In-N-Out. The 10x10 Challenge.

** In-N-Out. In-N-Out. That's what a hamburger's all about. **

The jingle sells the burger. I really don't need to write anything. But if I did that, then there wouldn't be any relevance to this blog, and I'd probably go back to concentrating on more important things in life other than the pursuit of patty perfection. However... I'm determined to wrap my mouth around that warm, juicy beef trophy, once we find it that is. So onward we tread.

Anyone living in the southwest region of the U.S. will testify to the statement that In-N-Out is arguably one of the best, if not the best, fast food burgers on the market. And I only say southwest region because the up-and-coming restaurant chain has yet to penetrate the mouths east of Nevada. It's really a no brainer that we needed to include In-N-Out on this list of qualifiable burgers in the competition. Some people list this as one of their favorite burgers, while others say it is a superior fast food burger but it's no match compared to some of the others out there. Which explains why there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't at least be considered as a contestant. In-N-Out consistently has some of the freshest patties I've ever tasted from a burger hole that has a drive-thru, which is what keeps me coming back. The burger from which the restaurant gained its reputation is the iconic Double-Double. It stacks two freshly made patties on top of one another, each with it's own slice of American cheese, topped with crisp lettuce, tasty onion, and tomato. All of these classic ingredients are sandwiched by buns layered with In-N-Out's signature Spread sauce.

Since Dominic and I have eaten In-N-Out at least a hundred times together, we thought we'd do something a little different for this one. I mean, it is in fact our first stop on the train to So Cal burger stardom, so we can't just eat a burger and tell you how it is. That's not fair to our readers, and it's really not that fair to me. Because it really gets Dominic off the hook in his "commencement ceremony" embarking the journey. And I love to mess with him. So I chose torture.

For a little background, if you know anything about In-N-Out, then you know that a first timer might need a thesaurus just to place an order. I say this only because the restaurant has, in a way, its own vocabulary. This restaurant may only have 4 food items on the menu (hamburger, cheeseburger, Double Double, and french fries), but it is the king of burger customization. You can place an order from the "secret menu" that wraps your burger in lettuce instead of a bun to save on carbs (Protein Style, see picture left), you can order your meal with extra pickles and grilled onions (Animal Style), or only 2 patties, 2 slices of cheese and no bun (Flying Dutchman), followed by several other forms of modification too many to list here.

The one that Dominic and I flock to time and time again is the simple form of increasing the size of your burger. The standard Double Double is a 2x2 (2 slices of meat topped with 2 slices of cheese). You have the choice to upgrade your burger to a 3x3, 4x4, 2x4 (2 cheeses, 4 meats), etc. So we decided that it was best to go with something that really would test the restaurant's quality of their reputation, and order the 10x10. Unfortunately In-N-Out created a policy, most likely due to health related issues, that the biggest burger you can order is a 4x4. So we decided to each order 2 4x4's and a Flying Dutchman to give us the quantity of the 10x10, packed with an extra set of buns. So with this test we were determining whether size or any other aforementioned customizations affect the quality of this restaurant's burgers. This... is what it came out to be:

Now I'm not going to lie, the moment they called out my number and I got the first glance at the Sasquatch of fast food orders that you see here, I panicked a little. Getting cold feet before taking on a challenge such as this one is normal; it'd only be natural to look at a behemoth like this and start to wonder how it would all fit in the gut. Peeing yourself, however, is compliments of the house. We each consumed one of these "should be honorarily named to the 7 Great Wonders of the World" helpings of burger. And the moment that we were finished, literally the second I wiped away that last morsel of burger residue off my lip... regret set in. Now don't mistake me here. Regret in no way was piling itself onto my lower intestine due to the lack of quality or taste in this burger. It was solely due to the amount of food I just jammed down my throat. Have you ever been so hungry that you exclaimed you could eat a horse? After eating this, I will never make that statement again. My Great Wall of China is the 10x10 from In-N-Out. It wasn't necessarily too much for me to handle, but that much cheese really did me in. I went down faster than Kim Kardashian did for Reggie Bush. I had to be wheeled out to my car. I was so full that I was secretly hoping that someone in the drive thru would give me a ride to the other end of the parking lot to pick up my car. Well played, 10x10.



However, even though that the pain had set in from consumption, it in no way affected the quality of their food and/or presentation. My vote for this fast food chain still ranks highly compared to others in its category. But my recommendation for portion size is to probably stick to the main menu, unless you're packing Pepto.

