The In-N-Out Patty Melt Hack Beloved By California Locals

Fast food hacks can range from simply ordering from the restaurant's secret menu to combining multiple items into something the menu — be it secret or not — simply doesn't list. While some hacks, like the In-N-Out burger hack for onion lovers, don't seem to take much extra time for the folks behind the counter, others can get out of hand quickly. One new hack that is suddenly everywhere on social media is an example of the latter.

One of the most popular In-N-Out menu hacks is an attempt to order off the traditional menu to create a patty melt. The problem with this is that a classic patty melt consists of perfectly grilled bread, a ton of oozy, gooey melted cheese, lightly sautéed onions, and ground beef – which is a lot to ask of an In-N-Out team member. Regardless, people are sharing their tips on social media for how to order the perfect patty melt.

When you search "How to Order the In-N-Out Patty Melt" on TikTok, you'll find thousands of videos from helpful customers offering their best fast food menu hacks. In a TikTok video with over a million views, @alexis.frost recommends ordering a "Double-Double Animal Style with no lettuce or tomato and the buns flipped." Another video posted by @theblondefoodgod instructs diners to "ask for a Flying Dutchman wrapped in whole grilled onions....ask for a bun on the side, extra toasted, and then just flip the bun and assemble it yourself."

In one of the top comments on @alexis.frost's TikTok video about the In-N-Out patty melt hack, someone writes, "As an in n out worker we can't flip the buns lol." Fast food employees have also taken to Reddit to vent about the fast food hacks they can't handle anymore — and they've long contested this one. A 2023 Reddit post titled "Stop asking for patty melts" states, "Dear customers, We don't serve or have patty melts and no we can't just put the buns upside down. Thank you."

In a TikTok video posted by @yosselin_28_ in which she instructs people how to order the In-N-Out patty melt hack, the top comment says, "Yall better not come to in n out asking for the patty melt, cause we can't do that yall gotta assemble it urself." Additionally, one of the top comments on a TikTok video about the patty melt hack posted by @blondeswhoeat says, "I work at in n out and we don't do this lol."

So, your mileage may vary when trying out this hack. It sounds like employees either can't or don't want to do it, and it may just lead to yet another example of why the burger chain is changing its rules. If you really want a delicious, perfectly grilled patty melt, it would probably be faster (and cheaper) to just make an elevated patty melt yourself at home.