From all of the secret menu items you should know about to the surprisingly high salaries that they pay their managers, let's take a look at the untold truth of In-N-Out Burger.
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00:00Chances are, if you've ever been to In-N-Out Burger, you were sold after your first bite.
00:05That toasted sponge bread, the never-frozen patty, the grilled onions, the secret sauce
00:10— it's the antithesis of most drive-thru burgers.
00:13It's no surprise that the chain that has long been heralded the It Fast Food restaurant
00:16since its opening in 1948 has managed to gain a cult following that other burger joints
00:21could only wish to achieve.
00:22What is the longest you would queue for this burger?
00:25Three hours.
00:26Four.
00:27Five.
00:28While this remains not-so-secret menu, there might be a few unknown tidbits that even the
00:31biggest aficionados don't know about their beloved burger spot.
00:35We're digging into some surprising In-N-Out Burger facts, but be warned, you might get
00:39a little hungry.
00:40Why are people so devoted to this?
00:43You sound like someone who's never had an In-N-Out Burger.
00:46How to really animal-style
00:48We all know the animal-style French fry menu hack by now, with all that melty cheese, grilled
00:53onions, and special sauce.
00:54But there's a way to avoid the imminent soggy potato pile.
00:57A former In-N-Out manager known by the alias Kathy told Thrillist,
01:01"...if you're going to eat animal fries, the best thing to do is to order them fry-well,
01:05because the fries will hold their shape.
01:07They won't get soft and mushy under all the sauce, especially if you take your time eating
01:11them."
01:12Now that's a useful hack.
01:13There are several sacred things in this world that you don't ever mess with.
01:19One of them happens to be another man's fries.
01:21The secret secret menu
01:23Any In-N-Out fan knows all about the usual, not-so-secret menu items by now, but there
01:28are a few lesser-known menu hacks that still fly under the radar.
01:31According to a Redditor at the helm of In-N-Out AMA, you can order a mustard-fried patty,
01:36which happens,
01:37"...when the cooks add mustard to the meat while it's grilling and add pickles to the
01:40bottom bun."
01:41Only like meat and cheese, that's a Flying Dutchman, which is just two patties with cheese
01:45melted between them, nothing else.
01:48Can't decide what flavor of shake to get?
01:49Go Neapolitan, with all three flavors in one cup.
01:53Special deals for law enforcement
01:55In a revealing AMA, a Redditor claiming to be an In-N-Out Burger associate shed some
01:59light on the employee's freebie situation, saying,
02:02"...associates get a free meal every shift.
02:05We can order anything up to the size of a Double Double.
02:07However, we can't order animal fries or shakes unless we pay for them ourselves.
02:11We also can't give discounts to friends or families."
02:14The commenter went on to explain who does get a discount, saying,
02:17The only discount we do give out is a police officer discount.
02:20We only give police officers discounts if they're in uniform, too.
02:23Otherwise, no discount.
02:25This is because seeing an officer in uniform in the restaurant makes customers feel safer,
02:29apparently.
02:30Maybe that's why the Hamburglar hangs around a different burger joint.
02:33Mmm, cheeseburger?
02:35New on the menu
02:36In-N-Out's famously simple menu hasn't changed in about 15 years, so fans were excited to
02:42see the addition of hot cocoa in January 2018.
02:45Though the drink isn't exactly new.
02:47According to the Orange County Register, In-N-Out president Lindsey Snyder said in a statement,
02:51"...this is actually the return of hot cocoa.
02:54My grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, served it for many years beginning in the
02:5850s.
02:59I'm not sure how it fell off the menu, but it's part of our culture and something special
03:02for kids, and I'm happy that we're bringing it back."
03:05The 8-ounce cup is made with Ghirardelli cocoa powder and topped with mini marshmallows,
03:09and it's back for good at all locations.
03:12Secret messages
03:14If you've ever looked under your In-N-Out cup, you might have spied what looks like
03:17a Bible verse, and, spoiler alert, it is a Bible verse.
03:21"...behold his mighty hand!"
03:24The soda cups cite John 3.16, the milkshake cups mention Proverbs 3.5, and even the burger
03:30wrappers and fry trays sport a verse.
03:35Mmm, this is a tasty burger."
03:39The company's founding family, including now-president Lindsey Snyder, are known for their strong
03:44religious beliefs.
03:45People reports that the burger heiress' faith saved her life, saying,
03:48"...I really value the love and good times I had with my dad, but even that can't compare
03:52completely to the love that God has for me.
03:55God got me back up after all these failures and he can lift me up and see me go forward,
04:00and I know that he can be glorified."
04:01She even also has two tattoos citing Bible verses, but not the ones on In-N-Out's packaging.
04:06"...at the end of the day, I'm looking to that guy upstairs of what he would want to."
04:12Legendary chefs are loving it
04:14There's a reason In-N-Out has a cult following.
04:16It's good food.
04:17Paris Hilton even got a DUI trying to satisfy a craving in 2006.
04:21"...I was just really hungry, and I wanted to have an In-N-Out burger."
