In-N-Out Burger

I used my trip to Tucson to do something that has been on my list for quite some time---revisit In-N-Out Burger, the legendary Southern California burger chain. You have to be in the West to eat at In-N-Out; the owners keep careful tabs on the freshness of their ingredients and don't allow locations to be too far from their warehouses. As you can see, the place has an old fashioned, bustling vibe. The staff is unerringly friendly and chipper.

In-N-Out has an extensive secret menu. Some of the items are over-the-top but some are quite healthy. This is my Double-Double Protein Style. Double-Double is a style of burger: two patties, two slices of cheese. The Protein Style version replaces the bun with pieces of lettuce, efficiently trimmed. Protein Style was introduced by the owners to give themselves a lower-calorie option.

This is a high-quality fast food burger. All the ingredients are of high quality, fresh, and tasty. The patty tastes and chews like meat (imagine that!). It's the sauce that really makes this burger. The spread, as they call it, includes mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and some pickle. It complements the burger perfectly.

The Protein Style version is the best dietary burger I've seen. The lettuce makes it easy to eat. They use big enough pieces to fully cover the burger. They trim it so it doesn't scratch your face as you try to eat. This burger is one class act. I plan to eat it more often on my trips to the Left Coast.