9 Facts You Didn't Know About In-N-Out's Double-Double

In-N-Out's Double-Double sits in the pantheon of the best fast-food double cheeseburgers. With accolades expressed in Reddit threads and from Anthony Bourdain, it's an all-around beloved California classic. The Double-Double is made with two 100% beef patties, two slices of American cheese, fresh onions (or grilled), crispy lettuce, tomatoes, and In-N-Out's special sauce, served on toasted buns. Today, you can find gourmet burgers, smash burgers, and every other burger style in between, but the Double-Double holds its own. It hasn't changed in almost 60 years and is still many people's favorite.

Simplicity surely has something to do with its everlasting appeal. The California chain believes that doing one thing right and sticking to the basics is the formula for success. When you visit an In-N-Out location, which can only be found on the West Coast, expect to find the same delicious burger and a long line of cars in its drive-thru. It makes you wonder how this no-frills hamburger became a pop culture phenomenon. Fortunately, we did some digging and found some interesting facts you might not know about In-N-Out's Double-Double.

The famous Double-Double burger landed on In-N-Out's menu on August 1, 1966. According to The Los Angeles Times, it was the brainchild of company executive Robert Lang Sr., who came up with the name in response to a growing number of customers requesting an extra patty and slice of cheese. After being introduced at a new location in Azusa, California, the reaction was so overwhelming that In-N-Out's co-founder Harry Snyder decided to serve it at five additional locations, per an Instagram post by his granddaughter, Lynsi Synder, current owner and president. 

Lang Sr. started working at In-N-Out early on. Even before he joined the company, its original drive-in hamburger stand was located in a namesake dairy owned by his family. Lang would routinely end his day with a burger, which was only 25 cents at the time. He became In-N-Out's youngest co-manager in history at the age of 19 and worked his way up the ladder, eventually becoming QFC (quality, friendliness, and customer service) evaluator. Lang worked there for much of his life, creating In-N-Out's first employee handbook and introducing the idea of using protective lap mats to market to customers. The Double-Double, however, is the most celebrated contribution of his enduring legacy. Even by our standards, it's one of the best burgers in Los Angeles.

Religion is the last thing that comes to mind when you think of In-N-Out. However, you'd be surprised to know that it has deep religious roots. Lynsi Snyder and her siblings were raised in a Christian household by their mother Esther, who was a devout believer. As a result, religion is woven into the fabric of the family business, which has a long history of giving back to those in need. A little known In-N-Out burger fact is that the cups and wrappers have Bible verses printed on them.

Scripture John 3:16 is underneath the soda cups, for example, and Nahum 1:7 from the Old Testament is on the Double-Double's wrapper, which reads, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Those are two of several Bible verses paired with In-N-Out's iconic menu items. According to The Christian Post, Synder credits her uncle Rich for starting the bible verse tradition before he passed. He added them during the early 1990s when he was the company president.

When it comes to hamburgers, it's all about the beef. In-N-Out has always used 100% ground chuck for its patties. Chuck is different from regular ground beef in several ways. For one, it only comes from chuck steak, a primal cut of beef located near the shoulder muscles where the connective tissue is more dense and higher in fat and collagen. The consistency makes it ideal for hamburgers and meatballs because it holds its shape better than regular ground, which is usually leaner and comes from various cuts of beef.

Burgers made from ground chuck pack lots of flavor thanks to fat and collagen. They also help the burger meat retain more juice, which means more mouthwatering patties. All of In-N-Out's patties are made in-house — free of additives, fillers, and preservatives — and shipped fresh to locations rather than frozen. Hamburgers are cooked on the spot to deliver a fresh experience.

If a real-deal Prince calls it his favorite hamburger, the Double-Double must be something truly special. Prince Harry, of Britain's royal family, has a well-documented love for California's decked-out burger, which is anything but royal. It goes to show that quality doesn't always come on porcelain plates; it can also come in a paper wrapper. His wife, Meghan Markle, spilled the beans on what his favorite fast food chain was in 2022, per Variety.

Harry later revealed his go-to In-N-Out order to People, a hefty one consisting of two Double-Doubles made animal style, french fries, and a Coke. As one of the most popular fast-food cheeseburgers, we don't blame him. He and Markle fell in love with In-N-Out after relocating to California in 2020. She prefers the single patty cheeseburger with just ketchup and special sauce, french fries, and a side of jalapeños. Apparently, a nearby location even remembers their orders.

