In-N-Out Burger
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
31 reviews
San Rafael, CA
"I feel I need to give this place an upgrade. Often times now, the bf & I begin a day of wine tasting by first filling our bellies with a…" read more »
53 Reviews for In-N-Out Burger
Decent fast-food burgers and fries, sub-par strawberry shakes. Better than McDonald's, all around, but Foster's Freeze has better shakes.
16yr old girl: Oh Em Gee!!
Inner Voice: Good lord...she spelled it out
Girl: I am SO getting a shake!
Inner Voice: I am SO gonna, like, hurl!
Employee: So...a shake? What kind?
Girl: Um...chocolate?
Inner Voice: Why are you asking the worker? DON'T YOU KNOW!!!
Employee: Chocolate shake...o.k.
Girl: And a cheeseburger...NO fries. You know, carbs? Tee hee!
Inner Voice: I'm so glad this girl is the future of our country.
Outer Voice: Oh Em Gee! #1 Animal Style, please. I'm a fat ass. Tee hee!
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Holy burger loving crap! It's an In-N-Out death trap!
With it's ooh la la Mission style roof and ivy covered walls outside it's hard to tell this even is an In-N-Out - it's even kind of hard to pick it out from the freeway. But once you do finally figure out your way into this strip mall the real adventure begins!
Giant SUVs in every shade of SUV Black are filling every spot that tiny expensive sports cars are not and they're are jumping in and out of parking spaces all cranked up crazy. There is a trick traffic pattern that makes you think there is a drive-thru - there's not, so then you'll have to drive backwards through it all again. This all might make you cry a little bit by this point.
By the time you do find a spot - there might be better luck of this on the other side of the bay near the ferry building - and hike your ass back over here, you'll then see that there was absolutely no hurry to get in here - you won't be eating for at least an hour. This place is packed. Really packed. People are waiting in the fucking bathrooms for their orders. Everyone is in here. No, I mean EVERYONE is fucking in here:
Patchouli-stank hippies from the Headlands
Yachtateers buying 300 Double-Doubles animal style, but without the onions...
Contractors who are here for lunch and are in no hurry at all to rush back to work on that bitch's pool, because that bitch is in here too
Tourists taking pictures
Me in there taking pictures too (Hell yah! Fuck y'all. What's up! Woo woo!!)
Four high school soccer teams
A Harley club of people who really related to "Wild Hogs" and their painfully-stretched-face-skin-having women wearing True Religions and leather bras
Dudes being "ironic" by having their business lunch there
Some chicks in PETA shirts that were... on their lunch break? It's okay girl, I will not tell on you
People giggling: "Is there really a secret menu?" - oh my god!- - that is sooo cool-
Angry people who didn't even want a burger to begin with
And,
most importantly,
the excitedly drooling burger loving masses.
Is all of this smack-acting frenzy worth it?
Hells yes son, this is In-N-Out and it gets no better than this here (except with the desperately needed addition of a freaking drive-thru). These thangs are hella good, you'll just have to hustle like Frogger to get at any of it.
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The burgers here are great, and the "secret" menu has some great options. Aside from that, the fries are decent, the shakes are okay except for the weird aftertaste, and service could be a little faster. Also, just to be clear, some of the people here are reviewing In-n-Out in general, not the one in Mill Valley (I say this because the one in Mill Valley doesn't have a drive-thru).
Gee, I thought all people in Marin were skinny and ate sprouts and wheat germ. Imagine my covert delight to see that the cellulite doesn't grow far from the city. Every In-n-Out is packed like lycra spandex on Rosie O'Donnell, but this locale seems especially in need of an electronic cattle prod to move the livestock along to the drink dispenser.
I wasn't going to bother yelping this one except for one monumental occurrence....Jamie W. and I finally met Yelping legend Kristina R. face to face. She was one of the first to notice my reviews oh-so-long ago, and it was her initial encouragement that sparked me to become the Yelper I am today. We were all on our way to the Elite event at Guaymas and realized we needed deep-fried sustenance before waiting in line for food at Guaymas. Great minds think alike, don't ya know?
FOOD - 4 stars...oh please, a double-double is as dependable as a bribe from a Republican lobbyist
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...uhh...it's an In-n-Out
SERVICE - 4 stars...like grinning machines they are
TOTAL - 4 stars...plus big bonus points for meeting Kristina R.
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My friends are getting sick of me forcing them into visits to In-N-Out every time I come back to San Francisco. I can't help it, I dream about these cheeseburgers and as soon as the plane touches down at SFO, the craving gets intense!
However, it was looking really unlikely that I'd get anyone to join me at Fisherman's Wharf for some animal style action this trip and I was working on making peace with that, until. . .
UNTIL my mom arrived! It was raining massively as we made our way across the Golden Gate Bridge and when I mentioned In-N-Out she was game (my mom is awesome!) No matter that about an hour earlier I had eaten a massive plate of chilaquiles, along with plantains and guacamole, I pulled our rented car off the 101 and into the parking lot of this here In-N-Out to get lunch.
Oh, perfect cheeseburger and neopolitan shake, I've missed you so!
