In-N-Out Burger ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2024 (Interquest)

First visit: Nov 1997 (Pleasanton, CA)

HQ: Irvine, CA (founded: 1948 in Baldwin Park)

Locations: There are now 9 in Colorado (+2) with 2 here, 6 in Denver (+1) and 1 in Fort Collins (new). Texas has 42 (+1) with 3 in NE Tarrant, including our two former stores of Hurst and Grapevine. Otherwise California has 275 (+6 though it features their first closure ever in Oakland due to crime); Arizona  - 35 (+1); Nevada - 23 (+1); Utah - 12; Oregon - 4; Idaho - 1 (new, opened in Dec 2023 in Meridian). New Mexico and Tennessee are on their radar.

As I noted last year: "The only fast food place where you have to schedule it on your calendar or you'll miss the opportunity". And, as such, I planned to be there at open on this fine eclipse filled Monday. And that's exactly what I did. I decided to go old school and eat inside. Grabbed a stool along the edge and devoured my Double-Double with cheese and onions (no tomato), fries, and a chocolate shake. All is good as I remember, and probably always will be. I don't usually get fries, but I was hungry and they were hot and tasty. Still the cheapest grub in town, and the lines have gone back to being longer because of it. I hear they're building a 3rd Co Springs location, which should help some. Since In-N-Out are 50% the price of the competition, it's easy to understand why. BTW, I'm sure they wish they weren't based in California anymore. They're so invested in that state, they have no choice but to accept their anti-Capitalist government rules. I can imagine their lobbyist bill is quite expensive... I think they need to break up the state myself. Let the loonies in the Bay Area and Hollywood run free, and the rest can get on with their daily humdrum, but happy, lives.

---3/31/23 update

This wasn't the original plan. I was going to get an early annual review in for Slim Chickens. As I was driving there, I noticed In-N-Out had no line. I mean *zero*. That would be the first time in history I've seen that (anywhere! California, Texas, etc...). I quickly looked at my phone to see if their hours had changed (it was about 10:45) or something else had happened. Nope. By the time I actually got to the drive-thru, two vehicles were ahead of me. That's got to be a record of some sort (only 2 vehicles!). On a Friday no less! I actually had planned the following Monday to go here. The only fast food place where you have to schedule it on your calendar or you'll miss the opportunity. In any case, went with my usual Double Double and a vanilla shake. Drove home (again, it's very close to where we live), watched a TV show and enjoyed each bite. I tried to eat it slow but that's hard to do. Anyway - all is well and good at our local Colorado Springs outlet.

Now for some chain news: There are 2 locations here and 5 in the Denver area. I think I read they plan on opening another one here in the Springs. In our old stomping grounds, there are 2 in NE Tarrant, and 8 in the Fort Worth area overall.  Other states they operate in are California (269 - with a whopping 146 in the Los Angeles area - how's that even possible?); Texas (41); Arizona (34 with our Prescott location still there); Nevada (22); Utah (12); and Oregon (4). Overall they have 389 stores (+31 from last year). I had to type the state name in their Location Finder to get these totals if curious.

---2/13/22 update

And now - FINALLY - I was able to step into our local In-N-Out restaurant. They opened in November of 2020. I predicted the lines would subside by February, 2021. I was a year late in my prediction. This place was a madhouse for well over a year. It wasn't until they opened up the second location off of Powers that the lines finally dwindled. So on an innocuous Monday late morning, I ventured in. Ironic in that Monday's was my go-to day when I had a steady gig in Pleasanton in 1998 (see below). Ordered my usual of a double-double, fries, and a chocolate shake (instead of vanilla this time). As good as I remembered it. Which is also to state that this is not a burger to change your world. It's very good, and I won't say different, but it just isn't worth the freakage that goes with opening in a new area. Now that the novelty has worn off, I'll be able to go on a normal cadence. Even better is it's a stone's throw from where we reside, so I'll take advantage of the drive-thru going forward. As for the dining area, it is exactly like every other In-N-Out I've been to. Spacious and clean. Very white. I like the barstools around the perimeter. Perfect for solo dining.

As noted below, the chain is very guarded about expansion, and refuse to franchise. As such, they've created a cult following. Colorado is their newest state. Humorous that I mentioned In-N-Out crowding in on Texas' very own Whataburger. And guess who is coming very soon to Colorado?

---2/19/18 update (Grapevine, Texas)

As we stated in previous reviews, the beauty of In-N-Out is their limited menu. So burgers, fries, shakes, and sodas. That's about it. All at a very affordable price. Fresh ingredients define their hamburgers, the meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and buns always seem if they were bought right off the farm and served up steaming hot. Their patented dressing is a Thousand Island basically. The Double-Double is their signature burger. It's a double meat (thin patties so not overly filling), double cheese, and still the best value in town. Oh, and their fries are delicious as well. There's a reason In-N-out is extremely popular. High food quality + Low prices = Success. For liquids they have great tasting shakes, even if they are machine made. Naturally, fountain sodas and water available too.

