13 Changes In-N-Out Burger Needs To Make

I have a few beefs with In-N-Out Burger (bun intended), but I, like so many with ties to California, grew up eating here. Founded in Baldwin Park in 1948, the fast-food chain feels like it's woven into the fingerprint of the Golden State at this point. And with generations of my mom's side born and raised in Southern California, it should be no surprise that it was a family tradition to eat at In-N-Out when we were visiting our loved ones. With these meals marking our gatherings, reunions, and Disneyland trips with everybody, In-N-Out Burger has never just felt like some random fast-food joint to me. It feels personal.

Unfortunately, it's been a few years since I've eaten at this Southern California staple. Because, despite the fact that it's expanded into my region here in the Pacific Northwest with Oregon and Washington locations, it feels inaccessible to me as someone who doesn't eat beef. Not only that, but as I've gotten older, I've noticed some serious gaps between what In-N-Out Burger could be doing and what's actually being done — I see so many missed opportunities, from the lack of Californian toppings for burgers and loaded fries to the shakes that don't have any real pieces of fruit in them (the highlight of any milkshake, in my humble opinion).

So, here are a few changes that I wish In-N-Out Burger would make to its menu and footprint. And since I'm not in charge of the company, I'm not considering the practical or financial feasibility.

The fact that In-N-Out Burger doesn't have a vegan cheeseburger or patty of any kind is perhaps the biggest reason that I haven't been back to the chain in a few years. It's the 21st century — I don't have an excuse for In-N-Out not having a single burger option (outside of a pattyless, toppings-only monstrosity). I've yet to have food that isn't anything but ultra-fresh at this fast-food chain (one of the many reasons I remain so hopeful about it), so it should roll out a super high-quality rendition of a plant-based burger that's just as well-executed as its other offerings.

I'd love to see In-N-Out Burger innovate with its own plant-based beef patty, and include some vegan cheese for those who want a dairy-free cheeseburger rather than just a burger. We've ranked vegan cheeses before, but vegans seem to be big fans of Miyoko's or Violife (which were high picks in our ranking) for hot foods like these. Vegan-friendly spread and fun toppings (more on those later) should also be generously portioned out.

In-N-Out Burger's buns are changing in order to accommodate those with specific food allergies and diets — why not extend the same courtesy to those who don't partake in animal products? The fries at In-N-Out Burger are already celebrated by the vegan community. And for years, plant-based diners have been begging the brand to offer options that they can eat too. There's clearly demand outside of just me.

In my opinion, by far the best reason to come to In-N-Out is to order something Animal Style, and I know I'm not alone — it's why this chain is Gordon Ramsay's favorite fast-food restaurant. I love the Animal Style fries, with the juxtaposition of salty fries, unctuous grilled onions and cheese, and creamy spread. I prefer getting mine with raw onions, tomato, and chopped chilies as well for a bit of freshness and heat to boot. It's a bite so good that it makes standing in the line for In-N-Out Burger worth it, even if you don't plan on getting a burger. I'm just confused as to why it's not on the official menu, when I see it as a special quirk that's just so classic to the brand.

While Animal Style is arguably In-N-Out's most popular hamburger style and my favorite way to order fries, I do wish that there were more toppings to pick from. First of all, it would be exciting if the fast-food restaurant offered different seasonings that the fries could be tossed in — seeing spicy, smoky, herbaceous, and garlicky seasoning options for some serious variety.

As for additional toppings for the fries at In-N-Out Burger, condiments like salsa, sour cream, house-made ranch, and a dairy-free cheese sauce would be fabulous. But otherwise, I'd like chives, vegan bacon, pickled red onions (I'll come back to these later), caramelized mushrooms, crispy onions, sliced radishes, and sautéed bell peppers.

The not-so-secret menu at In-N-Out Burger includes, among other things, a "grilled cheese." But that's not what I'd call it — this item includes melted American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and spread on a burger bun. In other words, it's a burger without a patty; a collection of hamburger toppings on a bun. To make it flavorful, I have to order it with a whole grilled onion (which I've seen others do as well). Otherwise, it's just sad.

This reads as lazy. Like In-N-Out couldn't commit to a vegetarian burger or a grilled cheese. It just decided it would charge customers for toppings between bread and call it a day. And I know it can do better with not only the aforementioned vegan burger, but with a proper grilled cheese.

I'd like to see a grilled cheese that reflects Californian food culture — think sourdough bread (baked in-house or bought from a California bakery), cheese sourced from dairy farms in the Golden State, and produce grown in California. It could be made right on the griddle. Plus, ingredients that the restaurants already carry, like tomatoes and onions, would be welcome additions for those who want to customize.

