In-N-Out Comes East (Kinda)

Growing up in Southern California, my idea of a “burger” is of course influenced by those served at the In-N-Out chain, for which the area is nationally famous. There was an old radio advertisement where a SoCal youth turned Harvard freshman drops out and leaves his scholarship behind, to come back home because he missed In-N-Out burgers too much. (Sound farfetched? It’s actually based on a true story.)

I was tipped off by this article in the New York Times to a new burger joint in the East Village, Blue Nine Burger (92 3rd Ave.), which seeks to emulate the In-N-Out burger style, only on the East Coast. So does it work? I tried them out today, abd while I wouldn’t necessarily say they’ve perfected their clones, they come pretty damn close. Unfortunately, they also closely imitate In-N-Out’s soggy fries. Even the menu, printed on an index card, mimics In-N-Out’s sparse minimalism (the full menu: hamburger $2.35, cheeseburger $2.80, fries $1.75, milkshakes $2.25). If there were enforceable fast-food copyright laws, Blue Nine would be in big trouble. Better get over there before someone gets litigious.

EDIT: I was able to confirm today that they do in fact have the “secret menu” items from In-N-Out as well. (2/6/03)

Comments

  1. error wrote:

    My problem with In-N-Out is that they include bible quotes on their packaging.

    I really think they have a great work ethic (see “fast food nation”) but I disagree with pushing bible quotes on people.

    I actively boycot them as a result of their wrappers and soda cups.

  2. Gayle wrote:

    You have a problem with bible quotes on paper? This hurts no one. I’m sure they won’t care you boycott them. Their success surely won’t depend on you.

    Blessings

  3. Rainmaker wrote:

    You’ll still come out for burgers every so often, right?

    We Miss you out here!

  4. lacey wrote:

    In & Out is what it’s all about!!! I feel for the peeps that have never experienced a Double Double extra green (lettuce) well done fries and a Neo Shake,,,yummmmm, now I’m hungry

  5. screeminwilie wrote:

    Dude, you boycot because of Bible quotes? Really? Do they make the bugers taste funny?

    I’m a pretty die hard atheist, but that’s just ridiculous. It’s a privately owned company, and they can do what they like. Of course so can you, but it does seem silly. I mean it’s not like that nut job judge foisting the 10 commandments on all who enter a public court. Now that’s scary.

  6. pat wrote:

    Does anybody know if it’s possible to get an In n’ Out t-shirt like the one in Swingers?

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