As a burger fan, I would generally rank actual “fast food” burgers:
1. Whataburger (good burger plus good fries)
2. Wendy’s (decent burger plus ok fries)
3. McDonalds (eh burger, good fries)
4. Burger King (nope)

Honorable mention: Five Guys (good burger and fries, but disqualified due to no drive-thru, so not really “fast food.”)

Unfortunately, we do not have some other national chains that come highly recommended in Florida – most notable In-N-Out.

Recently, I was going to be traveling to Los Angeles for work, and immediately began trying to figure out when I could work in a field trip to In and Out. Woot!

Of course, I researched the chain thoroughly…the sacrifices I make! And found the not so “secret” menu. I love this. The idea of the secret menu makes everyone going there feel like an insider. Great marketing.

To be thorough…I got a regular In-N-Out cheesburger and an “Animal-Style” cheeseburger, described as “burger of your choice with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, a mustard cooked beef patty; add pickle, extra spread with grilled onions.” I also got my fries “well-done” – another secret menu option where they cook the fries to a crispier level. (No, I did not finish all of this…and it was for research!)

The regular cheeseburger was a solid entry, the beef tasted solidly beefy and bun was nice – soft without being too mushy. Good ratios and beautiful tomatoes.

But the “Animal-Style” Burger? Heaven. I know I was hungry, but this burger had so much flavor and really knocked my socks off. I generally don’t get mustard or pickles on a burger, but the combination of all the toppings, especially the sauce and grilled onions, was delicious.

The well-done fries were the best fries I have had from a drive-thru – crispy, fresh, well-seasoned…ridiculous. And I would say that one serving feeds two – a great deal.

The service was really well-executed, with cars lined up down the side street. The window person were unfailingly polite, even though the driver in front of me stalled the entire process by playing on her phone and not paying attention. Loved this place and hope they come to Florida soon.