If you’re a West Coast expat living on the East Coast, and you’re missing In-N-Out…I feel your pain.
(My spouse is from San Diego, so we get it.)
From the Double-Double…to animal-style fries…to those delicious milkshakes:
In-N-Out is truly one of the best burger chains out there!
(If you know, you know.)
But let’s face it:
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In-N-Out is…quite far away.
The furthest east they’ve come so far is Houston.
So if you’re in NYC or Atlanta, or even in Chicago – In-N-Out is still over a thousand miles away.
Now, that IS about to start changing:
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More specifically, In-N-Out recently broke ground on a new Tennessee regional headquarters, with plans to open its first restaurants in Nashville…
In 2026.
So there’s still a little while before In-N-Out begins its eastward migration in earnest!
In the meantime, what’s a West Coast expat to do?
Well – I have good news:
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There are lots of great burgers outside In-N-Out’s core West Coast bastions.
None of them are going to be just like a Double-Double…
But each of them has something unique to offer along the lines of what makes In-N-Out great.
Here are seven I want to highlight specifically, in no particular order:
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Where you’ll find them: Five Guys is in 49 states (tough break, Alaska) and has thousands of locations, so chances are good you can find it whenever you need your burger fix.
What makes them special: Five Guys’ burgers are big, filling, and delicious. Plus there are lots of things you can do to customize – grilled onions, A1 steak sauce, bbq sauce, jalapenos, you get the idea. It’s not quite animal style, but it’s pretty close! Oh, and their fries are fantastic. (And you get a TON of them when you order.)
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Where you’ll find them: Culver’s is based in Wisconsin but has expanded to 20+ US states at this point.
What makes them special: Culver’s “ButterBurgers” (which are served on buttered buns) really remind me of In-N-Out’s burgers (again, sadly, without the animal style fixings). And their milkshakes are delicious too. But even more than that – Culver’s is a really friendly place that takes hospitality seriously, just like In-N-Out. I think you’ll feel right at home there.
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Where you’ll find them: 15 states, mostly east of In-N-Out’s West Coast empire 🙂
What makes them special: Whataburger’s burgers are always cited by Texans as a good alternative to In-N-Out, and with good reason! Their bacon and cheese Whataburger is a classic, and I love their avocado bacon burger for the combination of flavors…and the Texas Toast bun.
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Where you’ll find them: The Habit has skipped most of Culver’s territory in middle America and has lots of locations on both coasts.
What makes them special: Great charburgers (get the Santa Barbara char if you want lots of avocado), lots of vegetarian options, and their fries are a lot like In-N-Out’s. (Small, crispy, great for dipping.)
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Where you’ll find them: Indiana and Illinois only. (At least for now.)
What makes them special: Great, thick burgers, fantastic old-fashioned milkshakes…and you have to try their “Texas Nachos” – fries smothered in melted cheddar cheese, scallions, jalapenos, olives, and sour cream. (And if not those, just get the cheddar cheese fries or the chili cheddar cheese fries.) It’s like a whole new kind of animal style!
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Where you’ll find them: Red Robin is in 44 states, including Alaska! (But not including Hawaii, North Dakota, or Vermont.)
What makes them special: Great big burgers with tons of toppings and options. You can’t quite make things animal style, but you can do just about anything else – fried jalapenos, crispy onion straws, pineapple, you name it. I always get the Whiskey River BBQ burger, personally.
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Where you’ll find them: Scattered throughout the United States, with big enclaves in the Mid-Atlantic, California, Florida, and Texas.
What makes them special: Despite not having burger in the name (really, how dare they), Shake Shack does a great burger! Also their crinkle-cut fries are my favorite crinkle fries. And naturally – their shakes are great too.
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So there you have it – seven burger chains that should be a good haven for anyone missing In-N-Out now that they’ve moved away from the West Coast!
It all comes down to great food, awesome milkshakes, and amazing hospitality.
And fortunately – although In-N-Out perhaps does it best – they aren’t the only ones who do it well.
With that in mind…
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Who have I missed that should be on the list?
I’d love to know who I should add when I update the article.
Let us know in the comments!
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