The 13 Best In-N-Out Secret Menu Items You Can Order, According To Customers

Any time you see a restaurant with a limited menu, it should be a sign that the establishment has mastered the art of whatever it's selling. In-N-Out's menu has mostly been unchanged since its founding in the middle of the 20th century. The chain sells cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes, and if you don't know about the secret menu? It might seem like a pretty boring fast food joint. Come on, though, we all know the real truth. In-N-Out might be as famous for its secret menu as it is for its regular menu.

Which secret menu items you should order, though, is not immediately obvious. Some of them have funny names, after all — just what does "animal style" or "Flying Dutchman" mean? Will they hurt? Hey, one In-N-Out secret menu trick even had to be banned. Don't worry, we're here to demystify all of that for you. Here's a countdown of the best In-N-Out secret menu items.

No, we're not suddenly in a hardware store — 3x3 and 4x4 are the number of patties by the number of cheese slices. While these burgers aren't on the official menu? In-N-Out understands that everyone gets a little extra hungry sometimes. These are burgers you should only order if you're sure you can fit the whole thing in your mouth. It's a tall order, so to speak. 

Does maxing out your burger and cheese portions really make your burger better? Many Redditors claim that the superior move is to order a double-double with an extra patty, meaning your sandwich has three burger patties and two slices of cheese. Still, the enthusiasm for these meaty monstrosity seems to pale in comparison to people's excitement over various other hacks, like fry doneness or mustard-cooked burgers. Another thing to consider: In-N-Out prides itself on carrying really fresh, crisp veggies. If you want to render those plants soggy thanks to an overwhelming amount of meat and cheese, that's your prerogative. We're just saying that ordering a 3x3 or 4x4 might not result in the most balanced sandwich.

Skip the bun and plate your entire meal. This item takes the already-messy animal style french fries and tops the whole shebang with two cheesy burger patties. It almost calls to mind a Hawaiian loco moco burger. If your least favorite part about fast food is how each item is a convenient finger food? You're in luck. Tuck a bib under your collar, grab some plasticware, and dig in. In all seriousness, the resulting bite can be pretty eye-popping. YouTuber AG Mendoza had the realization that pulling the two patties apart and stuffing them with spread-covered fries yielded a tasty portion. Truly, In-N-Out's secret menu is a font of creative inspiration. 

One tip from a Redditor, though: the easiest way to get these fries is by ordering a Flying Dutchman with a grilled onion wrap, plus animal style fries with raw chopped onions. Combine the two, and voila! Roadkill. Side note: how many fast food places can offer two different types of onion on the same dish? 

A frank, visual-based name for a shake made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Hey, sometimes you want the best of both worlds. It's a delicious way to mix things up. You don't have to order it with a cartoonishly film noir accent, but it's more fun if you do. The real question is: when is In-N-Out going to back up Brinks truck and get Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney to do a TV spot? "Ebony and Ivory," anyone? In all seriousness, this is a great order for the milkshake lover who doesn't know what they want, but knows that they hate strawberry. 

It's not a bad combo on paper, chocolate, and vanilla. So how does it shake out in practice? Reviews are pretty tepid. Some say this is pretty good, others say it's too overpowering. Based on the volume of reviews on various social media platforms, it seems pretty clear that people prefer the Neapolitan shake if they're veering into secret shake territory. 

You might call this the In-N-Out veggie burger, but that's somewhat disingenuous. What is a Wish Burger? It's a burger bun, lettuce, tomato, and spread — and no patty. Is that insulting to vegetarians, not even being offered a bean patty or an Impossible patty? Well, this is a chain that is known for using crisp, fresh veggies. A salad sandwich from a place that cares about ingredient quality honestly sounds great. Maybe you wish there was a patty, or maybe you walk a more enlightened path and wish for nothing more than to fully appreciate the sandwich in your hands. 

YouTuber Uncharted Foodie admitted to being unenthusiastic about trying the Wish Burger, but was pleasantly surprised. He attributed how good this sandwich tasted to In-N-Out having fresh veggies. Some people have noted that while the Wish Burger by itself is somewhat bland, upgrading to animal style gives the taste a boost. That's right, folks — animal style is still vegetarian. Grilled onion lovers rejoice. 

