The Worst In-N-Out Secret Menu Item Is Both Impossible To Eat And Incredibly Bland

In-N-Out's secret menu has some items that can help customers hit macros and quiet hunger pangs with a creative order. Animal style, protein style, and the 4x4 are not-so-secret crowd pleasers, and hungry diners looking for lunch aren't bashful to state their preferences. One order has become divisive, however, even landing on our list of secret menu items you're better off avoiding. Instead of bookending a burger with buns, a tomato wrap serves up a patty nestled inside of tomato slices. For some, like our writer, the result is not only sloppy to eat but leaves much to be desired in terms of the burger-tasting experience.

Obviously, tomato slices do not hold ingredients like a toasted bun. After a few bites, a tomato-wrapped burger is destined to collapse if it isn't held together by paper. Unless you're in a position to reach for a fork and knife, this sloppy snack will have you scrambling for more napkins. "Heaven forbid a carb being eaten. PASS," commented an Instagrammer. In addition to the juicy presentation, the chewy contrast of a toasted burger bun is replaced by a watery, acidic ingredient that can distract from the flavor of the beef. In-N-Out's burgers are known to be well seasoned, and the sauce has won over plenty of customers, but when juicy tomato slices command all of the attention, this protein-focused order might be better served tucked inside a lettuce shell.

Not every In-N-Out customer despises the tomato-wrapped burger, but critics are vocal. "Why even bother or go?" wrote a skeptic on Reddit. "Abomination," added another, while another Redditor simply described the tomato wrap as "sad." A few customers who have tried the customization have been swayed, however. 

"I was in doubt, but the tomato wrap hack at In-N-Out is legit. Strangely still tastes like a full burger and destroys that lettuce wrap junk," wrote a surprised sampler on Instagram. "Once you try tomato buns, you'll never go back," added another Instagrammer, who called the order "game changing." One customer's new go-to order has become a tomato-wrapped double Flying Dutchman with whole grilled onions. Cautioning that this burger presentation is not for rookies, one In-N-Out customer promised that without the bread, the flavors of the meat and cheeses move to center stage, and the messy eating can add to the enjoyment of gobbling down a burger with your hands. Just don't forget an extra stack of napkins.