In-N-Out Burger: How It Took Us by Surprise

Who'da thunk we'd have In-N-Out burgers in the Philippines today? Last I heard of this famed burger was that they had a pop-up store in Singapore recently. I never heard any news or rumor that it was going to pop up here but surprise, surprise! We were among the fortunate few who got to have a taste.

These lovelies can barely keep their mouths shut.

We first heard of it at around ten o'clock this morning, taking it very skeptically. At around quarter to eleven, we noticed the announcement flooding the twitter feeds, stating that there would be a pop-up store at High Street from eleven in the morning to three in the afternoon. Ten minutes after, we were on our way there to stay ahead of the crowd. Ahead of the crowd, we were not!

no... no, no, no, NOOO!!!

I remained pessimistic about how long the line would be but even my pessimism was overwhelmed when we saw the line. We apparently arrived just in time too, because they started distributing whatchamacallems, paper wristbands not unlike those for entrance in Enchanted Kingdom. Minutes after, they ran out and it was only 11:30!

Not very "In-N-Out" but a relief from staying in line the whole time.

We waited in line for another hour, tweeting, candy crushing (just me), and talking with some friends, who also just learned about the event! We learned there was an unfortunate, but probably necessary, one burger per person rule. We saw a couple of celebrities around (Christian Bautista, Anne Curtis, Paolo Valenciano) and props to them for braving the long lines like everyone else. We eventually found out that the stub-bracelets guaranteed that you can get a burger as long as you get back before 3 pm so we headed back to the office to start working (haha).

Come 2:20, it was time to get back to acquire our rightful burgers. We almost did not make it as the store was already closed. I explained what I was told and they happily let us in (phew!). Grateful that they accommodated their last customers, we went right to ordering.

They were already wrapping up, so the cashier was nowhere to be found.

The potato chips were out of stock, which was not a problem at all because it could have been much worse. We asked for two double-meat, double-cheese "double-doubles" (how could you order any less at this point?) and two sodas. The staff was very nice and attentive, despite us being last-minute customers.

Cokes, P40.00 each

Totally understandable for this makeshift setup, the soda was bad, out of cans and out of spirit, but that's not what matters here, is it?

Regular and Animal Style Double-double burgers, P160.00 each

We decided to go with the two main varieties of the burgers, regular and Animal Style. There is also a Protein style for the more health-conscious, which is served on lettuce leaves instead of the bun. Eating in In-N-Out right here in the Philippines is no time to be health-conscious.

A closer, mouth-watering look of the regular Double-double.

The burger was great. The meat was flavorful. It was a tinge salty but still had that good, grilled, meaty taste. There was a lot of cheese on it, which is always good. The veggies completed the burger "trinity" by adding the much appreciated crisp and crunch. There was a spread in there somewhere, too, but the taste wasn't very apparent to us. Its taste melded with the cheese and the rest of the burger so well that we didn't notice what it tastes like on its own. It did help a lot with the burger's moisture.

The less photogenic, much more flavorful Animal Style Double-double.

My preferred burger of the two, this one packed much more flavor in every messy bite. The patties are mustard-fried, and it's served with caramelized onions, pickles (mostly ground, not whole), and extra spread. Well, you taste the meat a little less in this version, but it all fuses into one great taste that you can't stop wolfing down. I had to, though, to take home half of it to my family because they also want a taste. Man, it's going to be a difficult test of my resolve not to settle the unfinished business I have with the remaining half of this burger...

Cool In-N-Out take-out bag which may or may not be empty when I get home.

Someone from the staff approached and thoughtfully asked how everything was, to which we replied "great!". I asked if there were any plans to build a more permanent setup here but unfortunately, there isn't at this point. It is likely just a test of the market. If today's mob (for an event which had no prior promotion) was any indication, they should know they have a gold mine here. They gave us nifty key-chains too. Thanks!

Key-chains. Or really heavy In-N-Out earrings.

Verdict: Great!

I could easily compare these to my favorite burgers that are available around here, the burgers from Chili's. If this is going to be sold at this price, it would REALLY be worth it. Chili's burgers cost more than twice as much. If you ask me at gunpoint though, not considering the price, I'd probably choose Chili's, which wins by just a bit. Nevertheless, it never hurts to have another great restaurant around, and a much more affordable one, to boot!

Next time you come back, In-N-Out, please stay longer. and bring your famous milkshakes, too!

- Joaquin

IN-N-OUT BURGER
Website: http://www.in-n-out.com/
Location: not here. :(