The Double-Double has attracted a long list of celebrity admirers. Even the world-renowned hothead Gordan Ramsay couldn't resist its savory allure. By his high standards, the Double-Double is far from an "idiot sandwich." Ramsay is so smitten, in fact, that he told chef Josh Scherer from the Mythical Kitchen YouTube channel that a Double-Double made animal style would be his ideal last meal. He then said he likes to hand the person working a crisp 100-dollar bill as a show of appreciation after he receives his order. He clearly considers it a heavenly send-off.

Double-Double obsession notwithstanding, Ramsay has also expressed appreciation for the chain's use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients and its customer-friendly drive-thru. It's no surprise that he's been head over heels for In-N-Out for 10 years and running. Ramsay's animal-style order is just one of several hacks for onion lovers you'll find there. In-N-Out gives you the option of adding fresh, chopped, and grilled onions to your burgers.

In-N-Out's standard menu is fully equipped to cure your cravings, but it barely scratches the savory surface of what the chain has to offer. The legendary secret menu is a fast food lover's dream. It takes everything you enjoy about the standard menu and multiplies it with the power of deliciousness. Put a spicy spin on your Double-Double with the chopped chiles hack. In-N-Out lets you top your burger off with chopped or whole cascabella peppers.

If you've never heard of these tiny canonical-shaped fireballs, they are between 1,500 and 6,000 on the Scoville scale, which is less spicy than jalapeños (between 2,500 and 8,000), but still has a kick. Cascabella peppers are smaller and resemble pepperoncini or banana peppers with a touch of fruitiness. In-N-Out experienced a temporary shortage of cascabella peppers in 2023 and replaced them with banana peppers, much to the chagrin of customers. The switch stirred up quite a storm that, thankfully, subsided after the supply was restored. Today, you should have no problem spicing up your Double-Double.

One vocal supporter of the Double-Double was the late Anthony Bourdain. Though a far cry from his East Coast roots and Michelin-level skill set, Bourdain practically worshipped In-N-Out. Clearly enamored, he called it one of his favorites in Los Angeles and the only fast-food chain that he liked. When he visited the city, In-N-Out was one of the first stops, and before he left, it was one of the last. There were a surprising number of fans back East as well. He said someone occasionally sparked a rumor that In-N-Out was coming to New York and it always caused a frenzy.

Like many, he was a Double-Double animal-style fan. In an Eater interview, he described it as a "ballistic missile" and a "perfectly designed protein delivery system." His idea of a proper burger starts with a decent bun, quality meat, preferably more patty than bun, fresh lettuce, and non-fancy cheese. For Anthony Bourdain, the no-frills Double-Double checked off every box.

Eating challenges are nothing new, but every now and again, someone accomplishes something truly historic. That certainly can be said of Will Young, a Bay Area-based blogger who decided to walk into an In-N-Out in 2004 and order a 100x100 Double-Double, per The Mercury News. Imagine eating a single Double-Double with 98 additional patties and slices of cheese. It's unclear how In-N-Out's grillmasters managed to successfully stack what we imagine looked like the "leaning tower of beef-a," but fortunately, Young had seven friends to help him take it down. All things considered, a $97.66 price tag was pretty reasonable.

Tackling such meaty milestones is no longer an option at In-N-Out; four patties is the maximum that you can add to your burger. Of course, buying several four-patty burgers and making your own savory stack is an alternative. The price varies, but on average, In-N-Out charges $1.25 for an extra patty and 50 cents for an extra slice of cheese. You'd have to pay around $171.50 to recreate the Will Young 100x100 challenge today.

The Double-Double may have come second to Habit Burger in USA Today's 2024 ranking of favorite burgers by fast food chain, but one thing it has the other doesn't is cool merch. In-N-Out sells an assortment of fun, quirky, and, dare we say, stylish Double-Double-inspired gear. Some certainly give the impression of "walking, talking advertisements," but there are others with actual wearable appeal.

If you have no shame showing off your affection, quite a few items have supersized all-over-print Double-Doubles with enough color to stop traffic. If you prefer something more low-key, though, there are tasteful button-ups with mini Double-Doubles barely noticeable to the naked eye. You could proudly show off your love and no one would be the wiser. There are also subtly suggestive black cropped tees, jersey-style tees, fatigue-print hoodies, and more. One of In-N-Out's coolest products is an eraser set that resembles a Double-Double with fries and a drink.