Question of the Day - 28 August 2009

At the risk of causing a riot, the current writer must confess that she's only once eaten from In-N-Out Burger and couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. Then again, I'm not into fast food and this burger had been driven across town and may have suffered in transit.

For those who don't know, In-N-Out Burger is a southwestern phenomenon -- a pioneer of the drive-thru concept that's known for its cleanliness and fresh ingredients. It was recently the top "fast food" pick of a number of Las Vegas' notable chefs (see Today's News 9/12/2009).

In terms of any of the Las Vegas venues being walkable from the Strip, we'd have to say no, although that depends on where you're staying and how much you like to walk. The In-N-Out on Dean Martin Dr. (formely Industrial Rd.) is at the corner of W. Tropicana Ave. and while it looks pretty close to New York-New York, it's not a walk that we'd recommend, since W. Trop is in very busy multi-lane mode as it approaches the Strip, with traffic vying to get to/from the airport and the Strip and on/off the freeway.

If you're staying further north on the Strip, there's another In-N-Out at 2900 W. Sahara Ave. That one's definitely walkable from Palace Station but a bit of a hike from the Sahara and again, it's not really advisable nor likely to br an enjoyable walk, both because of the busy traffic getting onto/off the I15 and the fact that it's a pretty steep uphill incline on the way.

If you're determined to try In-N-Out and definitely won't have your own wheels, you could spring for a cab which, according to www.taxiwiz.com, from the Sahara would cost you approximately $8 one way ($6.81 plus 15% tip). The same theoretical fare holds true starting from the MGM Grand and heading for the In-N-Out on Dean Martin Drive. Alternatively, here's a link to the schedule for the 201 CAT bus, which services Tropicana Ave. and the 204 route, which covers Sahara Ave. Finally, here's a link to the In-N-Out map, which covers all of their locations, just in case you happen to find yourself wandering further off the Strip and happen to be in the vicinity of one of their other locations.

"Oh my goodness, I couldn't disagree with your answer to this Question of the Day more. In and Out on Dean Martin Drive is very walkable from the strip but I highly recommend cabbing it there and walking back to the strip after you fill your belly with one of the best burgers you'll every eat. While I cannot rave over the french fries, on our last trip we tried the double double animal style and it was fantastic! Do give it a shot and walk at least one way. It is definately do-able." 08/29/2009 Gluten-free: "Regarding today's QOD: In-n-Out is the only burger chain that is safe for Celiacs, people who must avoid gluten from wheat, rye and barley. They have a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. And their fries are hand-cut on demand, and fried in oil which is not used for anything else. Most burger joints fry breaded items like chicken nuggets in the same oil, and the batter particles contaminate the fries. In-N-Out does not have fried breaded items." 08/28/2009 Movie fame: "Not a question, just a thought on the In-N-Out burgers. All the comments are about the food. Their reputation goes beyond food since the extended reference in The Big Lebowski. Granted, that was in North Hollywood (near Radford) on Camrose; but Donny pleads to go. 'Those are good burgers, Walter,' and they end up driving back in a car with no windshield, CCR in the tape deck, and eating burgers. So, those from the Midwest or other parts of the country that are fans of this cult movie but have no access to a local In-N-Out, a stop is like a pilgrimage, regardless of the actual food." Special sauce: "One of our traveling party really wanted to try In-N-Out Burger; he'd heard so much about it. Being dutiful, we schlepped over there. Turns out our guest does not like 'special sauce.' Without the special sauce, an In-N-Out is just an ordinary burger. No 'animal style' for him. (To me, nine-tenths of the fun of In-N-Out is learning all the ways to order your food the way you want it. There are websites devoted to this subject.) "On another note, the 'special sauce' is not very different from Thousand Island dressing or McDonald's special sauce. Meh overall for In-N-Out, other than the fresh-cut fries. The shakes are good but not super, and they're pretty expensive for the small size you get." Someone counters: "Just a comment: Last december after the marathon my two sons and I walked from the Excalibur to In-N-Out burger and enjoyed the food and the fun of it all -- very busy. We then went over to Wild Wild West Casino and signed up for our card and I was lucky enough to win $4,000 on video poker, so In-N-Out was good to me!!" "Perhaps like the questioner, I too was inquisitive about how good these burgers could be. So, my wife and I made a special effort to give them a try. I am not exagerating here when I say we (both of us) COULD NOT FINISH what some are calling great food. They were... terrible. Absolutely terrible. Save youself the effort (especially if a cab fare is involved) and buy a burger at any number of places along the Strip." More: "2 Things: "1. Comparing Burger Bar to In-N-Out is not realistic. Burger Bar is great, but it is not a fast food place. [Ed: ?? As that reader said, Burger Bar is 'pricier, and not fast food'.] "2. Aside from the burgers at In-N-Out, the fries and shakes are big attractions. I would almost say the fries are the main attraction. They are made fresh from whole potatoes. If you go inside, you will probably see them press the potatoes through the cutter at least once." [Ed: Yes, true: fries made from potatoes! How weird that this should be remarkable, but it is!] Reader feedback on today's: "I know this may be considered heresy, but we finally made it to In-N-Out when we were in Vegas in June. While they are good burgers, they aren't all that special. Actually, for fast-food burgers, we like Fatburger better, which we either get at Santa Fe or right on the Strip near the Hawaiian Village. For a really good burger (although pricier, and not fast food) go to the Burger Bar at the Mirage." "Don't know about the area it's in but there is a location 1.5 miles from the Fremont Street Experience. It may also have an issue walking over a major highway." [Ed: We're not familiar from that one, but from the map it does look walkable from downtown.]