Double-Double

The burger people plan road trips around. It is not huge and it is not fancy: two thin patties, two slices of cheese, crisp lettuce, a thick slice of tomato and In-N-Out’s spread, a sweet, tangy sauce in the Thousand Island family. What makes it special is how fresh everything tastes for the price. Ask for it Animal Style once, just to know what the fuss is about.

The Double-Double joined the menu in 1963 and has stayed almost exactly the same since, which is itself the story. While every other chain kept adding burgers, In-N-Out kept its board to three and let customers invent the rest, which is how a secret menu grew up around a burger that was never changed.