Hamburger Heaven

How In-N-Out Burger stuck to its guns, didn’t sell out, and reached the fast-food Promised Land, with legions of adoring fans.
By Rachel Kramer Bussel

Whether you grew up eating at In-N-Out or, like me, were introduced to their crazy delicious burgers as an adult, you likely have a soft spot in your heart for the iconic franchise. Stacy Perman delivers a detailed history of Harry and Esther Snyder, the company’s founding couple, who grew their little burger shack into first a cult favorite and then a full-blown West Coast institution, complete with celebrity customers who crave its simple, high-quality food.

Perman’s account, which is subtitled A Behindthe-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules, ranges from Southern California hot rods to the construction of the interstate highway system to soap opera–worthy drama over machinations within the company. We also learn theories about the origins of the no-longer-secret “secret menu” (orders like the Flying Dutchman, for example—two beef patties and two slices of cheese, no bun or condiments—grew out of repeat requests); and read how those Bible citations (e.g., John 3:16) ended up on the burger wrappers and paper cups.

But the book’s most compelling passages detail the undying devotion the chain inspires in its fans. After being held as a POW in Kosovo in 1999, a U.S. Army sergeant reported that the first thing he craved when set free was a Double-Double; Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter rents In-N-Out cookout trailers for the magazine’s Oscar parties; and hundreds of people wait for hours at the chain’s restaurant openings. Anecdotes like these make this a feel-good story that’s guaranteed to leave even vegetarians hungry for a burger.