04:24But you might be surprised which legendary chefs are also down to double-double.
04:28"...this is Julia Child, bon appetit!"
04:31First We Feast reported that Julia Child was such a fan, she carried a list of store locations
04:36around with her, and even sent an assistant out on a burger run while she was in the hospital.
04:40Napa Valley chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller certainly knows how to party.
04:44Once tweeting,
04:45"...celebrated the French Laundry's anniversary with, what else, In-N-Out burgers!"
04:49He also told the site,
04:50"...my first experience at In-N-Out Burger inspired me to do a hamburger restaurant.
04:54I've had it in the back of my mind for 16 years, but I haven't gotten around to it.
04:58It's kind of a secret fantasy."
04:59And the notoriously cranky Gordon Ramsay also approves.
05:03"...last burger I had was In-N-Out Burger."
05:05He told Eater,
05:06"...people think Americans are obese and burgers are bad for them.
05:09They are delicious.
05:10In-N-Out burgers were extraordinary.
05:12I was so bad.
05:13I sat in the restaurant, had my double cheeseburger, then minutes later I drove back round and
05:17got the same thing again to take away."
05:19And even the Food World's saltiest critic, Anthony Bourdain, digs In-N-Out, telling Eater
05:24that it's his favorite place to eat in L.A.
05:27Managers make bank
05:28Considering a career change, you might want to think about In-N-Out.
05:32"...he lives in North Hollywood on Radford near the In-N-Out Burger.
05:35One of the In-N-Out burgers on camera was near the In-N-Out Burger."
05:38"...those are good burgers, Walter."
05:39"...shut the f— up, Donnie."
05:41The California Sun reported that the burger chain's managers make more than $160,000 per
05:46year on average, not to mention paid vacations, health insurance, vision and dental, and 401K
05:51plans.
05:52VP of Operations Denny Warnick explained in a statement that the company's founders wanted
05:56employees to focus on quality service, saying,
05:58Paying their associates well was just one way to help maintain that focus, and those
06:02beliefs remain firmly in place with us today.
06:05The company even sends their new managers to In-N-Out University.
06:08Yes, it's a real thing, and the fast food restaurant also promotes internal advancement,
06:12giving associates the opportunity to climb the ladder even without a college degree.
06:16As of March 2018, your future in burgers starts at $13 per hour.
06:21High-end swag
06:23If you're really, really into In-N-Out, a regular old t-shirt just might not cut it.
06:27Maybe you're looking for something with a little more pizzazz.
06:30Well, look no further than Vault 48, the curated merch section of their shop, offering, quote,
06:35a collection of unique items fit for the most avid In-N-Out burger fan.
06:39It is a treasure trove of fancy swag.
06:41We're talking about Swarovski crystal keychains plated in rose gold and emblazoned with the
06:46palm tree logo, and a $125 jewelry box for all your In-N-Out bling, also encrusted in
06:51crystals and featuring those famous palm trees.
06:54Okay, there are a lot of palm tree logos, but hey, hardcore fans gotta represent.
07:00The heiress to the burger fortune
07:01It's about the quality, the friendliness, and the cleanliness.
07:05We keep it simple."
07:06She's called the burger heiress.
07:07At just 35, she inherited the company and instantly became a billionaire.
07:11But In-N-Out president Lindsay Snyder is notoriously private, and tends to stay out of the limelight.
07:16"'Cause we don't want to be in the spotlight.
07:17We don't want a bunch of attention, and we want to do what we do best, and that's serve
07:21some good burgers to our customers."
07:23But over the years, she's provided a little glimpse into her personal life.
07:26"'I felt more alone than ever, more of a piece of trash than ever."
07:32Snyder said that her father's passing, due to an overdose of painkillers, caused her
07:36to fill the huge void with men, drugs, and alcohol.
07:39She ultimately turned to God, saying,
07:41"'I realize that I'm gonna follow in the footsteps of my father, and that I'm gonna meet an early
07:47death if I do not get right with God.'"
07:51After three failed marriages, she met her current husband, Shawn Ellingson.
07:55Together with Ellingson, the mom-of-four channeled her faith and formed the Army of Love Ministry,
07:59who provide resources and referrals to those in need.
08:02But she already had a family history of taking care of people.
08:05"'My heart is totally connected to this company because of my family, and the fact that they're
08:09not here, you know, I have a strong tie to keep this the way they would want it.'"
08:15So what does she do to unwind?
08:16The Burger Maven drag races.
08:18"'You can catch America's youngest female billionaire racing a car as much as 170 miles
08:25an hour.'"
08:26She told Orange Coast Magazine,
08:27"'I'm a lot like my dad, a little bit of a daredevil.
08:30I like an adrenaline rush.
08:31My dad took me to the racetrack for the first time when I was two or three.
08:35Anything with a motor, that was in my blood.'"
08:37Okay, fast cars, and maybe just a little bit of that special sauce.
08:42In-N-Out, In-N-Out, that's what a hamburger's all about.