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I really don't want to admit that I eat here a couple of times a month, but sheesh--sometimes you just don't wanna part with half your retirement fund for lunch. In-N-Out Burger is good for that cheap-burger-and-fries fix. Sometimes you just gotta.
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I would normally rate In-N-Out Burger places 4 or 5 stars.. They are just great places... But I have to give this one a notch less...
Okay, so go through the drive through cause i didn't want to get out of the car.. What? No drive-thru? Bummer, but no big deal.. Okay, so I'll have to get out of the car in the nippy Marin night...
What? Already already closed... Huh? It was a touch behind midnight? C'mon, you guys are open till at least 1:30am on Saturday night...
Hey, this is fast food... It's supposed to be convenient too... Only in Marin..
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I am totally a fan of In-N-Out burger and generally avoid fast food. This particular location can be a bit on the dirty side and its totally a pain to park here with a car bigger than a Prius. Its worth the visit however once or twice a month when you have the burger cravings. I prefer this location over the Fisherman's Wharf location. What is with all the biblical references at this place? Why does everyone seem so rushed when they order and get annoyed when at you when you take more than 11 seconds to contemplate what you want...
I don't love In-N-Out - so sue me. Jeff LOVES this place, and I put it in capital letters because it runs that deep. He always wants to eat here. I say no. What's the big deal? That they make their burgers fresh on the spot? That you can see them cut the potatoes? We came in here a week ago and the potatoes came out burnt. That's right, I said burnt. I couldn't even finish them. Too crispy and dried out. And what's with no drive-thru??
What I do like about the place is how clean they keep it. The workers are all very friendly and they even cut my burger in half when I ask them to.
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It feels a bit like the Twilight Zone when you visit this In and Out. No one in Marin seems to know any of the friendly staff that is behind the counter. It's like they were transplanted here from Outer Space!
A combo meal with a good burger for $5 is quite a fair deal. Too bad Mill Valley won't allow a drive-thru for the place. I'd actually argue that the traffic would flow better through here if they did allow a drive thru!
Plus those of us who don't want to be a part of the "high school scene" could roll through the drive thru incognito and get our burger without the local drama.
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The double double is a serious feat of how much grease can you pack between a bun. The fries are made from real potatoes on site. But who cares? Soggy fries are such a bummer. Prices can't be beat. The shakes are thick and yummy. The quality is far better than any other fast food place. I'd rather wait five minutes than have my burger in five seconds.
Beware: There is no drive thru at this location. Marinites had a fit about it. They didn't even want the restaurant in the first place as the smell of hamburgers would degrade Strawberry. Please, there's a frickin' McDonald's less than a quarter mile away (and with a drive thru). Which smells worse? In-N-Out or McDonald's?
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Surprise surprise, we vowed to only eat Asian food before our departure for Europe but how could we miss out on not trying In and Out so we did.....we had a protein hamburger and a regular cheeseburger. It was good and the beef pattie was crispy! :) We succumbed to the American Dream....we had a burger before we leave.... :)
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Im going to write this review for this place because I Fuckin love the double double but I said I am swearing off fast food for 3 months so see you in April.....
Thank you for righting the wrongs I committed Saturday night. Nothing soaks up the sin of too much booze and greasy white trash cuisine like a #1 protein style with grilled onions.
Unless of course it could possibly be the alternative of rest, water and chicken soup.
I prefer the In-N-Out method. Just like my booty calls.
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This is a great fast food place. It can very yum at 2am :) I like the burgers but the fries gets 1star :(. I'll be back.
This was my first (and only) In-N-Out experience. It was tasty, and I liked my cheeseburger, fries, and shake, but it wasn't a life-altering experience or anything. I guess I don't see what all they hype is about. I think it's on par with Culvers in the midwest.
Service was very fast and the restaurant was clean as a whistle, even at noon on a weekday
This is review 3 of 5. I think I've been to every In-n-out in the bay area (Pinole, Mill Valley, Oakland, Daly City and SF).
This is hands down my favorite In-n-out.
What can I say about In-n-out: Best fast food burger. Ever. I am a burger man and this is a high honor.
The meat is juicy and salty (mmm, that could be taken wrong) and all of their ingredients are fresh and not frozen.
You even see the guys cutting the potatoes. Now, you ever seen that at any other fast food joint?
I'm a double double man myself. I like their lemonade. Most places have soda (which I don't drink) but no non-carbonated options.
If you go I recommend asking them for cheese fries. It's a special order, but they'll do it.
Their shakes are freakin' awesome.
I can't help but think of an outspoken friend who would claim that if you found a partner that could suck down their thick shakes that you had found a winner (PG 13 version of that story).
Price-wise: $6 gets you a burger, drink and fries. That's a damn good deal.
This In-n-out is usually crowded. On weekends you'll get all the Muir woods tourists here.
This in-n-out has a private lot and parking is not a problem.
I used to live in nearby Larkspur and came here waaaaaay to much. In order to kick the habit I had to set a rule that I would only go there if I biked there (about 2 miles). This curbed the frequency of my visits.
