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In-N-Out Burger http://www.in-n-out.com-
Sweet merciful burger. As fate would have it, our burger road trip has been blessed! By divine burger providence, an In-N-Out has opened in Provo, UT! Fortunately for my wife and I, it was only five minutes from where we were staying for the night. Speaking of last night, we had just enjoyed the delicious pastrami filled Crown Burger and were preparing to hit the road again, turning south to Moab, UT. I have not had In-N-Out since 2005 when I visited Las Vegas for my brothers wedding (his wife is from there). My ultimate plan was to meet up with some friends at In-N-Out, confirm if my delicious memories of this place were accurate, and then hit the road to Moab. My wife pleaded, begged, and reminded me that I had had a burger only 13 hours prior to the creation of this master plan. I reminded her that the Crown Burger is more of a pastrami sandwich, so in my mind it had been days since I had a burger. With this sound logic in my mind, and an eye roll on my wife’s face, we said our goodbyes to our kind hosts and headed out again!
Ah memories! I love that no matter where the In-N-Out is that you go to, it feels like you are in exactly the same place. The lay-out is the same, the workers look exactly the same, the menu is in the exact same spot…. comforting. We arrived at exactly 11 am. We were able to walk right up to the counter and place our order. I was impressed by the number of people working behind the counter on a Thursday morning. I counted at least 10. There may have been more but since they all looked alike I might have started counting them twice. Everyone was chipper and happy to take my order. I couldn’t wait! I was not the most hungry so I only ordered the single cheeseburger instead of the much beloved Double-Double. Of course I got it Animal Style, with a side of fries, and a chocolate shake… I guess I was hungry after all. My wife, in protest to my burger gorging, ordered a water. I asked if they could make that animal style so they put extra ice in it. The lunch rush must start at 11:05 because by the time we finished ordering the line was almost out the door. With my number in hand, I politely stepped aside and watched everyone bustle frying burgers, cutting fries, and making milk shakes. I wasn’t sure but I think I felt a tear fall from my eye.
My number was called and I was handed my perfect red tray of food. Even though I had had a burger as recently as the night before, my anticipation for this one was as high as it could be. I picked it up, briefly savored the aroma of the grilled onions, and bit in. O-M-B (Oh My Burger)! This was as good as I remembered it! The fries were also amazing. Some people say the fries are “wimpy” but I have to give props to the fresh cut and light taste that they have. Maybe it was the burger euphoria speaking but the shake seemed amazing. The combination of all three made for a wonderful classic burger experience on which In-N-Out has built their reputation.
Go! Go now! If you live any where near In-N-Out I hope you appreciate it! I feared that my memory might have inflated how good this burger actually was since I was not the burger “connoisseur” that I am today when I first had it. Having tried dozens (if I said hundreds you would either think I’m a liar or a glutton, so well stick with dozens) of burgers from all over the country, this burger stands up as an extremely good chain burger. Yes, I’ve had better burgers, but usually they cost $8 more and require a significant time commitment. I am amazed at how In-N-Out can turn out the most appealing and delicious burgers thousands of times a day.
Once we finished this heavenly detour, we were off to Moab to enjoy Arches National Park and other beauties of nature!
(2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
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Crown Burgers http://www.crown-burgers.com/
Once we left THE GRAND CANYON, we made our way to beautiful Zion National Park in southern Utah. Of all the places we visited on this trip, this was my favorite. It was amazing and I would recommend to anyone who asks, to go visit and see for yourselves. We hiked the really cool Angel’s Landing trail which, at one point, required that we scale the side of a cliff with only chains to hold on to. Very cool. After a few days there we were a little road weary and were in need of a hot shower and a soft bed. Fortunately we have family in Provo and Salt Lake which was only a few hours North of Zion. Also fortunately for us, there are a few burger places that I have been wanting to try in Salt Lake. We made our way up Highway 89, which was a pretty drive through small towns that sit in a green valley. We made a quick side trip to Bryce Canyon and saw the odd rock formations. We didn’t stay long because there was tons of snow and it was freezing. Once in Provo, we enjoyed some hot showers, visited with family, and asked for some burger joint suggestions. After much deliberation we settled in on Crown Burgers in Salt Lake City. I had heard of this place as it was the only burger in Utah featured in George Motz’s Hamburger America . I was also intrigued by the concept of a pastrami burger. With the destination in mind, we set the Garmin and hit the road for the short drive to Salt Lake. We arrived around 9 o’clock at night and this place was still busy. That is always a good sign. The menu was a cross between a typical burger joint and a Greek and Lebanese restaurant. You could order gyros, baklava, burgers, sweet potato fries, etc. It was quite exciting.
