In-N-Out Burger knockoff chain

[cpzilliacus]

The Washington Post has an interesting write-up of a fairly new knockoff of the famous In-N-Out Burger chain (founded and still based in Southern California) mostly located in the western parts of the United States. 

Enter CaliBurger, "which debuted more than four years ago in Shanghai as an acknowledged In-N-Out imitator, one more American knockoff in a country rife with them."

Now Caliburger can be found in Columbia, Maryland, and the Washington Post has had a reporter out to check on this place.

Can an In-N-Out imitator live up to the original's reputation?

[Max Rockatansky]

Maybe they're thinking people on the East Coast won't know the difference?...or care?   At least those knock-off Chinese cars never made this way after all that talk in the early 2000s....my favorite was "Chery" which was an obvious play on "Chevy."  That obviously led to speculation about brand makes like Lord, Lodge, Hondo, ect.  I would highly amusing if they brought this chain over and called it Out-N-In Burger. 

[jp the roadgeek]

Then there's this:

http://www.dippindonuts.com/1__24_.gif

[Avalanchez71]

Is that chain any good?

[sdmichael]

Oh goodie... more "cali" idiocy.

[kurumi]

In-N-Out uses Kennebecs, a low-water-content potato that makes for a strangely cakey french fry, as if the spuds were baked in an oven. These are not the fries of my dreams.

Protip: order them well done

Edit: Seriously? (now closed) Hella Burger, Englewood, CO

Edit: fixed quote tags

[Ian]

But the real question is, do they have animal fries?

[bing101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBQ1mjUQnIs

Here's an In-N-Out imitation out of Idaho according to Intunegames.

This company has a similar layout as In-N-out from California.

http://www.eater.com/2011/7/25/6667279/in-n-out-says-boises-burger-express-is-a-copycat

Here's a copyright infringement suit within the USA against Burger Express. In-N-out went after an Idaho fast food group for using the same exact layout as the Baldwin Park based company. In-N-Out is facing both internal and international copyright issues from competition such as Caliburger and Burger express.

[Scott5114]

Honestly, I have no problem with this sort of thing. If a company won't or can't expand to an area that wants them there, another business can and should step up to the plate and provide the same sort of service.

We have an example here in Oklahoma. QuikTrip made an agreement with 7-11 that QT won't build any stores in metro OKC as long as 7-11 won't build any stores in Tulsa. Obviously, Tulsa got the better end of that deal–modern QTs are a lot closer to Sheetz and Wawa than they are 7-11s. So a Stillwater-based company called OnCue has been building gas stations in OKC that are very similar to QT.

If In-N-Out won't build stores on the east coast, they have no right to complain when someone else does an In-N-Out replica on the east coast, in my opinion.

[Road Hog]

I'm just glad we have the real thing where I live. I've eaten at In-n-Outs in both California and Texas and it's the same to me.

[Takumi]

At least those knock-off Chinese cars never made this way after all that talk in the early 2000s....my favorite was "Chery" which was an obvious play on "Chevy."

Mine is the "Land Wind", the knockoff Land Rover.

[Roadrunner75]

I've only eaten at an In-N-Out Burger once when we were in San Francisco 12 years ago.  It was good but......my immediate thought was that In-N-Out itself was a McDonald's knockoff.

[bing101]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-N-Out_Burger

Here are the rest of In-nOut info.

The first time I seen in-n-out was in Vacaville in 1996-1997 near the I-505@ I-80 interchange and at Nut Tree. At the time I did not know there was plenty of history behind this company in Los Angeles where the company is based. All I knew at the time was that it attracted huge crowds for people making stops from Sacramento/Davis areas and San Francisco bay area before they reach their destination.

[SP Cook]

I agree with Scott5114.  While it is certainly wrong to misled a customer by using other companies' names, there is no legitimate way one can have a copyright or trademark to a style of preparing a basic food product.  If company A has a product that people like and is happy to stay in one area, there is nothing wrong with company B making a similar product in another region.   As long as the customer knows that company B is a different company and as long as no patents are infringed upon (and you cannot patent basic food preperation) it is called business.

