5 In-N-Out Burgers You Won't Find On The Menu

In-N-Out is a West Coast classic: The burger chain, established in California in 1948, has become an emblematic part of the Golden State's culture, becoming essentially synonymous with fresh beef burgers, cheese fries, insider secrets, and the Midas touch of its Hollywood A-lister clientele. Equally famous is the chain's notoriously short menu, which has accrued such a long list of popular customizations that they have been openly acknowledged in In-N-Out's "Not So Secret Menu."

Founded in Baldwin Park in what was once a tiny stand measuring a mere 10-by-10 feet, In-N-Out is well known for its strongly regional feel, operating in only 10 Western-rooted states, with Tennessee its newest territory. Its family-owned focus results in generally slower expansion and reduced emphasis on aggressively gaming the fast food market with endless upgrades and new sandwiches. Freshness is also at the heart of the chain's ethos. Its burger patties are made from 100% U.S. beef, delivered throughout the week to its locations, and never frozen. Its simplicity has long been its asset — and has served as a tabula rasa for customers to come up with their own creative spins on different orders or even replicate the menu items at home.

From Animal and Protein Style to the 3x3 and 4x4, some of In-N-Out's most interesting, delicious burgers are technically off-menu but still widely acknowledged by the chain.

Possibly the most historical off-menu customization on the list, the Animal Style traces its roots back to 1961. The Animal Style isn't just about playing with the toppings. It changes how the burger is cooked in its entirety. Its history is rooted in SoCal's '60s youth culture. The "animal" in question isn't the burger or the meat but rather a nickname for the rowdy teens who frequented the original Baldwin Park joint and requested a mustard-fried beef patty. Here, mustard is the star of the show: In-N-Out grills the beef patty in the condiment and subsequently adds the toppings — grilled onions, pickles, and additional spread — which is what gives it its distinctively tangy, almost vinegary flavor.

When it comes to Animal Style, diners are not limited to one specific burger. Since it's a widely recognized preparation technique, it can be applied to different items on the menu. And as it turns out, it's had lasting power. It remains one of the more popular In-N-Out hacks. On Reddit, flurries of comments express how the Animal Style is one of their default go-tos. "I love the mustard grilled patties," one Redditor stated. Another remarked on how many forget that the Animal Style isn't just about the mustard prep but also the extra add-ons: "so many people don't know all the things that actually go into Animal Style," they remarked.

With the rise of protein-maxxing and online fitness culture, people are increasingly attuned to their macronutrient spread and daily intake. While fast food joints might not seem the natural place to be mulling over protein counting and nutritional values, many still want to combine the pleasure of a burger with a more macro-friendly composition. Enter the Protein Style, which really is rather simple: instead of having the bun, the burger is wrapped in hand-leafed iceberg lettuce.

The title is somewhat ironic since the bread bun technically has more protein in it than lettuce, but getting it with a lettuce wrap — an increasingly popular option for burgers and sandwiches — makes it decidedly lower in carbs and calories. And as many opt for low-carb or keto diets or avoid gluten, In-N-Out itself officially recognizes it as part of its off-menu options. Since the Protein Style is merely a bun-for-lettuce swap, you can apply it to different burgers — the hamburger, cheeseburger, or Double-Double are common orders here. You can also combine it with other off-menu orders, such as the Animal Style. Burgers at In-N-Out really are your blank canvas, and the Protein Style exists to prove it.

Now the 3x3 (aka Triple-Triple) is what you might expect the Protein Style to be. It triples the biggest protein sources in the burger: the beef patties and American cheese, giving you three slabs of each while still including classic toppers like tomato, lettuce, spread, and onions, which remain optional, all sandwiched in a classic toasted bun.

The 3x3 is an excellent choice if you want to make the most of your cheeseburger and load heavily on the protein, as it gives you an estimated 52 grams of the popular macro – around 14 grams more than the Double-Double and more than double that of a regular cheeseburger. 

Thought things stopped at the 3x3? Think again. If you want a burger of colossal proportions and a whopping 67 grams of protein, opt for the 4x4 (aka Quad-Quad), which gives you four beef patties and four slices of American cheese. It's no surprise this comes in as the biggest stacked burger listed on the Not So Secret Menu, and it's genuinely as humungous as it sounds. Internet lore has it that customers have gone even further and have ordered as many as 100x100, as Redditors claimed happened in Las Vegas in the mid-2000s, but In-N-Out's off-menu menu caps the customization at 4x4. This, however, is not to say that an individual restaurant might not cater to a customer's request and give you more patties.

Want extra meat without the cheese? Then the Double Meat is your best In-N-Out friend. It's as simple as it sounds: two beef patties without the Double-Double's addition of melted American cheese. The usual toppers — the salad and spread — remain the same.

In-N-Out prides itself on the quality of its beef, noting that everything is produced entirely fresh from 100% USDA-approved meat that lacks any preservatives, additives, or fillers, so this is a great option for the more carnivorously inclined who want to sink their teeth into the patties without too much else getting in the way. The chain doesn't rely on generic patties provided from suppliers. It has its own butchers that take the cut — whole chuck, known for its balanced, flavorful mix of lean beef and fat — and bone it before grinding it. A fun fact that some might not know is that prior to the opening of In-N-Out's very own patty-making facility back in 1963, founder Harry Snyder himself would pick the chuck that his wife, Esther, turned into patties. These days, there are two California bases in Lathrop and Baldwin Park as well as one in Dallas, Texas.

Last but most definitely not least is the Flying Dutchman. It actually doesn't make it onto the Not So Secret Menu, yet it's known as one of the most popular In-N-Out customizations (and is acknowledged by the company in is history). As described by the Los Angeles Times in 2025, the Flying Dutchman gives you two patties and slices of cheese but without the bun, tomatoes, spread, or lettuce — although you can still opt to add customizations like onions and chiles.

The Flying Dutchman also became a particularly sneaky loophole for the more parsimonious of customers — diners found that they could get the equivalent at a lower price by ordering the patties and cheese slices individually. Unsurprisingly, In-N-Out caught wind of the tactic and changed its pricing so that ordering this combo would cost as much as a regular Flying Dutchman.