The In-N-Out Secret Menu, Ranked: 14 Items to Order ASAP

In-N-Out Burger has a cult following for good reason. Its retro vibe, simple (and affordable) menu and top-tier food keep California residents and tourists coming back—and let’s not forget those kitschy paper hats you can take home with you.

As drool-worthy as the fast food chain’s standard selection is, its secret menu items are arguably just as famous, popularized by diehard customers who have tried it all. (Ordering burgers and fries "animal style"—aka topped with extra Thousand Island and pickles and subbing diced onions for grilled, essentially—isn't so much a secret among fans of the chain, but a must-order. More on that later.) Here, you’ll find 14 picks on the In-N-Out secret menu ranked, including unique sandwiches and clever modifications. Read on for my faves, from meh to most delicious.

• Modifications: order a burger and substitute lettuce for a bun

FYI, you can order any burger on the no-frills menu protein style, meaning it'll come to you on hand-leafed lettuce instead of a bun. Low-carb? Yes. Exciting? I think not. But if you're on keto or some sort of low-carb diet, you'll get to indulge without straying from your meal plan.

• Modifications: order a burger and ask for no bun

Similar to Protein Style, minus the leafy greens, this “sandwich” is two beef patties glued together with melted American cheese. It’s not the most thrilling, but I do respect the simplicity.

“My dad loves to get the Flying Dutchman, especially when he’s following a keto diet,” says California native, former Pasadena resident and PureWow associate fashion commerce editor Stephanie Meraz. “It makes him feel like he’s still reaping the spoils of fast food without the carbs.”

• Modifications: none (order a grilled cheese)

Got beef with beef? Look no further than the grilled cheese sammy, which includes two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, spread and optional onions. It's basically a meatless burger.

• Modifications: order a burger and ask for an extra beef patty

If you swear by cheese-free hamburgers, this simple handheld is for you. It comes with two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, spread and optional onions, unlike the Double-Double, which also comes with two slices of cheese.

• Modifications: none (order a 4x4)

The Quad-Quad is similar to the Triple-Triple (more on that later), only with four patties and four slices of cheese instead of three. Needless to say, that’s a lot of beef. While delicious, I prefer the meat-to-bread-to-topping ratio of the 3X3. Speaking of...

• Modifications: none (order a 3x3)

Aka the Triple-Triple, this burger boasts three beef patties, three slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, optional onions and spread on a bun. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, right?

• Modifications: order a burger and ask for the beef to be cooked medium rare

A tip from food writer J. Kenji López-Alt, asking for your burger medium rare will result in the meat having a juicy, pink center. But due to the patty’s thinness, it’ll still be crisp on the outside. That’s a win-win in my book.

• Modifications: order any burger and ask for it mustard grilled

Want all the tang and flavor of Animal Style beef minus the mess? I have a hack for you. “I love the Animal Style patty prep, but I prefer the regular burger condiments over the grilled onions, extra sauce and pickles,” explains Lincoln Boehm, who went viral in 2019 for finding a fully intact Double-Double at a bus stop in Queens. (Seriously—that happened.) “So, my order is single cheeseburgers, ‘mustard-grilled’.” After cooking one side of the patty, chefs will squirt mustard on top of it and flip it, letting the other side sizzle in the sauce. 

• Modifications: order fries and ask for them well done

“They need to be golden, crispy and crunchy,” says Meraz. “I hate to admit it, because I love In-N-Out so much, but their fries tend to get soggy and limp if you wait too long to eat them (what fries don’t?!), so this definitely combats that unfortunate event from happening.” Might I suggest crowning them with melted cheese for maximum indulgence?

• Modifications: order any sandwich or side and ask for it Animal Style

Whether it’s a burger or fries, ordering it Animal Style *never* hurts. This modification includes pickles, extra spread and grilled onions for fries. For burgers, it also calls for grilling the beef in mustard.

• Modifications: ask for your burger to be grilled on chopped chilis

López-Alt also clued the internet in on this mod, which calls for pressing the burger into seriously spicy chopped pickled peppers as it cooks. He called them “diminutive fire-bombs,” so only ask for them if you can handle heat like a pro.

• Modifications: order a burger and ask for whole onion instead of chopped

Did you know you can request a thick slab of white onion instead of the chopped kind that comes with Animal Style items? It’s definitely worth a shot. “I’ve only had it once, but I ordered with a whole grilled onion per my friend’s suggestion, and it was bomb,” asserts PureWow executive managing editor Catrina Yohay.

• Modifications: order a root beer and add vanilla milkshake or soft serve

The internet goes gaga for this nostalgic frozen treat, made with In-N-Out’s signature soft serve, but it’s definitely underrated. “Excuse me, what? I lived [in California] pretty much all my life and didn’t know the root beer float existed,” Meraz claims. “If you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for milkshakes (even though I’m lactose intolerant) and root beer (just like my dad), so I’m now dying to taste it ASAP.”

• Modifications: add banana peppers to your order as you please

As Jeff Miller once suggested on Thrillist, you are seriously missing out if you’ve never indulged in the swicy banana peppers, often nestled near the ketchup and napkins for customers to serve themselves. Pile them onto your burgers (and heck, your fries) for a briny punch of heat.