In-N-Out Named Animal Style Burgers And Fries After Rowdy Skater Teens

In-N-Out Burger has made a name for itself in the fast food scene as a go-to spot for cooked-to-order burgers at a cheap price. The sheer customizability of the chain's offerings is something to behold but more fascinating are certain secret menu items that came about over time. From the grilled cheese burger which features two slices of cheese on a freshly baked bun and the protein style option featuring a lettuce wrap in place of a bun with all the classic ingredients, there's no shortage of options for customers especially when they take a gander at the Not So Secret Menu.

Another such item is the animal style burger. Perhaps the restaurant's most iconic variant, its fixings even migrated over to their fries with its extra spread and grilled onions. You can even order animal style fries a specific way to make sure they remain crispy with those extra toppings on the way home. According to In-N-Out, the animal style burger variant features mustard-cooked patties with extra spread, hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, pickles, and grilled onions to top things off. However even more interesting than the not-so-secret mainstay on their menu's ingredient list is the origin of the item back in the 1960s.

According to an employee named Steve in a documentary recounting In-N-Out's origins (via YouTube), the animal style burger was aptly named after some "rowdy kids" who ordered their burgers in a very specific way as described before with mustard-cooked beef and classic ingredients with extra spread. Also according to Steve, the burger was made first at its original location referred to as "old number one," starting a trend that continues to this day. You can even find In-N-Out copycat burger recipe if you don't live near a location.

It's interesting to witness a burger recipe go from rumor to origin. Regardless of where it comes from, many will agree that the result is delicious judging by how long it's stuck around on their menu. The menu item debuted back to 1961 and according to In-N-Out was "created in response to customer requests" with the ingredients the menu item is known for.