Here's What You Can Still Order From In-N-Out's Original 1948 Menu
In a nation where you can get a burger on practically every street corner, people tend to have some strong burger-based opinions. Many are of the belief that In-N-Out is better than Shake Shack and other chain burger joints, and point to how the restaurant generally does away with the bells and whistles and prioritizes fresh ingredients. In-N-Out also keeps its menu simple — so simple that it actually hasn't changed that much from the time it opened in 1948. That means you can still get the burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and cold drinks it served all those decades ago.
Harry Snyder is the man, the myth, and the legend behind this iconic burger joint, and he started with a wildly simple menu. You can peep the sign at the Original In-N-Out Replica that resides in Baldwin Park, California, but prepare yourself for the painful sticker shock of seeing burgers listed for the price of a single quarter. Oof. That said, the current In-N-Out menu looks almost identical. Aside from the aforementioned items, shake flavor options remain a classic trio of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate.
While the local In-N-Out manager probably doesn't make daily early morning trips to the grocers and butchers like Snyder did back in the day, the restaurant prides itself in sourcing local and fresh ingredients, and you can taste the difference.
So, what's new on the menu?
Of course, as In-N-Out has been around since the late '40s, some changes are bound to happen. The officially posted menu has a beloved addition in the form of the Double Double, which is just a burger with double meat and cheese. You can get hot cocoa and coffee in addition to the cold drinks too. But these days, the secret menu is the real game changer.
The first set of secret menu items are so well-known that they're just up on In-N-Out's official website, and include some truly tasty treats like grilled cheese sandwiches, Protein Style burgers that say goodbye to the buns, and Animal Style burgers smothered with pickles, extra spread, and grilled onions. Another even more secret In-N-Out menu really stretches the imaginative bounds of this relatively small menu, including things like Roadkill Fries (fries loaded with secret sauce, cheese, and a whole burger patty) or Whole Onion Burgers made with whole sliced and grilled onions instead of the diced stuff.
Basically, don't let the small menu appearance fool you, and don't be afraid to order from the secret menu so you can taste the difference between the original In-N-Out and the current one for yourself.