Walking in confidently and hoping you don’t sound dumb when you order something off the secret menu.
If you ever find yourself out in California, and you don’t try In-N-Out, you're doing something wrong. If this is your first time going to In-N-Out, here are a couple of feelings you might have as you walk into the restaurant.
1. Optimism
Since finding out you were going to California for a vacation you’ve been looking forward to trying the infamous In-N-Out Burger fast food chain. Ever since your Tumblr obsession of 2013, those Animal Style fries have been calling your name. Now it’s finally your time to try them, and you couldn't be more excited.
2. Nervousness
With this excitement comes a bit of nervousness. What if you walk up to the counter and you order wrong? What if you get the wrong thing and it ruins your experience? If you have any of these thoughts, phone a friend, or perhaps Google what to get. Don’t walk up there and make any kind of rookie mistakes.
3. Restlessness
After ordering like an absolute pro, the long wait ensues. Minutes seem to drag on by as order after order gets called. Still, you wait. It will be worth it, you say to yourself.
4. Surprise
After finally getting you food, and getting the perfect picture on various forms of social media, you take you first bite. Immediately you realize that Five Guys burgers, and other places like Rushes, are absolute trash. It’s just you and your double-double burger, and nothing else seems to matter.
5. Sweet Relief
Finally, after the long wait, you’ve finally tired the famous In-N-Out. With this excitement comes a wave of something bittersweet. What happens when you go back home? After this, you can’t go back to regular burgers. You decide not to think about this now, and you go back to sipping on your Neapolitan milkshake. You will be back again before you go home to the land of sub-par burgers and fries.
Life after In-N-Out might be a little hard, but never fear there are going to be plenty around during your time out West. So eat it while you can and try to savor that taste long after you’ve returned back home. Among the other beauties of California, In-N-Out might even be enough of a reason to return.