[Avalanchez71]

I have heard this was a place to go to in CA but I never made it to one.  Is it any good?

[Road Hog]

I've only eaten at an In-N-Out Burger once when we were in San Francisco 12 years ago.  It was good but......my immediate thought was that In-N-Out itself was a McDonald's knockoff.

Ha, In-N-Out was founded in 1948, while McDonald's did not incorporate until 1955. If anything McD's is an In-N-Out knockoff, or at least emulated their business model to a degree. The original McD's certainly copied White Castle's assembly line system.

[Rothman]

Nothing's ever original.

[sparker]

I have heard this was a place to go to in CA but I never made it to one.  Is it any good?

Compared to other fast-food places, In-n-Out's burgers actually tast like a beef-based sandwich (whether that's due to quality of meat or cooking technique, I couldn't tell you), and while the menu is limited, everything's consistenly good (the fries are a bit "cakey" compared to Mickey D's, but with a little extra salt, they come around).  I've found that the burger meat at other chains is tasteless compared to In-n-Out (although Carl's Jr. occasionally provides a tasty burger -- but that's inconsistent from location to location -- the Super Star's the most reliable version).

All that being said, if there's a Fuddruckers in the area, that's where I'm heading!

[cpzilliacus]

I have heard this was a place to go to in CA but I never made it to one.  Is it any good?

Compared to other fast-food places, In-n-Out's burgers actually tast like a beef-based sandwich (whether that's due to quality of meat or cooking technique, I couldn't tell you), and while the menu is limited, everything's consistenly good (the fries are a bit "cakey" compared to Mickey D's, but with a little extra salt, they come around).  I've found that the burger meat at other chains is tasteless compared to In-n-Out (although Carl's Jr. occasionally provides a tasty burger -- but that's inconsistent from location to location -- the Super Star's the most reliable version).

All that being said, if there's a Fuddruckers in the area, that's where I'm heading!

Hands-down the In-N-Out burgers are the best "mass produced" burgers I have ever had anywhere - ever.  I have had better burgers at places that are not fast-food, but otherwise, In-N-Out has no peer.

[Rothman]

Five Guys > In-N-Out

[cpzilliacus]

Five Guys > In-N-Out

I like Five Guys, but I like In-N-Out better (but we have no In-N-Out in Maryland, but quite a few Five Guys places, since the chain was started across the creek in Arlington County, Virginia).

[jwolfer]

Five Guys > In-N-Out

When Five Guys first opened in Jacksonville i was excited because I had eaten there when visiting my brother in Maryland.

I got a mushroom swiss burger and i think it gave me food poisoning. Probably was mushrooms because no one else ordered one, no one else got sick... Needless to say i haven't been back

LGMS428

[coatimundi]

In n' Out used to be a much bigger deal before they expanded massively a few years ago. When they first opened in Tucson, in something like 2009, they had to rope off a major section of the parking lot just to be able to snake the drive thru queue. I used to get excited about getting them when I'd go up to Phoenix. The novelty of it made it special.
But, beyond the occasional novelty of a good malt and some interesting, but always undercooked, french fries, they're really just not that good. I would take Whataburger over In n' Out anyday, and they have quite a bit of overlapping territory (including the LA area). Then again, I would also rather just go to my local burger place, which is better than any of these chains on all fronts.

With Five Guys, it's always seemed expensive to me. Is there a way to order a reasonable amount of fries, or do you just have to order "fries" and have someone to share with? One thing about them I do like is that you can get a decent hot dog there.

[1995hoo]

....

With Five Guys, it's always seemed expensive to me. Is there a way to order a reasonable amount of fries, or do you just have to order "fries" and have someone to share with? One thing about them I do like is that you can get a decent hot dog there.

They recently introduced a "Little"-sized order of fries (at least the ones at 14th & I in DC and Hybla Valley in Virginia did), which is a more reasonable amount for one person, roughly comparable in size to a medium order of fries from McDonald's.

It's always amusing to go to Five Guys and watch the people who have never been there before who get a large order of fries for each person.

[BamaZeus]

I always skip the fries and just get a basket of peanuts if I'm dining in.