The "protein-style" burger is also known as a burger with a lettuce wrap. Turns out, wrapping a mound of beef, cheese, and sauce in bright, crisp lettuce gives the whole sandwich a fresh, clean bite. Not a bad quality to cut against the richness of the burger patties, cheese, and spread. A little freshness goes a long way. Someone call OutKast. 

You can also ask for a tomato wrap, which is a burger with two slices of tomatoes around it. This one is juicy and crunchy, but maybe only possible to consume with a wax paper wrap or pocket to hold everything together. One reviewer on Instagram compared biting into a tomato wrap burger favorably to sticking your face in the Bellagio Fountain. At the very least, the wealth of options for bunless wraps makes trying a couple of these worth it, for variety's sake. The many different types of non-bun wraps that In-N-Out offers are also a good option for people with diabetes.

French fries with two slices of melted American cheese. Who says no? Cheese fries are great, and unless you're grating parm and garlic, American cheese is the cheese of choice. It gets gooey and melty and stays that way without getting lumps. On In-N-Out fries, melted American cheese is like if your parents let you get nachos at your sibling's Little League game, then still took you out for fast food afterwards. What a combo.

How you feel about In-N-Out's cheese fries might depend on how you feel about animal style fries. For people who think animal style is too much, cheese fries are a great option for adding a little zip. For animal fry lovers, though, the cheese fries feel incomplete. Or maybe an extra 10 cents for cheese slices isn't worth it to you. How can you decide which one you like, besides looking at our ranking? Order both items, of course. Tell anyone who asks that it's for scientific purposes. French fry scientific purposes.

A grilled cheese doesn't need to be fancy. Two slices of American cheese on a grilled hamburger bun is a pretty solid vegetarian option at a fast food joint. In-N-Out takes things a step further by allowing you to get other burger accoutrement like onions, tomato, or pickles. Don't forget spread — what sandwich isn't improved with spread? People seem to like this one. Fresh veggies are not an unwelcome addition to grilled cheese — especially ones that up the umami, like tomatoes, onions, or pickles. Throw in lettuce, and you get a major crunch factor.

You can also try a "Cheesy Wiki," which is a grilled cheese with two extra cheese slices. Some days are just extra cheese days. Usually the days that end in Y. Fair warning about American cheese — four slices of that melty goodness can be pretty rich. Especially with those soft, pillowy buns that In-N-Out uses. The Cheesy Wiki is a prime candidate for grilled cheese upgrades like tomatoes or pickles. 

Another bunless option, but one that needs to be addressed separately thanks to its curiosity-raising name. This no-frills secret item is simply two burger patties with two slices of cheese gluing them together. No, this burger isn't some holdover Pirates Of The Caribbean promo. Nor will it drag you to the depths of Davy Jones' Locker. It's just meat, cheese, and if you like? Grilled onion, too.

A popular modification to this modification is a Flying Dutchman with grilled onions wrapping the burger. This really lets the umami of the burger, onions, and cheese sing. One tip: don't ask for the Flying Dutchman animal style. There are enough modifications that come with animal style that to tack that on to the Flying Dutchman is confusing. However, if you'd like your Flying Dutchman cooked in mustard or with spread, you can ask for those things specifically. When you're at an establishment that offers an excessive amount modifications, it's best to be very exact. The easier you make your order taker's life, the better your meal will taste. 

The classic trinity of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, all in one shake. What could go wrong? The answer is nothing. If you like Neapolitan ice cream, you'll love the Neapolitan shake. This is an item that seems so intuitive that you might wonder why it's not on the regular menu. One bit of advice: open the lid and drink in the visual beauty of the three flavors together. Once you start sipping, it's all going to mix together. Take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into making this shake. You eat with your eyes first, after all.

