The Best Fast Food Burger in the World!

The In-N-Out Double-Double: 2 100% pure beef patties, hand-heafed

lettuce, 2 slices of American cheese, sauteed onions, stacked high on a

freshly baked bun. The best fast food burger. Hands down!

A West coast trip wouldn't be complete without indulging myself in the best fast food burger in the world - In-N-Out! There was the trip to Napa Valley where my wife and I found ourselves craving In-N-Out, and for some miraculous intervention, we discovered one located past a Napa river bridge near downtown Napa. But my favorite was the time when several of my colleagues and I went on an INO late night run in Las Vegas just two hours after our nine-course meal at Joel Robuchon at the MGM. Joel Robuchon's was terrific, but INO was memorable.

I first discovered INO when I was living in California in the 80's and I've been a loyalist since. You might not know this but INO started the first drive thru in the US in 1948. Yes, that's true. Little has changed since 1948. There are still 5 items on the menu - Double-Double, Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Fries and Shakes & Drinks. That's it. No breakfast burritos or trendy wraps. Why mess with perfection?

So after arriving in Phoenix yesterday to a blistering "dry heat" of 110 degrees, my wife and I tracked down an INO located near Freeway 17 and 101 on my blackberry. It was the perfect pit-stop before the two hour ride to Sedona where we've been invited to spend a long weekend with our close friends at the luxurious Seven Canyons (more about Sedona later).  I ordered my usual Double-Double "animal" style. I was in heaven despite the hellish heat!

Still, only 5 items on the menu!