So, if you didn’t know this about me, I love burgers… I also love pastrami sandwiches. Wouldn’t you know it, the special of Crown Burgers is… the Crown Burger featuring a 1/4 pound patty and and equal amount of savory, delicious pastrami. This was a no brainer. “One please”, I said almost without thinking. A drink and fries were also ordered although that part does not stick in my memory as strongly. While I waited. I admired all of the “Best Burger” awards and other memorabilia about the founders of Crown Burgers (see picture, top right). With much anticipation, my order was ready. I grabbed my tray and made a quick stop to get ketchup and, of course, FRY SAUCE (You have to have fry sauce when in Utah)! I joined my wife in a booth in the corner and beheld one of the most appetizing (to me) sights! I really couldn’t see the beef patty but I definitely could see the pastrami. With both hands I dug in. This burger/pastrami sandwich was AMAZING! The seasoning and texture of the pastrami added so much to the overall burger package. The lettuce and tomato were good quality and added a nice, fresh touch to the burger. The bun was sufficient for the job at hand which was to act as the burger vehicle. The fries were crispy, like I like, but were nothing special compared to the burger.
What did I think of this meaty mash-up? I think it is quite obvious that it was great! If you like pastrami sandwiches and want to try it with something other than rye bread and coleslaw, this is for you. It is unique, it is memorable, it is worth having more than once. I will definitely go back the next time I’m in Salt Lake City (ski season perhaps?). This burger was a perfect break from the grueling road schedule we had been following for over a week. Now that the Crown Burger was sitting comfortably in my stomach, we made the sleepy drive back to Provo for a good nights sleep. We would need it b/c the next day we were off to Moab and more BURGER TYME ROAD TRIP ADVENTURES!
(9 votes, average: 8.11 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
The much touted and highly anticipated In-N-Out Burger. While this burger chain is only in western states, I’ve been hearing about “Animal Style” this and “It’s so great” that since I was fifteen. Well, a few years ago my brother was getting married in Las Vegas (his wife is from there) and we all made the trip to the Strip. Along with the Hoover Dam and Slurpees what did I find in that desert city of lights? In-N-Out Burger!! My memory of In-N-Out was that it was so good that my younger brother and I ate there each of the four days we were there, including us stopping there on our way to the reception from the wedding. I loved it so much, in fact, that I emailed them to inquire about franchising opportunities thinking one would do well in Baton Rouge. Their response was that they were a family owned company and do not franchise but they would keep Louisiana in mind for possible expansion. My response was if they are family owned, is there perhaps an In-N-Out heiress to whom I could wed to get in on the business…. Six years later, no In-N-Out in Louisiana.
Most recently my wife was in California with her family for my sister-in-law’s wedding (I’m starting to notice a pattern). I insisted that they try In-N-Out. I raved about how great the Animal style burger is, how fresh the fries are, how happy the people are to server you. I also asked them to document their experience there so that we could get it up on Burger Tyme.
I’m going to hearken back to my first memory of my In-N-Out order. The menu is simple, at first. Burgers, fries, drinks…. That’s it. That’s all they have on the menu. But wait! There is the secret menu. While it’s no real secret it does make ordering kind of fun. I ordered the double double (double cheese burger) animal style, with fries and a drink. While we were ordering you could see a person behind the counter cutting potatoes into fries. That’s how fresh they are! The animal style request means that they are going to double fry the patty with mustard, put grilled onions on it, and add special sauce. When I got my order I remember be overwhelmed by the flavor. While the patty was smallish, the double meat more than makes up for it. The bun was buttered and toasted on the griddle which I found particularly good. The cheese was melted perfectly over the patties and added to the juiciness of the whole package. The veggies were not particularly prominent in this burger, although, the grilled onions were great. I mentioned previously that the fries were fresh cut. They were, in my opinion, fried perfectly. They were crispy on the outside and a little soft on the inside. Not overcooked. They were so good that my dad placed a second order of fries after we had all finished our meals. I regret that I did not try the shakes. I’ve heard they are good. The “fry sauce” they serve there was pretty good. It seemed to be nothing more than ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together.
Ahhh memories… While I haven’t had it in a while, my wife’s recent trip confirmed how I remember it. In-N-Out Burger was and is a great Burger Tyme. The prices are reasonable and the quality is amazing. I only wish that they had them nearby so that I could eat it more frequently. Maybe that’s the magic of it. For me, it is some far off dream of what the perfect burger joint would be, only meant to be experienced a few times in one’s life… Here is my plea:
Dear In-N-Out,
Please bring your delicious food closer to those who love it. While I’ve considered making the trip to the west merely to eat an animaled up cheeseburger, I find the cost of plane tickets to be prohibitively expensive. For now I must settle for Christian’s Totem or Hubcap Grill but they are different burgers all together, and Five Guy’s, while very good for a chain burger doesn’t compare. Please In-N-Out. Please.
BurgerTyme.com
