In-N-Out in Mountain View, CA

Who doesn't love an In-N-Out burger? Well, besides vegetarians/vegans/etc. who don't eat meat? They're slim and scrumptious and dressed up just the way you like them. In fact, the employees at In-N-Out are so willing to please the customer that a whole cult "secret menu" has developed around the "off-menu" ways of having a burger prepared. Example:

Double Meat: two beef patties instead of one

3x3: three beef patties and three slices of cheese

Protein Style: wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of on a bun

Animal Style: grilled onions, and everything else scraped up from the grill

and for the vegetarians,

Grilled Cheese: everything on a bun without the meat

Let me tell you that the burgers are good if you like them thin and salty. The fries are not up to snuff, however. They're smallish and usually greasier than necessary. Salting is a must, as they are not well seasoned. The shakes are decent - thick and frosty - but stick with vanilla. The chocolate flavor isn't as good.

Ambiance is what you'd expect: Fast-food style order, wait, and sit. The one difference is the staff. In-N-Out hires young kids to run the stores, and they are always extremely polite and friendly. Another plus is that In-N-Outs are definitely cleaner than their counterparts.

Unfortunately, the only In-N-Outs are located in California, Nevada and Arizona, so you have to haul to the West Coast to find some.