Unfortunately, the fries, on their own, are not really the strong suit of this fast-food chain. In fact, it's one of the principal reasons why Andrew Zimmern hates In-N-Out. And while I think they're tasty, they do need some serious zhuzhing up (hence why I prefer to order them Animal Style with all the fixings).

Outside of just offering more sauces and toppings to go with the fries, I wish In-N-Out Burger would just find a way to make them crispier — whether that means frying them for longer, using a different oil, or switching potatoes. Something has to change. Because as-is, they're just so limp. They tend to get soggy quickly, so while dressing them up with loaded options makes them taste better flavor-wise, texture-wise it's a ticking time bomb. And forget about it if you get them delivered to you, because they will be mushy when they arrive. This is one of the few things that McDonald's does better than In-N-Out, and it could all be fixed if the fries were more, well, fried.

In-N-Out fans swear it tastes better in California, and perhaps it's because of the great sourcing opportunities — the chain sits in a prime state for produce-growing. But you wouldn't know it just by looking at its menu. There are chopped chilies. And the tomatoes are good, but they're just your run-of-the-mill, fast-food burger topping. I wish In-N-Out would swap them out for beefy, heirloom tomato slices.

Now, as for new ingredients that aren't currently on the menu at all, there are so many options that feel distinctly Californian. Fresh avocado slices would be fabulous, as they'd bring an earthy creaminess that would go so nicely with the fries and burgers. And fresh, diced jalapeños would up the heat factor while keeping things bright. Lime slices to go on the side would also be a welcome treat, because I love having citrus on my savory fast food to cut through the grease.

And, for dessert, it would be really cool to see some Californian fruit treats. I'd love it if In-N-Out Burger would roll out fruit cups featuring produce from the Golden State, like nectarines, plums, grapes, kiwis, peaches, cherries, strawberries, oranges, and apricots. Customers could pick a fruit (or a combination of them), and they'd be sliced or diced and served in a cup with something sugary like white chocolate drizzle or cinnamon sugar. I can't imagine any other fast-food joint could ever compete with that when it comes to desserts.

The shakes here are pretty good, but they feel quite lackluster. For one thing, there are only three flavors available (unless you combine them): chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. For another, there's only one fruity option, and it doesn't even have pieces of fruit in it — the strawberry shake has strawberry syrup in it, not chunks of berries. Without those bites, it deprives the treat of the tartness and balance that only real pieces of fruit could bring. And it just feels wrong to have a milkshake without any actual berries in it.

And, as mentioned, California is so known for its fruit. I wish there were other fruity flavors that reflected this. I'd celebrate the day that I could go to an In-N-Out Burger and order a nectarine orange or strawberry kiwi shake. Even better if the fruit of the wider American West was celebrated, like huckleberries or marionberries. And another must? Raspberry milkshakes, a classic Utah food — I say "food" rather than drink, because Utah milkshakes are ultra-thick and require the use of a spoon rather than a straw.

The onions are perhaps the highlight of the In-N-Out menu when it comes to individual ingredients. I love them raw when I want a bit of a bite, but when grilled, they have such a craveable balance of sweet and umami flavors. I think they're so good that they're worth ordering extra (one of our many tips for the best Animal Style fries) — I love just asking for a whole onion and having it served on my fries for some meatiness, without the meat. With the onions being so good, and being a great ingredient already on so many iconic dishes from In-N-Out Burger, why not embrace onion rings?

I'm one of the many people who are perplexed by the chain's decision to skip over this classic fast-food side item. If In-N-Out served onion rings, they'd be a fun burger topping. And I just know they'd be spectacular when dragged through the tangy and creamy spread. But I also think it would be fun if the chain could customize these to be Animal Style, as fries can be.

Regular onion rings are probably my favorite fast-food side to order. The sweetness of the onion always marries so well with the savory, salty goodness of the batter or breading. But I'd like to see In-N-Out offer not just the standard, plain onion rings, but spicy ones as well. They'd stand out against competitors' side items, provide an alternative for diners who crave heat, and they'd bring a welcome kick to burgers they top.

In-N-Out buns aren't made in-house, and I can tell. Even though they're made using slow-rising dough, they're just not very good — they're plain, stiff, and sometimes taste dense. And it's unfortunate, because when you bite into a burger, unless you've deconstructed it, the bun is the first thing that hits your mouth; it's the first thing you taste.

I wish the buns at In-N-Out Burger were fluffier and more flavorful, while still maintaining a good chew that can stand up to condiments and juicy fillings (there's nothing worse than a soggy burger bun). And I'd like to taste a little more yeast flavor, which I love so much about dinner rolls. I love a whole-grain bun for the nuttiness and heartiness, but a high-quality white bun would be delicious too, if done well.

