Why Chef Andrew Zimmern Thinks In-N-Out Chain Is So Overrated

Many celebrity chefs have spoken about their love of In-N-Out Burger. The West Coast fast food chain was Anthony Bourdain's favorite Los Angeles restaurant, for instance, and a Double-Double animal style burger is part of what Gordon Ramsay would eat for his ideal last meal. But Andrew Zimmern has a very different take. The chef, who rose to fame with his "Bizarre Foods" Travel Channel show, believes that In-N-Out doesn't deserve all the hype. 

Zimmern spoke about his controversy-sparking opinion on the talk show "Hot Ones" (via YouTube), calling In-N-Out "the most overrated" fast food burger. He lambasted the chain's burgers as "flavorless" and suggested the "Not So Secret" menu variations like the popular "animal style" were created to make them taste better. Animal style burgers are griddled with mustard and topped with pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread (which is similar to Thousand Island dressing) along with the usual lettuce and tomato. Zimmern had nothing good to say about the french fries either, also calling them flavorless, and smacking them down as "easily the worst fries in the business."

Despite how he feels now, Zimmern didn't always have such a negative opinion of In-N-Out. He had high public praise for the burgers on social media back in 2012, although he blasted the fries even then. But he had a change of heart a couple of years later, tweeting in 2014: "After years of chewing on it, I think In-N-Out is overrated."

Andrew Zimmern spoke glowingly in the "Hot Ones" interview about a burger he really likes, from the popular Midwest chain Culver's, which he rated along with Shack Shake as his two fast food burger favorites. The former, a chain that first opened in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin and now has 1,000 locations in 26 states, also came in first in our ranking of fast food burgers, according to Reddit.

Culver's signature ButterBurgers are smashburger-style patties on buns that are brushed with melted butter and lightly toasted. They come with customizable "The Works" toppings of pickles, ketchup, mustard, and raw onion, and other options that include bacon, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, and grilled onions. Zimmern applauded that the burgers are made from fresh meat that hasn't been frozen, and said they actually taste like beef. Culver's serves crinkle cut fries, which you can get with cheddar cheese sauce – and even though crinkle cut isn't his favorite type of fry, Zimmern said he likes these just because they taste good.

There are a couple of other fast food burger chains that the celebrity chef has given props to in the past in addition to Culver's and Shake Shack. He's singled out Smashburger approvingly not only for its namesake Smashburgers, but also for its sweet potato fries and salad. Zimmern has also raved about the juicy burgers at Five Guys, which he likes plain with just ketchup, and the chain's salty fries.