How Chefs Really Feel About In-N-Out's Double-Double

There are a few iconic burgers on the fast food landscape that have achieved downright legendary status. McDonald's Big Mac is one of them, and so is Burger King's Whopper. Despite being a smaller chain located in only a handful of states, one of In-N-Out's burgers also belongs on this list: the Double Double. It's not a fussy burger with a bunch of strange, unexpected ingredients. Rather, it's simply a classic done especially well. And if you've had the privilege of trying one of these burgers for yourself before, then you understand why it's such a beloved menu item at the chain.

Sure, there are plenty of people out there who love In-N-Out's Double Double, but what do chefs think about the sandwich? We reached out to several to get a better sense of how professionals feel about this burger. Kevin Templeton, executive chef at barleymash in San Diego and co-owner of The Smoking Gun and Spill the Beans; Paul Osborne, head chef at Santa Barbara Fish Market in Goleta, California; and Daniel P. Craig, chef and founder of Kitchen Deets, shared with us their unfiltered takes on the sandwich. Industry pros Charlie Weintraub, a private chef who's worked at Momofuku Ssäm Bar in NYC and The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco; chef Bryce Hansen of the Lupo Group; and Mark McShane, chef and food safety expert at Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate, also commented on the dish. You don't necessarily have to agree with their takes, but they may help you appreciate this sandwich even more.

Even if you love a dish you try out at a restaurant, there's often something you want to change about it. Maybe you wish the restaurant would add more salt to your steak, or perhaps you'd prefer your pasta to be less saucy. But every once in a while, you get a dish that tastes absolutely perfect in every way. For Kevin Templeton of barleymash in San Diego, In-N-Out's Double Double is exactly that kind of a dish, despite its arguably humble origins.

"I love the Double Double," says Templeton. "I feel it is perfect and doesn't fall short in any way ... I think In-and-Out nailed it from the beginning. It's everything you need for an amazing burger." That's pretty high praise coming from someone who's so entrenched in the restaurant industry. So, what are these components Templeton loves so much? Each Double Double comes with two thin burger patties and two slices of American cheese along with onion, lettuce, tomato, and a special sauce. It's a burger that's meaty and cheesy but still delivers plenty of freshness. For your sake, we hope that this combo of ingredients is as perfect for you as it is for Templeton.

In the burger world, there are two very different, distinct camps. The first group prefers exceptionally thick patties. In fact, for these people, the thicker a burger patty is, the better. Maybe they're just looking for a super-beefy bite, or perhaps they like the flavor of a burger patty that's still pink in the middle. The other camp, though, likes the total opposite of the first group's preferences. These kinds of people prefer thinner patties that develop a nice, crisp crust, without a ton of excess beef in the middle of each patty. This doesn't mean they don't like plenty of beef — it just means they want it to have a crisper, rather than juicier, texture.

It turns out that Daniel P. Craig of Kitchen Deets falls into the second group. The thing that In-N-Out does particularly well with its Double Double, Craig claims, is the fact that "two thin patties give you more crust per bite than one thick one." People who don't appreciate that crust may not totally understand the appeal of a Double Double, but for those like Craig, it's hard to beat.

Let's be honest: A great meal at a locally owned restaurant and a great meal at a fast food joint are two totally different things that require different skills and specialities from the chefs and cooks making the food. And when it comes to fast food, efficiency, standards, and structure are all important to replicating the best possible burger across hundreds of stores. This is why Bryce Hansen of the Lupo Group says that the Double Double is "more a mix of architecture and engineering than food." According to him, "Its consistency and quality would be impossible otherwise."

Bryce says that, generally speaking, chefs want their food to be consistent, but that's very hard to control when you're contending with changing seasonal produce, cost of labor, and other factors. But as a fast food restaurant, Bryce explains, In-N-Out has a lot more control, "which is where the engineering of systems of supply, production, and execution come in," he explains. "It's as impressive as it is pernicious. It's everything that's wrong and right in one place." Are there some ways in which our industrialized food system is a tragedy? Of course. But our consolation prize is the deliciousness of a Double Double, we guess.

Because a burger is a meat-based dish, some people make the mistake of thinking that the meat is the only important factor in this sandwich. They therefore want to maximize the amount of meat they get on their burger, thinking more beef will only make things more delicious. This, however, is a huge miscalculation. You can absolutely have too much beef on your burger, and that's exactly what Paul Osborne of Santa Barbara Fish Market thinks about In-N-Out's Double Double.

"I think the Double Double has too much meat!" he says. After all, you're getting two patties, and even though they're not exactly thick, they're also not quite as thin as some other fast food burger patties out there. Therefore, you're getting a pretty large serving of meat in this sandwich. But that doesn't mean Osborne is skipping In-N-Out entirely. Instead, he just orders something slightly different. "I would rather have a single cheeseburger (or two) with extra lettuce, animal style," explains Osborne. "I believe the single cheeseburger has the perfect ratio of veggies to meat, and the Double Double is a little too meat heavy." Two burgers gets you the same amount of meat, just in a much more balanced form.

