Five Guys Vs In-N-Out: Which Chain Uses Higher-Quality Beef?

In-N-Out is an iconic mostly California-based burger chain that was Anthony Bourdain's first stop on trips to LA. Five Guys is a hugely popular burger chain known globally for unlimited toppings and french fries cooked in peanut oil. Both have massive fan bases and delicious burgers. But which chain uses higher-quality beef? The answer is not that simple. Both chains use fresh-never-frozen patties made from 100% USDA ground chuck. Neither chain's ground chuck contains additives, fillers, or binders. 

The only difference seems to be that In-N-Out owns its production facilities where they receive whole chucks, inspect them, grind the meat, and make the patties. Five Guys uses third-party facilities to produce its burger patties. This gives In-N-Out more direct control over the quality inspection of the beef before it's ground, but at the end of the day, they aren't using a superior cut — technically both chains use the same quality beef.

Other factors to consider include that In-N-Out only open locations that are within one day's drive from its burger distribution centres. Five Guys relies on refrigerated trucks that deliver the fresh patties to locations, which must be used within seven days (patties that don't pass inspection on delivery are rejected). This could mean that the beef you're being served at In-N-Out is fresher, but as a customer, you don't know when the beef used to make your burger was delivered.

In 2018, a report was published that gave 22 fast food chains an F rating on failing to source beef that was not raised with the use of antibiotics. Both In-N-Out and Five Guys were among those who received a failing grade. In-N-Out did go on the record to say the company would look into moving toward using beef that was antibiotic free. Five Guys never made such a claim. No updates from In-N-Out have been given since then, so it can only be assumed they never did successfully move away from it.

If you're wondering if there's a difference between ground chuck and ground beef, there is. Ground chuck is a kind of ground beef that's made only from the chuck cut, the area of the cow around the shoulder and neck. It's known for making very flavourful beef patties, and the high fat content contributes to a juicy burger — which is why it's the choice for both In-N-Out and Five Guys. But when it comes to straight-up beef quality? We'd have to call it a draw.