General Consultant Discussion

The FIRST pit stop of the great California adventure. An In-N-Out restaurant. Eat your heart out John Shaver!!!!!

What wine pairing are you going with?

A 2007 vintage diet cola....

Apparently you're supposed to ask for yours ""Animal Style"".

Heaven in a basket!!

A double single basket?????

That is a #2 ""Animal style"" and a #3.

Been to In-N-Out. I don't know what the fuss is all about. 5 Guys is better.

Been to both. Very similar in nature. I do like the peanut barrel at Five Guys. @JimWoodhead - is there an official list of ordering tips the novice can use to sound like a pro when ordering... @MyronStevenson - Guess it is about not having access on are regular basis. Five Guys in down the street so it is ho hum now. Also @JohnShaver made a deal out of it a while back so i posted in his honor.

@JeffSchwenk Here you go... Everything you need to know. ;) http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/03/the-in-n-out-survival-guide-we-ate-every-single-item-on-the-secret-menu.html

Jeff, sort of like back in the day when Coors was only available west of the Mississippi. Made us think that it was good beer.

We have 5 Guys Here, we can live without.

Agree with @LouisAraiza. We have 5 Guys and In-n-Out. Lots of hype, but nothing special as far as I'm concerned. Best restaurant burgers are found in Utah at the Crown Burger. Get the Crown or Jr. Crown. Meat, lettuce, pickles, secret sauce, and pastrami. Best burgers ever (hands down) are served at my house. Ground beef/round/chuck + a little garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and an egg. Grill them over charcoal, serve with fresh homemade buns, homemade balsamic mayonnaise, tomatoes, spinach or romaine lettuce, and a slice of red onion. That's just a little piece of heaven.

Thanks @AaronClark - now I'm hungry.... You make your own mayo? Nice!

Ok @AaronClark they sound amazing and you have made me hungry for a good burger!!!!

Yes I was looking at that Mayo too with balsamic - very interesting.... Might have to try that...

Oh yes... I never touch the store bought stuff if I can help it. It's actually pretty simple: In a beaker add the following (in order) 1 egg, 2 tsp lemon (or lime) juice, 2 tsp balsamic (or other flavor) vinegar, 1 tsp salt, a generous pinch of ground mustard, and 1 cup vegetable oil (or olive, or canola, or corn, but never EVOO). If you use a stick blender and start at the bottom and work your way up, you'll have homemade mayo in about 30 seconds. It takes longer to write it than to make it.

I suppose I should say, ""Raw or undercooked eggs may be hazardous to your health. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or under the age of 12, use pasteurized eggs, etc.

Ok now I'm hungry too! My son used to love in and out when he was at school in Cali.

In and Out is quick and easy but it is definitely NOT as good as an ""Aaron Burger"" with special mayo..... but in a pinch it is a tasty meal.

You never know what you are going to learn on this site!!! Thanks for sharing @AaronClark Oh and by the way congratulationoenophile your new merger!!!

You're very welcome.

My stomach is literally growling... May have to try my hand at an Aaron Burger later tonight....

@AaronClark Top it off with a slice of Benton's bacon from Madisonville, TN. Smokey goodness!

I like your thinking @JohnShaver. I'm going to add some bacon next time I grill.

Bacon makes everything better. Especially Benton bacon

You're right, @JimWoodhead! Benton's is in a class all by itself. They smoke the slabs of bacon with hickory and oak for 3 days. Lucky me to live only 40 minutes from them. You can order their bacon and hams online: http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

@DianeRuth We've got quite a few foodies in the group. Maybe we should add a culinary Group to Socialcast.

Well @JohnShaver That might be a good idea and might also have to try this bacon !!! If you are only 40 min away then I should be able to find it here in NC....

Diane, you might try Earth Fare (Fresh Market doesn't stock it but the ones in NC might). There are several small, neighborhood markets in Knoxville that carry it.

Thanks John will look and see where to get it around here....

Oh, the foodie network!!

SmashBurger all the way (sorry @AaronClark) - even beats Crown Burger in my humble burger opinion - and I'll take In-n-Out over 5 Guys any day - even if it wasn't 1/2 the cost.

Local food trailer. Eaten there twice this week.

Actually Five Guys is the best chain burger around. One of my clients who owns a bunch of Cinnabun's and Popeye's chickens has the exclusive Smash Burger franchise for NJ and has opened 10 units. Don't get me wrong, its good, but it's not Five Guys. The Five Guys fries are the best ever. I don't like the seasoning on the Smash Burger

@EricAnderson: I've never tried SmashBurger, so I couldn't say one way or the other. I'll put it on my list, though. @MarkChinsky -- I don't know if they do the 5 Guys fries differently in your neck of the woods, but they were limp and bland when I went there. I personally prefer a crisper french fry, so the 5 Guys didn't do it for me.

@AaronClark Hmm. I will say, I went to do different stores in my area and one was noticeably 'fresher' and better run, although the other had the coolest coke machines (saw them in Disney first), where it completely customizes your drink flavor by merging the syrups on demand :) Give it another try. If you can find another location that still convenient try it and insist that the fries are fresh out of the fryer. Their seasoning, potatoes and crispness were the best I've ever had, honestly. McDonalds french fry is 'decent' (by no means the best), but the quality of it varies dramatically depending on how fresh they are for example, so I think you should give them one more chance.

@MarkChinsky I will give them another shot.

That being said, if a chain can't ensure a consistent experience (sounds like ERP), than that is a huge downfall. The franchiser needs to have a ruthless inspection program that has no mercy because one unhappy first/last time customer like you can cause huge long term loss. Especially when a 'fast food' burger and fries is a $10 experience and not $5.

Does anything beat the McRib? Now if we ONLY knew what it was made out of........ http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/la-fi-mo-mcrib-for-christmas-mcdonalds-to-launch-sandwich-in-december-20120917,0,2724178.story

Love that McRib :) Possibly purple slime?

Iowa raised hogs most likely as Iowa leads the country in hog production. How's my Cliff Claven imitation?

You look good in a postal uniform!