Ali Khan Is Not Impressed With This One In-N-Out Menu Item
Make no mistake: Ali Khan is a true In-N-Out fan. "The Cheap Eats" host has written glowing reviews of In-N-Out (via L.A.Taco), tweeted about it, and even has his own unofficial In-N-Out signature meal, called the "Ali" (via Ali Khan Eats). But as much as Khan loves In-N-Out burgers, there's one menu item at the popular California chain that he's not a fan of.
Khan went on the record about his dissatisfaction with In-N-Out fries in a recent tweet responding to a post from Gustavo Arellano, a California-based writer (via Arellano's website) who had made a reference to In-N-Out fanboys in a critique of birria de res bandwagon-ing. Khan admitted, "I'm also guilty of being an In-N-Out fanboy. But at least I disavow the fries."
While In-N-Out is widely respected for its burgers, with cosigns from professional chefs like Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, and many others (via Eater), the chain also has its detractors. In particular, In-N-Out has a reputation among fans and critics alike for serving subpar french fries. The In-N-Out subreddit has served as a forum for troubleshooting french fry orders, and cultural commentary sites like LA ist have complained about the fries.
A potential workaround?
In his tweet, Khan doesn't explain why he dislikes In-N-Out's fries, but a quick search online revealed three notable complaints that some people make: (1) that the fries are often cold, (2) that they are mushy or limp, and (3) that they are excessively oily (via LA ist). In fact, that a Google search for "In-N-Out french fries" returns suggested questions that include, "Why are In-N-Out french fries so bad?" and "Are In-N-Out french fries made of cardboard?" Of course, we can't say if Khan himself feels this way or how many people truly do. As the old saying goes, different strokes for different folks. So if the fries strike you as delicious, that's great. (After all, at least some customers must like them enough for the chain to keep selling them.)
Fortunately, if you agree with the complaints about texture, there may be a way to get around it. As covered by LA ist, California restaurateur Steve Samson claimed in an interview that the key to delicious, crispy fries is double frying them – first in a low-heat "blanching" fry and once again in a quick high-heat fry, which gives the fries their crispy, golden exterior. According to Samson, In-N-Out's fries are soggy and mushy because the chain chooses not to double-fry. This is where the potential workaround comes in: In-N-Out customers can still get something closer to twice-fried fries if they custom order their fries "well done" or "light well."