Yelp's Best Burger Chain In America Can Be Found In 8 US States

We Americans have an undying love for a good all-American cheeseburger. So, it's no wonder the nation is replete with burger joints, from small-town mom-and-pop restaurants to the big, global fast food chains. With so many burger brands dotting the U.S., it may be surprising to learn that one of the most popular has a rather puny presence in terms of restaurant locations.

Yelp steers users toward the best new restaurants and the most popular eating spots. In its ranking of the best burger chains in the United States, the platform crowned West Coast mainstay In-N-Out Burger as the top spot in all the land. But, interestingly, In-N-Out doesn't have a nationwide presence — far from it. The restaurant only has locations in eight U.S. states as of August 2025: its home state of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and Texas. Scattered across those states, In-N-Out has just over 400 locations in all, as of August 2025. To put that into perspective, McDonald's operates over 13,000 U.S. locations as of 2025.

Despite its rather scant availability, In-N-Out Burger has established a legendary status among burger chains. Foodie celebs like Julia Child and Alton Brown have publicly hailed the restaurant as a personal favorite. In beating out the rest of the competition in Yelp's ranking, In-N-Out received over 100,000 user reviews praising the quick-bite spot, showing just how much Americans love their In-N-Out.

So, why does In-N-Out have such a minimal presence? The brand's popularity clearly indicates big growth potential. But company president Lynsi Snyder has stated many times, on the record, that the West Coast-born chain will likely not head further east than Tennessee as long as she's in charge. Her focus is not on massive growth but on maintaining quality, as well as keeping the company true to the values her grandparents founded it on.

A key reason In-N-Out has geographically kept close to its home turf and restricted expansion is the company's pledge to never use microwaves or freezers. This requires keeping all restaurants within a 500-mile radius of a company distribution center, ensuring ingredients can be delivered fresh without the need to freeze. Limiting the number of restaurants also ensures the distribution centers can efficiently accommodate each location in their service vicinity.

Initially, the company's distribution facilities only existed in California. As of August 2025, In-N-Out distribution centers have also been placed in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas. While adding distribution sites would, of course, be possible and facilitate expansion to the East Coast, it's not in Snyder's plans for her family-founded company.

Keeping things small does lend a sense of exclusivity and intrigue to the In-N-Out brand, which Snyder has acknowledged. The minimality of locations hasn't deterred diehard fans from getting their In-N-Out fix regardless of distance. In social media groups for In-N-Out enthusiasts, customers brag about how far they've traveled to get a Double-Double or other In-N-Out fare, with some saying they've gone as far as 3,000 miles to satisfy that craving.