Whatabutger vs In-N-Out: A Texas Sized Cheeseburger Shootout

Whataburger vs In-N-Out: A Texas Sized Cheeseburger Shootout 

  
Guest of Honor: Colleen

Targets: Double Cheeseburger, Fries and Soda from Whataburger and In-N-Out

This year I turned thirty years old. To celebrate this milestone my Wife Colleen decided to pack me up and take a trip to Texas. We would be stopping at some great BBQ and Tex-Mex places, exploring Austin and San Antonio, and trying to settle a regional fast food cheeseburger rivalry. 

I have never done a head to head comparison on this blog. But I thought the opportunity to try both Whataburger and In-n-Out was too good to pass up. I had never eaten at either of these establishments, I have no nostalgia or regional pride on the line. I was in it just for the burgers.

That being said this was a limited sample size. The only way to compare these burgers are to stick to things on both menus. Whataburger lost a lot of options off its huge (and awesome) menu, In-n-Out lost its secret ‘Animal Style’. I did try these anyways but they won’t contribute to the burger review.

Burgers:

Whataburger- Double Meat Whataburger with cheese 

  
In-N-Out- Double Double 
  
I ordered both no tomato no onion, they were allowed lettuce and a condiment.

The Whataburger offering came with mustard, and it was a darn good fast food burger. It was the larger, or more Texas sized of the two, which is something I guess. (It was around the diameter of a Whopper.) The double cheeseburger portion was both filling and satisfying.

I enjoyed the beef, and maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me but I thought I caught a glimpse of a pink fleck or two in the center. My oh my. The lettuce was chopped and sufficiently crisp. The mustard tasted like French’s yellow. The American cheese was nicely melted and lent some much needed moisture to the ensemble. The bun tried to stay out of the way like a good roommate on Date Night. All and all a good burger. I would get it again.

  
In-n-Out really brought the noise. The Double Double is immeasurably better than their single patty option. (Which I also ate to try ‘Animal Style’, see the bottom for a pic.) If you aren’t sure you can finish the Double, order it and eat half. Don’t do the single.

This burger was a little messy. Once again I thought I caught a glimpse of pink in a fast food burger. What a time to be alive. The patties are a step or two on the greasy side, enough that the burger is juicy throughout. Consequently the American cheese isn’t melted, it’s oozing. And they aren’t shy about slapping cheese on this thing. The lettuce is fresh and chopped, and the special sauce adds a little tang to the party.

  
Advantage- In-N-Out

Sides: Fries

Whataburger- Standard fast food fries, mine were a little limp at times. They serve spicy ketchup which was very good and I was way too excited about the option to not try it.

  
In-N-Out- These were the worst fries I have ever been served. Room temperature, and a physics defying combination of limp and stale. I know you can use the secret menu to gussy them up a little, but these needed more than a teen rom-com makeover. These fries were barely food.

  
Advantage- Whataburger

Drink: Medium Coke

Whataburger- I laughed at the size of my medium drink. Liter of Cola jokes ran through my head. The medium didn’t fit in my rental car cup holder. I drank this waiting for Mayor Bloomburg to run up behind me and slap the thing out of my hand. The styrofoam nature of the cup is an ecological abomination. Using this to drink soda undid the past three years of me recycling. Tasted like Coke

  
Not done, I think the large comes with shoulder straps.

Ok I’m done.

In-N-Out- A medium coke in a normal paper fast food cup. Tasted like Coke

  
Advantage- In-N-Out 

I know everything is bigger in Texas, but that’s not always better.

Price: Both of these places were cheap. (In-N-Out was a little cheaper but its a store by store thing) I’ll call it a wash. 

Advantage- None

Verdict: In-N-Out wins

  
In-N-Out had by far the better burger. It wasn’t very close, and I weighted the burger the most. Whataburger stacks up well against almost any other fast food joint, but In-N-Out is brushing into fast casual territory with the Double Double.

I’m putting the Double Double on my Burger Bucket list.

That being said, give Whataburger a shot sometime, I thought their chicken nuggets were some of the best fast food chicken I’ve had in awhile.

And don’t get the fries at In-N-Out. Get a shake. Get another Double Double. Stub your toe. Anything but those fries.

Feel free to agree, disagree, educate or hate in the comments.
   
 

 
   

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