As a native Southern-Californian, I grew up frequenting In-N-Out, loving the food and the brand as a whole. College, however, took me to Seattle where I learned about Dick’s Drive-In, the burger place of Washington State. Due to my California history, my conversations in Washington often included something about the famous California burger joint and how it compared to Washington’s version. Of course, my implicit bias lends me to choose In-N-Out, but it became such a frequent point of discussion that I took it upon myself to look at the two fast-food chains through as objective a lens as possible. Now, having been to both places and doing a little research, here are my brief findings on how Dick’s Drive-In and In-N-Out Burger compare.
Dick’s Drive-In:
Food –
Dick’s offers six variations of a burger, along with fries, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry shakes, ice-cream and soft drinks. They do not offer customizations and have no gluten-free options for their burgers. Dick’s is not known for their fries, which are often floppy and soggy. However, their burgers are consistent and cheap and people who know what they are getting are generally satisfied.
Customer experience –
Their non-customizable menu creates a predictable, quick, and cheap visit every time. You order and receive your food in practically one interaction, mimicking the original McDonalds experience (as seen in The Founder). Their most expensive burger comes in at $5.30, but almost everything else on the menu is below $3.00.
Employee experience –
Dick’s is also known for their employee satisfaction, paying starting employees a base of $21 an hour, which is more than $1 above minimum wage in Seattle.
Brand –
Dick’s has a vintage look with a walk-up window and rare indoor seating. Although they do have apparel, it is not widely marketed or sold.
In-N-Out Burger:
Food –
In-N-Out starts with a simple menu, similar to Dick’s, but allows customization, which creates for a whole host of delicious options to please everyone. They do not have a gluten-free bun, but they will do a lettuce wrap, or no bun. They are famous for their Thousand Island dressing and secret menu items including “AnimalStyle” fries or a burger, which comes with extra sauce, cheese, pickles, and grilled onions.
In-N-Out is also not known for their fries, which are often overcooked and bland. However, their slogan “Quality You Can Taste” assures customers that all food is made fresh that same day, no freezing, pre-packaging, or microwaving. McDonalds, for instance, has consistently delicious fries due to the freezing and frying and freezing and frying pattern that rids the potatoes of starch to make them the perfect consistently.
In-N-Out does not offer the same ice cream treats as Dick’s, but with their expanding savory menu due to customization, they have to keep some things simple.
Customer experience –
In-N-Out is often a destination fast-food location, especially when it had not yet ventured outside of California, loved by locals and novelized by tourists. Customization options give people the freedom of choice, but it creates longer lines and wait times. Employees are generally friendly and the fresh food can make up for the wait.
In-N-Out is a bit pricier than Dick’s, not many items cross under the $3.00 line, and depending on how many variations you give your burger, it could start nearing $8 or $10. In-N-Out is also not as transparent with their pricing online as Dick’s is.
Employee experience –
In-N-Out is not known for their employee experience, and based on observation, most line workers move quickly in tight quarters for their entire shift, meeting the high demand. In-N-Out claims to care about their employees with a “competitive” wage, but due to the lack of immediate transparency online, it is hard to tell if they can match Dick’s for workplace satisfaction.
Brand –
Above all things, In-N-Out is a top tier brand. They have merchandise for everyone in the family, and In-N-Out shirts are worn by many. In addition, this fast-food restaurant has become a destination spot for anyone visiting California.
Personal Bias:
I am not an avid fast-food consumer, and due to my love for making things I rarely go out to eat. However, whenever I visit California, even for a weekend, I always make a stop at In-N-Out, and sometimes more than once. In-N-Out has the nostalgia factor in my books, which gives it an advantage over Dick’s, but I have yet to meet a Washintonion who goes to Dick’s as a destination spot after a long trip.
I have worn a few different In-N-Out shirts over the years, and in high school, my dad completed the outfit by gifting me some Vans shoes with the In-N-Out shake pattern printed on top.
As a workplace, it seems that Dick’s might be the better option, but as a meal place, I will pick In-N-Out every time.
Next time you visit Washington and California, you can decide for yourself.