The Fast Food Spot Ina Garten Always Visits When She's On The West Coast

The self-taught culinary genius, colloquially known as the Barefoot Contessa, is a fan of a particular fast food chain. Unlikely as it sounds for a celeb chef who founded a store known for specialty and gourmet foods, Ina Garten stands firmly by her love for the West Coast's famed In-N-Out Burger. Some may think of it as an indulgence — we all have them — but things go a little deeper with Garten and her customary visits to the burger joint whenever she's in California.

Like the cookbooks and websites that bear her nickname and continue to attract foodies, In-N-Out Burger also has a well-earned following. Several food icons, including Garten's culinary inspiration, Julia Child, expressed her fondness for the chain's traditional burger offerings, which have remained essentially unchanged for over 75 years. Why do Garten and so many others continue to be patrons of the chain; despite its burger's almost mythical persona, why has In-N-Out not become ubiquitous like other fast food brands? Both these questions share the same answer.

The veteran cookbook writer avoids fast food (though she enjoys Shake Shack's fried chicken sandwiches on occasion). However, when on the West Coast, often on a book tour, stopping at In-N-Out for a cheeseburger is a tradition. And her heroine Julia Child did the same,  carrying a map of all In-N-Out locations between the oft-traversed route from her home in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. 

While In-N-Out gets a lot of love from food enthusiasts for its rock-solid recipes, the means by which it gets to a quality burger and fries, it could be said, constrain its growth. The West Coast chain doesn't follow the strategies of constant change like other fast food chains, and while you're served quickly, the fact that ingredients are never frozen, pre-packaged, or microwaved hampers achieving efficiency on a larger scale. This necessitates a rather small supply chain — an In-N-Out location can only be 300 miles from a distribution center to make uber-fresh ingredients a reality. And still owned by the founding Snyder family, In-N-Out also has no franchises.

Perhaps the most significant changes In-N-Out made to their menus was when the company introduced their "animal style" burgers in 1961 and then the Double-Double burger two years later. Both these variations on their classic cheeseburger continue to be their most popular offerings. The latter has two beef patties and two cheese slices. Animal style burgers come with a mustard grilled patty, additional pickles and sauce, and a dollop of deliciously caramelized onions.

Celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsey and Tyler Florence are both fans of In-N-Out, with Ramsey preferring to get his Double-Double animal style. The late Anthony Bourdain also complemented the burger, calling it "good enough for the world." The list of Bourdain's favorite foods, understandably light on fast food, also includes the iconic Japanese convenience store egg salad sandwiches. Momofuku's founder, David Chang, enjoys In-N-Out's animal style but on a grilled cheese instead of the customary burger.

Thomas Keller, the chef behind three-Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry in Napa Valley, is also an In-N-Out eater, revealing that the burgers inspired him in his own food creations. Keller's restaurant Ad Hoc dishes American comfort food and featured a pop-up called Burgers and Half Bottles with a similar, simplistic menu of burgers, grilled cheese, and fries. Also on the menu were half-bottles of some of Napa Valley's finest wines, which, in a way, is an excellent indicator of how highly he rates In-N-Out Burger's fast food.