Dominic:

My experience with this meat mammoth... if you plan on eating the infamous 10x10, I recommend having by your side: pepto and anything that will help you get the cheese and grease flowing through your insides faster than normal.. you can see where this is going. I will save you my personal details of the few days post 10x10. Once again me and Justin had this brilliant idea to stuff our faces just so we can say "yea, we ate that". The fact that we each ate this beast in just about 13 minutes each says a lot about us...we are pigs. This cheesy mess really did me dirty. In conclusion to this FML of an idea, I personally will never eat this again..I was plugged up longer than Richard Simmons on a friday night and let me tell you that it is not enjoyable! Final Score~ 10x10: 1 - Dominic: 0

Justin's Rating (Based on the Double-Double)

Meat quality: 3, Creativity/Accessories: 3, Bun: 2, Size: 2, Price: 5, Overall: 15 out of 25

While the meat quality is above what I've seen at other fast food places, it doesn't compare to some of the burgers I've tried. The lettuce and tomatoes are always fresh tasting, and the signature spread sauce is fantastic. The bun is that of a fast food chain caliber and the size of the standard Double Double is great for its price, but nothing in comparison to some I've seen. All in all, you're definitely getting more than your money's worth with this burger costing under $4.00.

Dominic's Rating (Based on the Double-Double)

Meat Quality: 4, Creativity/Accessories: 3, Bun: 2, Size: 2, Price: 5, Overall: 16 out of 25

In-n-out has always been a "go to" place for me to grub when in the mood for a quick burger. The freshness of all the ingredients is what attracts me the most as compared to other burger chains. The simplicity of the menu also makes it easy for the indecisive folk(such as myself) to make a quick selection. For the quality, size and freshness of this burger the price it is yet to be beat. Highly recommended for the quick burger craving!

Claim Jumper Restaurant - The Widow Maker

This burger from Claim Jumper Restaurant in La Mesa, CA is what inspired me to create this blog. I took this trip solo as my first stop along the burger haven to CJ's House O' Epic Meal Portions before I coerced Dominic into going on this trail of tears with me.

This burger is called the Widow Maker, and holy Jesus, that's exactly what it is...

This slice of Angus heaven, covered with a healthy layer of cheddary goodness, topped with slices of Applewood smoked meat candy (aka bacon) as well as 4 slices of avocado. I can only imagine that avocado is what God intended when he said forbidden fruit. No idea where Eve pulled out the horse manure idea of apples being the forbidden fruit; cite your sources Eve. Then it's piled on with crisp lettuce, savory onion, perfectly ripe tomato slices, and crispy onion rings (I chose without), all sandwiched between two giant, buttery Ciabatta rolls covered in a healthy layer of Mayo, Red Relish, and Thousand Island (optional) makes for one devilish combo.

Let me tell you... that first bite is completely indescribable. The combination of the sauces dripping into the perfectly cooked patty mixed with the Trio of Thunder (Avocado, Cheddar, and Bacon) just sends your 'buds into overdrive. If I could have sex with any burger, this just might be the one. But I wouldn't take advantage of this burger. It wouldn't be some drunken mistake where we sleep together, then awkwardly high five the next morning as I stumble out of its apartment. No. I would treat this burger with respect! I would take it out to a nice dinner (obviously not out for burgers because that's just cannibalism), to a movie, and then I would call a few days later. And we would be so happy together until one night... when I get a late night hunger attack, and make myself a widower.


Thus... the meaning that lies behind the legend that is the Widow Maker.

Justin's Rating
Meat Quality:  4, Creativity/Accessories: 4, Bun: 3, Size: 5, Price: 3,  Overall: 19 out of 25
The quality of this meat was cooked to almost absolute perfection with a thorough pink center; the meat juices spread throughout the entire burger, unfortunately it got to the point where it started making the bread soggy. The accessories and creativity were your classic bacon, avocado, cheddar cheese. Now if it were just those accessories, I'd consider a lower score. But the bacon was thick, the avocado fresh, and they offered it with onion rings and thousand island dressing which bumped it up on the scoring scale. The bun was nothing too special, but it was large enough to contain the mountain of meat piled high with condiments, so it got a good score. The size got a perfect score because afterward I was full. But it was the good kind of full; almost to the point where I couldn't move, but not quite. And the price was a little on the pricey side, coming in at just under $10 for a burger and fries. But I'm not complaining too much. I was happy when I left. I was 3 pounds heavier, but I was happy nonetheless.