With all the cold weather we’re having, our friends and family in California can’t help but rub it in that it has been in the 70s recently. Painful!
But there’s a little taste of California down the street from my office: Fresh-N-fast is the spitting image of In-N-Out burger! Same signature colors, almost identical uniforms, and a menu board that has the same simple list of three or four burger options, shakes, and fries–in the same font. I can even get my burger the same way I did in back home: sauce and grilled onions only!
There’s been some pretty heated debate about this spot on some of the food boards from staunch In-N-Out fans, but I’m hoping they don’t receive any “cease-and-desist” letters from the chain anytime soon. I happen to think their burgers are delicious (if about twice the price as their West Coast counterpart, but that’s Manhattan for you).
Aron and I decided to pick up some to go on our way home one night not too long ago. I ordered my usual and then Aron asked me to get him an “Animal Style.” (One of the “secret” options at In-N-Out, Animal style burgers have mustard fried into the meat patties as they cook, and include pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread with the tomato and lettuce.)
“Do you do it ‘Animal Style?'” I asked.
Though it doesn’t have the same hyphenated name, Fresh-N-Fast does have that old fashioned friendly customer service and quality: the man on the other end of the line did a remarkable job of making me not feel uncomfortable about the completely inappropriate question. I think I blushed the minute I heard myself say it aloud.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” he replied. I was skeptical, and even more embarrassed when I arrived to see a man who could have been my grandfather handing me a very tasty chocolate shake.
(P.S. Wylie Dufresne was there when my friend and I stopped in last week;
we didn’t have the nerve to ask him for his review.)
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