheese, spread (Thousand Island dressing with a mayonnaise base), and grilled onions on top. This concoction has been singled out as dangerous by This Is Why You’re Fat and by Strange Herring as one of the Top 10 Meals That Are Certain to Kill You. That’s quite an achievement for an order of fries.


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