In-N-Out Sued This Small Burger Chain — Now It's 'Nameless'

The U.S. has no shortage of burger chains, and while there are many with nationwide locations, the hands-down best American burger chain is the West Coast staple, In-N-Out. Given that it has a limited geographic reach even within the States, it's no wonder that people in other regions often feel like they're missing out. But as one Australian burger joint came to discover, certain levels of FOMO can end in a lawsuit.

In 2018, In-N-Out sued an Australian tribute restaurant, called Down N' Out, for trademark infringement. Down N' Out was a tiny chain, if we could even call it that, since it only ever had two locations. Nonetheless, it made enough of an impact with its existence that In-N-Out felt the need to ring up lawyers. The idea behind Down N' Out was to pay tribute to the revered Californian chain. But unlike Hungry Jacks, the Australian franchise of Burger King, Down N' Out did so completely independently.

The similar name and association with burgers were not the only things that bothered In-N-Out. The Australians created several logos featuring the signature yellow arrow and even added a "Tiger Style" option on the menu, in a clear reference to In-N-Out's famous Animal Style. The lawsuit ended up going In-N-Out's favor, with Down N' Out playfully renaming itself Nameless Bar.

Following the lawsuit, the newly renamed Nameless Bar fell on hard times. The verdict came through in summer 2020, and by fall 2021, the place shut down as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This unfortunate outcome didn't keep the owners down and out for long, though. They kept following their vision, creating a new burger bar called High N' Dry, still operational as of May 2026.

Looking at the burgers that High N' Dry is serving paints a clearer picture as to why In-N-Out may have wanted to keep this Australian venture in line. The burgers are absolutely phenomenal: massive, dripping with sauces, and loaded with more toppings than your tastebuds could process. Ironically, the tribute chain took the concept of FOMO and reversed it — it's now Americans that can crave iconic Australian burgers, counting them among the Australian dishes you need to try at least once.

High N' Dry is also not done referencing (or, at this point, straight-up roasting) American fast food chains. One of its recent burger creations was a spin on McDonald's Big Mac, dubbed "The Mac Daddy." It was announced in a Facebook post saying, "SENDING RONALD MCDONALD BACK TO BURGER SCHOOOLLL!!! THIS IS HOW IT'S DONNEEE!!!!" The chain (which now has three locations in Sydney) hasn't completely turned its back on In-N-Out, either. For one, it kept the N' in the name. It also just so happens to have a secret menu, featuring burgers called Ape Style and Chimp Style, doubling down on the Animal Style reference.