I mentioned earlier that I want to see a proper grilled cheese sandwich at In-N-Out Burger, ideally with some sourdough bread. And I think sourdough would also make a marvelous foundation for a burger — I'm a sucker for a good patty melt. With a plant-based burger and some dairy-free cheese, this would blow other fast-food burgers on plain buns out of the water.

I'm a really big fan of when eateries engage with surrounding communities through food — give me a salad crafted from locally sourced produce or a seafood entree caught by fishers in the region, and I'm set. And it would be really special if In-N-Out rolled out specials based on the regions in which its restaurants sit. It would make me feel like the restaurant has a more meaningful relationship with the area, and as a diner, it would be exciting to get to sample In-N-Out's takes on local foods.

For example, in the Pacific Northwest, restaurant locations could offer Animal Style fries with smoked salmon or Cascadian mushrooms for a meatless-yet-meaty twist on the dish. Iconic Washington State foods and Oregonian ingredients would also inform the condiment lineup — I'm convinced a marionberry ketchup would be phenomenal. And as mentioned, Utah's raspberry shakes are calling.

Many wonder if In-N-Out Burger will expand across the United States. There just aren't many states with locations, making it super inaccessible to many potential diners. In fact, I live hours from one here in the Seattle area — Washington State got an In-N-Out Burger recently, but it's so close to the border in Oregon (where there were already other locations), so it's still not convenient here. I wish I were spotting the chain more frequently outside of California and the Southwestern states.

Compared to larger burger franchises, I think In-N-Out's food is genuinely better. So it's a huge shame that its footprint just doesn't tend to compare. But the CEO has named a few states when asked about where she'd like to expand the restaurant network. She's mentioned Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, so perhaps In-N-Out is coming for those Midwestern and Southern states next.

In my experience, coffee is a pretty standard beverage offering at fast-food chains. But at In-N-Out Burger, the coffee options are quite scarce. And since I'm not a fan of having a hot beverage with a hot meal, I wish there were more cold and iced offerings. Cold brew would be ideal.

California can get really hot — some of the warmest days of my life have been smack dab in the middle of the Golden State. So perhaps putting cold brew, a refreshing and cold beverage, on the menu would be a subtle way to bring more of a Californian touch. Little details like having almond milk creamer, peach or nectarine syrup, pistachio milk, and other coffee ingredients informed by Californian foodways would add to the effect. Either way, though, it would be a welcome addition for customers living in a hot climate or those who, like me, just really love a strong cold brew.

There are pretty much just three condiments available at In-N-Out Burger: ketchup packets, mustard packets, and the elite, signature spread. But none of these, the latter included, offer any heat. That feels like a massive, missed opportunity to hit on another flavor note that so many like me adore.

I wish that In-N-Out would bring on the hot sauce. It would be so delicious on literally every burger and fry dish, elevating the very salty and savory baselines with some spice. I'd love to see some California hot sauce brands represented, and it would be ideal to have some different flavor profiles like sweet and spicy, smoky, garlicky, sour, fruity (I love a good huckleberry hot sauce), and classically spicy. In-N-Out Burger could even come up with its own special hot sauce to affirm its branding in a fresh way. 

These could all be available in a hot sauce bar situation inside the restaurants, so that customers could handle the bottles themselves and put as much as they want on their food. Other fast-food and fast casual food chains have similar concepts. In fact, we've decided that one of the unwritten rules to know for Firehouse Subs is to take advantage of its hot sauce bar.

Pickles are one of my favorite foods of all time. As a snack, they make my sour-loving taste buds sing. But as an ingredient, they easily elevate just about anything. Unfortunately, at In-N-Out, there's only one pickled option.

The pickles that come on the burger are pretty good. And many of us love them so much that we order huge portions of them or ask for cups of pickles on the side. But even though they're thick, I'd like them to be thicker and crunchier. But more than that, I want more pickled things. Pickled red onions would be such an exciting addition to the menu — I'd be loading them up on my Animal Style fries, but they'd also be perfect burger add-ons. But bread-and-butter pickled cucumbers, pickled cabbage, or garlic-pickled cucumbers would also bring more depth and complexity to In-N-Out's burgers.

I also wish pickle spears were available, so I could order one on the side rather than having to ask for a little cup of the tiny sliced ones when I go. It just feels like an essential piece of any burger meal. And, as a side item, fried pickles would be such a tasty and fun new item at In-N-Out — they're salty, sour, and battered for a satisfying dance of flavors and textures. They'd taste so good dipped into the creamy In-N-Out spread, and I'd definitely put them on my loaded fry baskets. Plus, fried pickles are great on burgers, so there's really just no wrong way to go.