Simple but effective, cheap but so-so-good. This is how I would describe In-N-Out to someone naive of the masterpiece that is In-N-Out. I'm obviously exaggerating, but am I? No matter how good the food is, could a fast food restaurant be a safe place to order takeout during a pandemic? In July 2020, I went to the Cedar Park location of the chain to find out.
The answer seems, surprisingly, to be yes. As my family drove through the takeout lane, we saw the staff all wearing masks, and the kitchen looked very clean through the pickup window. However, it was concerning that the people eating inside weren't wearing masks at all. I understand that you can't wear a mask while eating, but it looked like some people didn’t even have one with them. It was fine for the takeout, as the people were far from the kitchen, but it showed why eating dine-in is potentially very dangerous currently.
The food was amazing for a fast-food restaurant. While the menu is relatively small compared to places like Hopdoddy's, the quality of their food is above average for a fast-food restaurant. I got a Double-Double with grilled onions (protein style, of course), French Fries animal style, and a Vanilla Milkshake. Let me break down what this means. One important aspect of In-N-Out is its secret menu, which you should know if you're getting takeout there. A "Double-Double" is a burger with two beef patties and two cheese patties, "protein style" means that the burger is lettuce-wrapped, an "animal style" burger means that there are grilled onions, extra sauce, pickles, and a patty cooked with mustard, an "animal style" fries means that grilled onions, cheese, and the special sauce (which is basically mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and mustard mixed together) comes on the fries, a "grilled cheese" is a cheeseburger with no meat, and a Neopolitan milkshake mixes the three flavors (Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate) together. The burger was delicious; the special sauce elevated the burger to another level, and the lettuce wrap didn't immediately fall apart. The French Fries could have used more seasoning, but the freshness of the fries (which were fried, but not with anything else) and the Animal Style toppings brought it together. The milkshakes, though, were on a whole other level. They have all the qualities for a great milkshake: really creamy, not too sweet (but still sweet), and long-lasting. The vanilla is my favorite, but all of them are great (I had been many times before the pandemic).
The last thing I'll mention is that they usually have a lot of care for people with gluten sensitivity. They have always claimed to change gloves whenever I mention that the order is for someone with a gluten sensitivity/allergy. I believe that they are serious about this, as I have never gotten even somewhat sick after eating at an In-N-Out since I went gluten-free.
Overall Rating: 8/10
Gluten-Free Rating: 10/10
COVID-19 Cleanliness Rating: 8/10
Recommended: Yes
I just want to let everyone, who follows this blog, know that I am going to be adding more articles that include at-home gluten-free recipes very soon. I will also be posting more COVID-19 Takeout Reviews in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!
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