The familiar red and yellow signage can be seen on the NE corner of 121/183 and Precinct Line Road. And if you go through the drive through, it's like being in a car wash, as you can see the workers cooking and assembling everyone's meal (not to mention the refreshing shade in the summer). In-N-Out has a reputation for paying their workers more and better benefits, and as such, they tend to get more squeaky clean employees than the usual fast food franchise.

---1/15/13 update (Hurst, Texas)

So after much hoopla, In-N-Out has finally arrived to NE Tarrant. I waited. I didn't cheat and go to one in Irving or Richardson. We've been featuring the restaurant long before Texas was even a gleam in their eye. We laughed at the false announcement on NBC 5 a few years ago. And on our Whataburger review, we predicted that folks from Texas were going to protect their goofy little brother and attack this "unwanted" California chain. They can take their fancy fruits' and nuts' asses outta here! And bring Del Taco with ya, you ingrates! And as sure as the sun comes up every morning, it came to pass. My goodness, how silly.  As if eating at different burger places is mutually exclusive and one cannot possibly enjoy all of the above. In-N-Out Burger knows exactly what they're doing. These folks can scream to high heavens and suggest they're not going to make it here and be out of business in mere weeks. No way guys. As someone who watched them succeed in none other than the Bay Area (a polar opposite culture to Los Angeles), I'm rather certain they'll do fine in a burger culture like DFW. In-N-Out is a Southern California type place, so for me to see lines around the building for years and years at various San Francisco area locations proves to me that folks like a good tasting burger at a great price. It's a simple pleasure. It doesn't have to be the best ever to be good. Why does everything in our culture now have to rule or suck? Where's the middle ground? We've become Bevis and Butthead in our opinions. Me? I'm just grateful they're here and I can go anytime I want. It sure beats having to wait until I travel out West!

---original 5/27/08 review (Prescott, Arizona)

In both the Editorial Chains thread and the Johnny B's blurb, I mentioned In-N-Out Burger (INOB) as a favorite place to go when traveling to the left coast.

For the Memorial Day weekend, Mrs. RJG and I visited some of her relatives in Arizona. Given that it was a family visit, the majority of our meals were centered around family cookouts, and we were treated royally at that! But we did get away for one afternoon, and settled on INOB for our lunch. Naturally it's always fun to try other places while traveling, but it wasn't in the cards for this trip. This particular visit was to their Prescott store. We also visited one in Anaheim, California about two months ago.

There's not much to add from what I've already stated in the Editorial Chains section. But I'll copy here for convenience: Regional chains are cool. They typically represent an area's culture via a unique food type, or a destination defining place. An example of the latter, and perhaps the best example of a large regional chain, is In-N-Out Burger (INOB). 

When Mr. RJG goes to California, Arizona, or Nevada on business, he makes a sincere attempt to eat at INOB at least once per visit. They are what I wish Wendy's, McDonalds, and Burger King would have become. Mr. RJG once worked for a company based in Pleasanton, California. Like many Bay Area suburbs, INOB was well entrenched there for many years. Yet, no matter what time I had arrived, there was a line around the building! This is an area defined by chef-driven, high-end restaurants. Where mom and pops struggle to survive, and most homes clear the million dollar mark. And yet INOB has a huge line - always. Taco Bell and Arby's do not, I assure you. Why? Because it's damn good. Only the freshest ingredients are served. The menu is perfect: You can get variations on a hamburger, soft drinks and milkshakes. That's it! The kids that work there at INOB are a blast through a time tunnel some 40 years ago. Always smiling, and fresh faced. Everybody who works there wants to work there - and there's competition for those jobs. Why? Because they pay more and will also contribute to their college education. Think you could pull that off at a public company? I don't think so! I once asked my brother-in-law, who is in the restaurant industry, why he didn't franchise a location in Denver? When they opened the first Krispy Kreme in Denver, they had to get the police out to direct traffic for nearly a month. A Krispy Kreme for crying out loud! Can you imagine an In-N-Out Burger? He'd be rich in a week. His answer came within 2 seconds of my question "They don't franchise". And he added that everyone wants to open an INOB, for all the reasons I just stated. It appears they are perfectly content to grow at a snail's pace, while providing an outstanding fast food experience. They are my heroes.

I had my usual Double-Double and a shake. Mrs. RJG had a cheeseburger and fries - and a shake (she's still mad at me for the idea!)

11/10/97; 7/14/98; 1/26/99; 2/23/00; 1/29/01; 3/13/02; 4/27/05; 5/27/08 (new entry); 4/5/10; 6/6/12; 1/15/13; 6/19/15; 2/19/18; 2/13/22; 3/31/23; 4/8/24

Pleasanton, California; Las Vegas, Nevada;  Atascadero, California; Irvine, California; Thousand Oaks, California; Los Angeles, California; Rohnert Park, California; Prescott, Arizona, Hurst, Texas; Grapevine, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado