In-N-Out opens to long waits in Idaho: ‘It’s the Hunger Games out here’

[LuigiMiami631]

It’s difficult to find the right comparison to draw for the hype that accompanied the opening of Idaho’s first In-N-Out Burger this week. A papal visit? A Taylor Swift concert?

Those analogies might not quite capture the hubbub that accompanied the Tuesday arrival of the chain’s vaunted double-double burgers and “animal-style” fries to Meridian, a suburb of Boise.

Local news was all over the story: Fans lined up outside, braving the near-freezing temperatures. Some pitched tents for shelter. One set up a fire pit to keep warm. A number of eager burger-seekers camped out overnight in their cars to be among the first to hit the drive-through. While a sign cautioned that the wait could be as long as eight hours, the Idaho State Journal cited an In-N-Out official who estimated that it was more like six hours for the drive-through and three to four hours for indoor patrons on foot.

People waiting in line grew impatient. “It’s straight-up ‘The Hunger Games’ out here,” complained a TikTok user named Paulina Garcia, who documented her four-hour wait and eventual meal. Others created a faux-dramatic video on TikTok about waiting in line.

Why the collective freakout?

For starters, In-N-Out fans are a loyal bunch prone to rave about the chain’s burgers and its not-so-secret “secret menu” of customized patties and fries. Although the chain’s menu is relatively small, anything can be ordered animal-style — that is, topped with melted American cheese, grilled onions and the chain’s special sauce — and burgers can be layered (the “four-by-four,” a.k.a. a quadruple stack, is not for the faint-hearted).

For decades, an In-N-Out burger was strictly a West Coast experience. The chain was founded 75 years ago in the suburbs of Los Angeles and remained in California for decades. In recent years, it had spread to Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon and Colorado, though its owners said there was no plan for a nationwide expansion. “I don’t see us stretched across the whole U.S.,” owner and president Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson said in a 2018 interview, vowing never in her lifetime to expand any farther east than its Texas outposts. “You put us in every state and it takes away some of its luster.”



But in January, the company announced that it would open corporate headquarters in Tennessee and eventually its first locations east of the Mississippi. The Meridian location is the company’s 400th restaurant.

News of the Idaho hoopla naturally kindled the flames of the ever-present Burger Discourse that extends far beyond the state’s borders. Some online commenters called the In-N-Out burger overrated. “In-N-Out being good is a psyop and we need to honest about that it’s literally an okay fast food burger,” one posted to X, formerly Twitter. “Absolutely nothing about in n out warrants this,” another sniffed.

But, of course, it has its defenders. “I’m convinced people who don’t like In-N-Out only dislike In-N-Out because they think it’s cool to dislike something that everyone loves,” one wrote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/...idaho-opening/

Like is this the most exciting thing to happen in Idaho? People willing to do all this for In N Out, son I am disappoint. Almost as bad as Applecells waiting outside for days for the release of the new Iphone.

[PhiloSquid]

[OliverHeldens]

Eventually people will realize that In N Out is average fast food.

I was there a couple weeks ago in CA and they were serving burgers with stale buns. A couple times I actually threw the burgers out.

[EvanStroud]

In-n-out is poverty tier food, their fries especially are GROCE

I'm convinced it's a huge prank that people pretend to like that chit

[ChaliHo]

In-n-out is poverty tier food, their fries especially are GROCE

I'm convinced it's a huge prank that people pretend to like that chit

Their fries are gross because they are fresh made, you are used to frozen manufactured fries from the bag like McDonalds

[Finalizer]

imagine not knowing how to cook JUST LOL!

[LuigiMiami631]

I agree, In N Out is not super duper killer.

BUt for the price of the meal compared to other fast food chains around me, it gets the job done.

Their fries are meh, but I just throw them in the air fryer with some olive oil, parm & parsley for crisp and flavor.

[EvanStroud]

Their fries are gross

So we agree. I make my own french fries at home and they're 1000x better than in-n-out cardboard string fries.

I fkn hate in-n-out boys.

[jackflag]

In N Out is maybe the 20th best burger in LA.

MAYBE.

srs

And the lines are literally always out into the street and down the block. Makes zero sense.

[mchabs]

In-n-out is poverty tier food, their fries especially are GROCE

I'm convinced it's a huge prank that people pretend to like that chit

This. It's nothing special.

[fishnbrah]

In the relatively new “good” fast food burger industry I’d rank in n out around 8 or 9th best in the Phoenix area. Talking only large chain burger shops.

[Fang2]

This is why the US is the fattest country in the world.

[HMFIC_BROWSIN]

In the relatively new “good” fast food burger industry I’d rank in n out around 8 or 9th best in the Phoenix area. Talking only large chain burger shops.

What is better? I need ur list.

Serious

[Maestro]

Nah, it sounds about right. Even here in San Diego where we have about a dozen or so in-n-outs there's lines around the block at every single one around noon time. So, when a new one opens, and its in a state thats never had it, oh yes, 8 hours is about right.

do you remember lines for popeyes chicken sandwich? Those were about a 1.5 hour wait.

[zknarc]

'Merica

[fishnbrah]

What is better? I need ur list.

Serious

Freddys>
five guys
smashburger
any other 2 burger places

in n out

[Rul3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYb22BLBqGw

[LinuxJon]

In N Out is maybe the 20th best burger in LA.

MAYBE.

srs

And the lines are literally always out into the street and down the block. Makes zero sense.

Anyone who grew up in OC knows In N Out is the best. Poor LA people couldn't afford those burgers growing up and are bitter now

[darkninja67]

In N Out is overrated West Coast garbage

[bezarker]

[dopamine72]

If you've never ordered a 3x3 or 4x4 animal style you can't rate in n out

There's an entire underground menu most of you are unaware of

Definitely better/fresher quality than wendy's/mcdons/burger king and most other places

5 guys is quality too but literally 2x the price of in n out LOL

You can get an 1100 calorie 4x4 animal style there for $10 and this is after Bidenflation

I stopped eating all french fries after learning about Acrylamide but the burgers are quality and cheap AF

[frankdtank20]

Halftards. I don't understand how people sit in a drive thru for half an hour anywhere, let alone 8 hours. Whether it's that or some random product here's a novel idea - wait a few weeks to a few months, the wait will be normal.

[frankdtank20]

hahahaha. Even with that comforter sized dress I'm not positive that's a woman. When a lot of people get so big ya just can't tell. Gdamn. One of the best places to find fatties near that size is a sports bar. Half of the time even the female bartenders are obesecels.

[xxAchillesxx]

8 hour wait for fast food.

[x-trainer ben]

i bought into the in/out hype and was sadly disappointed, 5/10 at best compared to 5 Guys

[TheParish]

If I pull into a drive thru and more than 2 cars are in line, I leave.

[DolphinPilot]

Its better than all alternative fast food places for burgers. Animals fries are good. Not waiting above 10 minutes in line though...

There is one In-n-Out by me, right off the highway. That fcking line on a Saturday always looks like it's at least an hour long wait. No way in hell is anything they serve there worth that long of a wait. Too many people out there obsess over those kinds of pseudo-events. Brb waiting on the 50-car drive-thru pileup for a cheeseburger so I can tell co-workers at the water cooler that I went to In-n-Out

As a matter of fact they tried to open another location in a few different areas around me and apparently the local officials told them to run off we don't want that **** gridlock traffic in our town

[H00J]

Fuk in n out (srs)

[OneLegSquats]

Would roll that stunner in flour, find the wet patch and go to town baby, who cares about the smellz we can deal with that later

[Maestro]

There is one In-n-Out by me, right off the highway. That fcking line on a Saturday always looks like it's at least an hour long wait. No way in hell is anything they serve there worth that long of a wait. Too many people out there obsess over those kinds of pseudo-events. Brb waiting on the 50-car drive-thru pileup for a cheeseburger so I can tell co-workers at the water cooler that I went to In-n-Out

As a matter of fact they tried to open another location in a few different areas around me and apparently the local officials told them to run off we don't want that **** gridlock traffic in our town

Yep sounds about right. I think that miscers that don't live in California are unaware the stranglehold In-n-Out has on people (especially tourists). The food doesn't have to be good (its average maybe slightly above average depending on location) because they have the power of name recognition. I'd say In-n-Out alone dictates the level of traffic congestion in any given city.