Alex Guarnaschelli Has A Love-Hate Relationship With In-N-Out

We all probably have a list of restaurants we want to try when traveling to a new city or state, much in part thanks to television programs like "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." However, the independent eateries that Guy Fieri spotlights on the long-running Food Network show aren't the only destinations for food lovers across the globe. There are also several regional-specific chains that are considered must-tries for traveling foodies. For those visiting California, In-N-Out Burger is probably one of them.

A staple of the West Coast since its first location opened in 1948, the fast-food joint offers a short but sweet menu featuring burgers at the helm, which seasoned In-N-Out fanatics might suggest you order "animal style." Its handhelds have found fans in stars like Kim Kardashian, as well as a number of celebrity chefs including Julia Child, Gordon Ramsay, and the late Anthony Bourdain, who once claimed during an interview with Eater that In-N-Out was the only fast food chain he actually enjoyed.

"Chopped" judge Alex Guarnaschelli is another Food Network star you might find sitting in the In-N-Out drive-thru. Speaking to Food Network, the Iron Chef named the chain's burgers as one of her "guilty pleasure foods." But her affinity for In-N-Out's grub might stop there, as the chef once called out the eatery on Twitter for another item on its menu that, in her opinion, is simply "not good."

French fries are the quintessential pairing for a delicious burger, but for chef Alex Guarnaschelli, the fries served alongside her beloved In-N-Out burgers just don't do the trick. The "Alex vs. America" star revealed her distaste for the side item at the California-based fast food eatery in a tweet exchange back in 2020 in which she told user @VintageDrumBum that she "loves" the Double Double burger but "just [doesn't] understand the fries." 

In response, another Twitter user chimed in to recommend that Guarnaschelli request for her potato sticks to be "extra crispy." However, the Iron Chef didn't seem satisfied with the suggestion. "The [fries] at In n' Out Burger are not good and they are made with fresh potatoes on the spot!" she tweeted back. Of course, the food Network star balanced things out by once again professing her love for the handhelds at In-N-Out. "Deeply love the burgers though," she added.

So what makes In-N-Out's sole side item, as The Takeout's Danny Palumbo put it, "astonishingly bad?" LAist chalks it up to a number of factors, though one of the chain's greatest sins with its potatoes is that they apparently aren't double-fried, which doesn't allow them to achieve ideal crispiness. And while not ideal for Guarnaschelli, the outlet also offered the suggestion of ordering your In-N-Out fries "well done" as a workaround.