Why In-N-Out Changed The Rules On One Of Its Most Popular Secret Menu Items

In-N-Out's secret menu is one of the worst-kept secrets in fast food, complete with a "Not So Secret Menu" page on its website that openly encourages customers to try new combinations. Beyond that, there's also the deeper layer of truly hidden items you may not have heard of — Frankenstein-esque creations you won't find on the menu or the site, but that regulars know to ask for. In other words, the chain does more than just tolerate off-menu culture; it actively celebrates it. Having said that, even In-N-Out has its limits. Recently, it had to change the rules on one of its most popular secret items — the Flying Dutchman. SF Gate reported the change after customers started exploiting a glaring loophole: they could get the same thing at a massive discount by simply ordering the component parts separately.

The off-menu item is a high-protein fast food item that is basically two beef patties with two slices of cheese in between. Ordered as the Flying Dutchman, it costs about $5.50 (prices vary by location). However, by simply ordering two single patties and a couple of cheese slices, customers could get the exact same thing for closer to $3.40. That's 40% less than the menu price! In-N-Out took notice of this menu hack, and in March this year, the chain announced in an internal memo that it would adjust the pricing of single patties and cheese slices so they added up to the cost of a Flying Dutchman.

While platforms like TikTok can sometimes catapult restaurants to new levels of success, in the case of the Flying Dutchman, longtime fans of the hack say the app is what forced In-N-Out's hand. Traditionally, the Flying Dutchman was simple: just two slices of cheese sandwiched between two beef patties. A TikTok trend saw grilled onions thrown into the mix as a replacement for the buns. The complexity of orders kept increasing. "People started ordering three Flying Dutchmen with six sides of lettuce, three sides of tomatoes, three sides of pickles, three sides of onion, three sides of chilies," one Redditor wrote, adding that these requests slowed down the kitchen and threw off the flow of operations. 

Another Reddit user shared a different take, placing only part of the blame on TikTok: "Because of the TikTok trend popularizing the Flying Dutchman so much, they did what a lot of for-profit companies do: they saw a widely unknown item gain popularity, and upped the prices to gain more profit." That view may be a little harsh, as the pricing change only applies to standalone patty-and-cheese orders. Customers adding an extra patty or cheese to their on-menu burgers can still do so at the reduced price.