@monaleesaeatsbayareafood

You get all the flavors in every sip 🥰 This is the best shake at In-N-Out! #innoutburger #innoutmukbang #innoutshake #foodtiktok #innoutfries #innout #innoutathome #innouthack #fyp #foryoupage #monaleesaeats @in n out burger

♬ Makeba – Jain

One Redditor called it "hands down the most delicious thing $3.17 can buy." Lurk on many social media post about this item, and you'll often find commenters who didn't know the Neapolitan shake existed. Sure, maybe it's not on the menu, but honestly? If a milkshake is the perfect dessert to pair with a burger, why not go big and get every possible flavor in one cup?

Do you like french fries, but love mashed potatoes? Ordering your fries "light" at In-N-Out might be for you, as they'll be extra fluffy and soft. Ordering light is also the way to go if you know you'll be reheating your french fries later, as there's less chance you'll overcook them. On the other hand, some might complain that In-N-Out fries aren't crunchy enough, but why complain when there's a solution? Simply order your fries well done for an extra crunchy potato. Maybe you mostly like the fries, but want a little extra crunch — don't worry, that's called light well, and it's in the cashier's POS system.

@hellthyjunkfood

#light #vs #normal #vs #welldone #vs #animalstyle @innout #innout #tastetest #fries #frenchfries #tasting #foodreview #secret #menu #secretmenu #specialorder #fastfood #foodhack #foodhacks #fyp

♬ original sound – HellthyJunkFood

One thing it seems like everyone can agree on is this: Don't order In-N-Out fries the way that the restaurant has decided to make them. Either that standard method is too moderate for anyone to actually like, or people are just really excited about customization. Whatever the case, figuring out your In-N-Out fry preference is a journey. There are many forks on the path to fried potato nirvana.

Probably too calorie-heavy to honestly call a side. Asking for animal style loads your fries up with toppings. Animal style fries come with grilled onions, spread, and melted cheese, layered over the potato sticks as one of the world's most decadent garnishes. These fries are dense enough that they're definitely best eaten with a fork. Does that qualify the dish as a meal? It probably counts as meal.

Animal style is absolutely better with well done fries — unless you're going for a more fully loaded baked potato vibe, in which case, animal style works with light fries, too. Move over, Canada, Southern California has its own answer to poutine.

People love animal style fries. The item is so popular that people have started trying to engineer copycat versions at McDonald's, using Big Mac sauce. The OG remains the champion, though. One Facebook user even said that they didn't like In-N-Out fries until they tried animal style.

A soda concoction made with In-N-Out's signature pink lemonade and 7UP. It makes intuitive sense, given that 7UP is a lemon-lime soda, but the addition of pink lemonade really kicks the flavor up a notch. Still not enough lemon for you? Pick up the tongs on the soda bar and add a few fresh lemon wedges to your drink. Maybe it seems like putting a hat on a hat on a hat, but those cut-up pieces add some pleasant acidity to cut through the sugar.

@foreveralinaa

it's yummiiiiiiii 💖🥤🍋 #innout #inandout #inandoutburger #lemonade #pinklemonade #lemonade #7up #drink #drinkhacks #food #foodhacks #contentcreator #trending #viral #fy

♬ 360 – Charli xcx

People really like this mix. Carbonated soda and sugary lemonade together seem to smooth out each other's harshest edges into something pleasant and refreshing. YouTuber Uncharted Foodie opined that the only thing this drink is missing is a shot of tequila. Wait until you get home to add that, maybe, but definitely try it. Whomever thought up this mix, the In-N-Out eating public thanks you. Let's raise a rose-hued plastic cup to the inventor, and share the gospel of Lemon Up.

If it's possible to have a flagship secret menu item, animal style burgers might be that for In-N-Out. This upgrade on the standard burger sees the patties cooked in mustard, then grilled onions, pickles, and extra spread top the sandwich off. Ordering your burger animal style is often the first thing mentioned when talking about In-N-Out and its secret menu. At the very least, this burger mod has made the concept of grilling a burger with mustard a mainstream idea. That in and of itself is a culinary gift.

One Redditor called an animal style burger with chiles "the best burger of my life." Another Reddit post called the photo they snapped of their burger "cinema." The mustard smear cooks into the beef and really intensifies the flavor of everything else, from the meat to the spread to the bun. If you're trying In-N-Out for the first time, you're practically mandated to try a regular double-double right next to a double-double animal style.