It’s happening! Tennesseans are finally going to taste the west coast fast food staple — In-N-Out Burger! The burger joint announced that they’ll be expanding eastward; the first restaurants in Tennessee open by 2026. The sheer excitement that west-coast natives have for In-N-Out Burger is probably odd to other states.

This, if you’re not from the golden coast area, is why the In-N-Out Tennessee expansion is something to rejoice about.

The Early Days of the Burger Joint

The family-owned burger joint, In-N-Out, first opened its doors to LA natives in 1948. When the Snyders opened In-N-Out in Baldwin Park, the concept of a drive-through restaurant was still new to many. It was also the first drive-through burger stand in California. (Can you just imagine how confused people back then were?)

Over the years, the Snyder family opened In-N-Out restaurants in Azusa Canyon Road, Pasadena, Covina, and many more — their 50th store was in Thousand Palms which opened for business in 1988. Eventually, In-N-Out expanded outside California. These days, the restaurant serves its burgers in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Oregon, and Colorado.

In-N-Out Secret Menu

Unlike other fast food chains that value speed and convenience, In-N-Out boasts about consistency and simplicity. Hence, why if you look at the menu, there are only three burger variations, three shake variations, and only one kind of French fries — but this doesn’t mean those are all that you can get.

By word of mouth, you can learn secret In-N-Out menu items. Here are some of the west coast’s favorites:

The Flying Dutchman

The Flying Dutchman might be hilarious to some — it’s just two beef patties with two slices of cheese in between.

Animal Style

Burger

Animal Style Burger has its beef patty grilled with mustard and topped with extra “special sauce.”

Fries

Animal Style Fries are French fries topped with cheese, caramelized onions, and the “special sauce.”

3 x 3 (or) 4 x 4

The “double double” isn’t a secret request but, hey, “go big or go home,” amirite? So, yes. It’s exactly like how it sounds. Extra patties!

Insider Tip: Secret Sauce

If you’re obsessed with the In-N-Out secret sauce, just ask for extra!

Chili Peppers

You can ask for chili peppers — chopped and/or added to your burger or fries, or whole. These peppers are called Cascabella.

Finally, the In-N-Out Tennessee Expansion (That Should’ve Happened Sooner, Really!)

If New York has the dollar pizza, Los Angeles has In-N-Out. If you ask Californians (and the neighboring states with In-N-Out), many will agree that the Snyder family’s priorities for their burger stand are continuously living up to their expectations — quality and excellent customer service. Now that there’s an In-N-Out Tennessee expansion, you can ask for these secret menu items and see how the workers there won’t even bat an eye — they won’t find your requests weird at all! 

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