When it comes to West Coast fast food, there’s no institution quite as beloved as In-N-Out. The iconic chain restaurant’s burgers have achieved cult status and then some, with endorsements from celebrity chefs like the late, great Anthony Bourdain and Ina Garten, who says it’s the only fast food she will eat. But while In-N-Out’s signature burgers, thick milkshakes and famously affordable prices are almost universally acclaimed, their French fries have proven more controversial.
Even the most devoted In-N-Out aficionados can admit that the restaurant’s fries are atypical. In certain circles, they are maligned as some of the worst fast food French fries on the market, and though many of us disagree with that assessment, we understand it. In-N-Out famously makes their fries in-store from freshly cut potatoes, which are then fried a single time in sunflower oil. This simple method may bolster the restaurant’s reputation for pure, wholesome food, but without the double-frying and additional ingredients that have become the fast food fry standard, the resulting flavor and texture tend to disappoint. Because the potatoes aren’t starch-rinsed or double-fried, customers especially complain that the fries are “soggy.”
The good news is that a simple ordering trick can fix this textural issue, even if it can’t entirely reverse the outcome of their preparation. Next time you order In-N-Out fries, ask to get them “well done.” Your fries will be cooked longer, come out crispier, and will no longer resemble uncooked strips of potato.
The pros, cons, and alternatives to well done In-N-Out fries
If you’re new to In-N-Out, don’t worry too much about confusing employees with your “well done” fry order — it’s likely nothing they haven’t seen before. The hack is so notorious that it’s become an essential part of In-N-Out’s famed secret menu. Well done fries simply spend a longer time in the fryer, and since all of the restaurant’s fries are cooked to order, it’s not a particularly difficult request to fulfill. Be warned, however, that even a longer frying time is not going to result in In-N-Out fries that taste like McDonald’s. In-N-Out’s well done fries veer more on the side of “dry and crunchy” than the coveted crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside combo that only comes from double-frying.
Still, this ordering hack is your best bet if you can’t stand the typical starchy texture of In-N-Out’s fries. Other options include requesting your fries “light well,” for a fry somewhere in between normal and well done, or simply light. Light fries spend even less time in the deep-fryer than standard fries, giving them a super-soft and mushy texture that might appeal to baked potato fanatics (and absolutely no one else). When all else fails, plenty of In-N-Out regulars elect to order their fries “Animal Style,” since the dubious fry texture hardly matters when they’re smothered in cheese, spread, and grilled onions. Of course, diet-conscious customers could always choose to avoid the texture debate by skipping fries altogether. With a burger this good, who needs them?
