The Simplest In-N-Out Menu Secret Was Right There All Along

In-N-Out Burger offers tasty burgers that have become a staple of fast food dining on the West Coast for decades. One of the most enticing reasons to visit the popular chain is to try its off-menu items. In fact, menu hacks at In-N-Out are something of an open secret, as several items are featured on the burger joint's Not-So-Secret Menu. "But in reality, we don't have any secrets at all," In-N-Out wrote on their website. Among those semi-secret burger items are the Double Meat, the 3x3 (three patties), the 4x4 (four patties), the Grilled Cheese (no patties, and the cheese is grilled directly onto the bun), Animal Style (featuring grilled onions and spread), and Protein Style (patties wrapped in lettuce).

Those are all well-known "secret" burger options, but there are a variety of other hacks to enhance your In-N-Out experience. One way to infuse more flavor into your burger is to request a Mustard Grilled Patty. In that case, the cook will spray mustard on top of the patty and the condiment will fry into the burger as it cooks. For those looking to get experimental, they can order chopped chilis, and they will be fried into your burger. Customers can also opt for a whole onion burger, as a substitute for chopped onion, where a large chunk of onion is cooked and placed on the burger. As alluring as those fun hacks may seem, one of the best secret menu options is far from adventurous and simply makes your burger easier to eat: Cutting it in half.

When considering which hacks to employ while ordering from In-N-Out Burger, customers should keep in mind that there is one simple request that can elevate their fast food experience. Diners can ask to have their burger sliced in half, and the staff will cut the burger down the middle. This is especially helpful when piling on the toppings, or when opting for multiple patties — such as the gargantuan 4x4. Eating a sliced burger can also prove efficient when eating an order on-the-go.

The merits of cutting a burger in half have been debated on the internet. Some argue that a cut burger is superior because it helps maintain the integrity of the sandwich while others are staunchly against the practice. In 2014, Deadspin's Drew Magary made the case that slicing a burger worked to undercut certain "textural elements" of the meal. Clearly, opting to have a burger halved comes down to personal preference, and if attacking a smaller sandwich sounds appealing then asking In-N-Out to slice the burger is a great option. 

In addition to having a burger cut, there are a wide variety of bun-based secrets when ordering from the California chain. Customers seeking extra crisp buns can ask for their bun to be extra toasted. For those who are Celiac or looking to cut down on carbs, The Flying Dutchman is one option: Two cooked patties and cheese with no bun whatsoever. These In-N-Out hacks have become widespread, but there are other menu secrets that turned out to be myths.

Experimenting with the secret menu at In-N-Out Burger can result in tasty — but decidedly messy — burgers. Whispers of one particularly hefty concoction, the Monkey Style Burger, started to spread online in 2013 after one food blogger posted a video of the rumored off-menu item. The Monkey Style Burger consisted of an In-N-Out burger topped with their famous Animal Style fries. Once word of this gooey creation spread, burger fans clamored for the supposed secret menu item.

Requests for the burger-and-fries combo item were so frequent that the fast food chain released a statement addressing the viral sensation. "There is no such thing," Carl Van Fleet, a vice president at In-N-Out told the Los Angeles Times in 2013. "For a variety of reasons, we're unable to prepare burgers in the manner that a few websites have described as 'monkey style," he added. All said and done, anyone looking for a Monkey Burger can replicate one on their own by simply ordering a burger and adding Animal Style fries as a topping themselves.

There was another myth about In-N-Out that was less widespread than the viral burger. During an AMA on Reddit in 2017 with an In-N-Out employee, one person asked if there was any validity to the rumored hack that customers could receive their order for free if they drove through the drive-thru in reverse. The employee was quick to debunk that ill-advised hack. The takeaway? Don't drive through backwards but do ask for your burger cut in half for an easier experience.