California travel journal: In-N-Out Burger

What is the deal with In-N-Out Burger?

In real life, I do not eat fast food. In fact, most days I eat only salad for lunch, and something marginally to very healthy for dinner. In California, however, I eat In-N-Out Burger. And so does everybody else.

I was resistant to the concept at first: a burger is a burger and fries are fries. Fat + fat = fat people, so in my world, those items should be avoided unless you have PMS and are indulging in a guilty pleasure. But here, in California, the land of endless sunshine and very large cars, they have a magical burger place called In-N-Out Burger, where the prices are somehow lower than your local McDonald's or Burger King, but the food is fresher and more wholesome. Fresh cut, well-seasoned fries, "real" meat patties (not frozen dog-food grade like at the competitors), delicious milkshakes made with actual ice cream. And as if that all wasn't enough, the place is staffed by happy-seeming people who do not seem put off by the fact that their uniform requires them to wear a paper hat.

This Boston blonde has to ask--what gives???