When you're craving a Double Double, you can be pretty sure that you're going to get that special flavor from just about any In-N-Out you go to. This consistency is something about the burger that stands out to Austin-based private chef Charlie Weintraub. He admires both the sandwich's simplicity and its consistency, claiming that it's one of his "favorite examples of quintessential American cuisine." No, it's not a burger that offers anything truly out of the ordinary — rather, it's a standard version of the dish that's just done particularly well, at least by fast food standards. When you order this sandwich, you know exactly what you're going to get.

"I eat one almost every month," explains Weintraub, "and I'm still in awe of how good it is every single time. As a chef, I have so much appreciation for something that's executed that consistently without trying to reinvent the wheel." There are plenty of restaurants you can go to that serve up creative, unique burgers that you can't find anywhere else. But when you're looking for comfort and consistency over creativity, the Double Double is where it's at.

When you're considering what makes a good burger, you might first think about the meat itself, followed by the quality of the cheese or the crispness of the veggies. But too many underestimate the critical importance of the bun. The size, shape, and flavor of the bun are all important factors, but when it comes to a burger as big and beefy as the Double Double, structural integrity is also key. Unfortunately, though, according to Daniel P. Craig, that structural integrity is lacking in this burger. "The bun is soft and can collapse under a hot double," he explains.

The bun might be able to hold up to a single patty, but once you're working with two patties and two slices of cheese, things can get dicey. For Craig, this is one arena in which the Double Double falls short, even if he thinks it shines in other ways. If you don't mind a messy burger, the bun factor may not be a huge issue for you. But those who value what a good bun can do for the burger might be disappointed with this In-N-Out menu item if they share Craig's concerns.

According to Mark McShane of Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate, there are some things that In-N-Out's Double Double absolutely gets right ... but there are also a few areas in which it doesn't perform as well as it should. If you like smash burgers just as much as we do, then you may understand McShane's criticism. "It often falls short for culinary purists," he says, "because the thin patties lack a deeply caramelized smash burger crust." In the ideal smashburger, you'll have those beautiful, lacy edges and a crisp crust on the patties that provides some textural interest, but that's apparently missing here.

If you like a bigger, juicier patty, that lack of crust may not be a problem. However, Double Double patties are still quite thin, so neither kind of burger lover may be able to get their ideal bite. Luckily, though, there are better smash burgers from chain restaurants out there for those who like to indulge.

Out of all the chefs we talked to for this piece, Kevin Templeton was one of the most enthusiastic with his love for this beloved In-N-Out menu item. He thinks it's a perfect burger ... but even perfection can be improved on, right? "I truly wouldn't change anything about [the Double Double]," says Templeton, "other than adding more onions and hot peppers." However, he also mentioned that these additions are his style, a slight modification that reflects his own preferences — they may not work for everyone.

If you ask us, though, it's a modification that makes sense. After all, this is a burger with a lot of fattiness and richness, which is delicious but can also be overwhelming. Adding the sharpness of additional onion can help break up that rich intensity while adding a pop of savory flavor. And if you like spice, the hot peppers are pretty self-explanatory, offering an extra touch of freshness in addition to heat.

Of course, you want the flavor of your burger to be enjoyable, but what about the texture? It's a factor that some ignore but one that can make or break a good burger. According to Bryce Hansen, the texture of In-N-Out's Double Double is part of what makes it shine. "The architecture of the burger is framed around textures," he says. "Having a barrier of vegetables between soft, hot, cheesy meat and a buttery grilled bun." Ideally, that barrier will help keep the burger intact (despite Daniel P. Craig's complaint about the softness of the bun).

For Hansen, it's not the flavor of the burger that's most impressive, considering the ingredients are pretty standard for a fast food burger. "The flavors are simple and balanced," he explains, "but the textures are the true genius." Some fast food burgers can be too soggy or wet, but per Hansen, the texture in the Double Double is just right.

Yes, the burger patties themselves at In-N-Out can be delicious, that's not all that matters on a burger. It's all of the other pieces coming together that really makes this sandwich what it is. Unfortunately, at some fast food establishments, it doesn't seem like they put much effort into the burger toppings. The lettuce might be sad and wilted, while the tomatoes may be hard and pale, offering none of the sweet juiciness they should contribute. According to chef Charlie Weintraub, though, the accoutrements on an In-N-Out Double Double basically always deliver.

"The iceberg lettuce is always crunchy, the onions are sliced perfectly thin, and the bun is toasted just enough while still being soft and pillowy," he says. Of course, the quality of the produce included on the burger might depend on the In-N-Out location you go to, but many chefs did cite how consistent this sandwich tends to be. Those who care about toppings just as much as they do about the meat might just find the Double Double as delicious as Weintraub does.

Let's be honest: In-N-Out's Double Double is a pretty basic burger. It's probably not the first time you've seen a double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. So, what really sets this sandwich apart is the signature spread. You're not just getting basic squirts of ketchup and mustard here — this is a specially formulated sauce to maximize burger deliciousness. Although some may love the sauce, not everyone is a fan. Specifically, chef Mark McShane explained that it's one of the factors that holds this sandwich back.

"The signature spread leans too sweet without enough acid to cut the fat," he says, citing an unbalanced flavor profile that's probably worsened by the fact that the meat is also quite fatty. That doesn't mean sweetness in the sauce is bad — but for McShane, it just seems like there's not enough tang there. Those who love the sauce, though, will be delighted to discover that Trader Joe's carries an In-N-Out sauce dupe.