The staff are very friendly here. Maybe it's a Marin thing.
This is one of the few In-n-outs that doesn't have a Krispy Kreme next to it. What's up with that? I want to wash down my burger with a donut!!!
In-N-Out rocks, of course, everyone knows that. Even I can get the "grilled cheese," which is the cheeseburger with everything but the burger. They even put on extra onions. And the fries are totally the best. I always stop here to grab something on the way to the Marin Headlands. And I know that all In-N-Outs are always crowded, because they are good, but this one is especially crowded. And the closed the drive through. Here's an idea - maybe they good put some picnic tables out under the eave where the drive though used to be? There is totally enough room and shade too. Might alleviate some congestion inside.
Oh, and I have to second what Prima D. said about the workers... they are polite, cleaned up and efficient. Every single In-N-Out I have ever been to is like this. What do they do to these kids? I've never seen any teenagers like this outside of an In-N-Out. Maybe they are animatronic or holographic? It's not right - it's like the Stepford Wives or something.
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We stopped here on the way to see Pat Benetar at the Marin County Fair last week.
Tha's right...I said Love-is-a-Battlefield-Pretty-Version-of-Joan-Jett PAT BENETAR.
And she looks hawt, even though she's wearing baggy clothes buttoned up to *here.* Not that I encourage ladies to be hoochie...I just miss the old school Pat McSkankington. She was so rebellious and freakin' RAD.
Holy crap. I'm having an eighties flashback. Grodie to the max.
Anyway, you can't really rate an In-N-Out on a regular restaurant scale...they'd be a zero star based on nutrition levels (or lack thereof) alone.
But on a fast food scale, they rate a solid FIVE FAT PACKING STARS. And even if you hate meat, you can get the meat-less version, which is basically a grilled onion burger...still quite tasty, too.
I admit, I love all their food...all secret menu "animal style" and junk. YUM. (http://www.in-n-out.co... Check it...secret menu, yo.)
And yes, I know I just wrote a review of a gym and my new personal trainer. STOP JUDGING ME, YOU BASTARDS!
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Better than McDonalds, but that's about it. I don't understand the love for In-N-Out other than the price. The fries aren't as good as most fast food places and there's usually a line so it's not even "fast" food. No drive through. Weak. It's only getting two stars instead of one becaue it's the only place we can get a meal for the kid for less than $5 within 2 miles of here.
i believe this is the only in-n-out i have ever entered where the smell of fruit overpowers the smell of melted cheese and fresh fries. it's hard for an in-n-out to do anything less than four stars unless you just love your heart too much and don't like fast food, but this one came close. there were a total of three employees working - granted, it was a wednesday night, but come on, this is in-n-out! it's guaranteed to be busy any day of the week! the ketchup pumps were empty and the trashes were overflowing, but the food was still delicious and exactly up to the standard of in-n-out's precedence. it's such that one can easily overlook an understaffed, fruity-smelling restaurant and concentrate simply on the caloric intake of two cheeseburgers and too many freedom fries.. sorry, french fries.
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I like the "In-n-Out," but I don't share the sometimes obsessive love of the place that some people I know hold dearly to themselves. Usually I save the jaunt to the, as ClockWork Orange says, "...the in out, in out," to road trips for when I see my folks in SoCal. They are lined up like dominoes on the 101. It's okay, and it's sustainable crap that you have to eat on the road. Although I prefer the Taco Bell quesadilla for those trips but sometimes I just lose out on the food vote with others in the car.
Burgers do taste good, but after eating at Barney's and Burgermeister, In-n-Out hoplessly needs to answer the "where's the beef?" question. Their onion wedge is congruent to the thickness of their patty; but at the end of the day and after one burger I realize that I could probably eat just one more. Secondly, much to the chagrin of the "In-N-Out" zealots that I know, I hate their frackin' fries. They suck. I'd much rather gnaw on an un-peeled pototato, which their fries kind of taste like anyway.
Thirdly, no I do not know the In-N-Out secret codes. I don't want to and I don't want to be in your frackin' club, fatso.
Why is it that no matter where you are, including f-ing Marin County, In-N-Out clientle are exactly the same? Good burger, but man, what idiots pile into this place.
I remember when they wanted to open this place and the locals voted: no sign, no drive through and it had to close at 11. Doubt you'll find another In N Out anywhere that follow those rules.
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I love In N Out burger. This one can get overrun at lunch by the HS kids.
As far as In N Out Brurger joints go, this one always cooks the fries a bit longer than the others making them too crispy. I still love it though, but the fries are my favorite thing at these places.
Wish it had a drive through!
I remember the day this specific In-N-Out opened; it was a beautiful spring day in either 1999 or 2000, and I stopped there with my carpool on the way home from a long day of high school. It was not my first In-N-Out burger, but it was the first time in my life when these masterpieces of fast food became readily available to me on a potentially daily basis.
Many of the reviews of this location take contention with the fact that there is no drive-through service, but I would much rather park my car, drink many refills of soda and people watch while waiting for my number two meal than sit in the car for a half hour.
Now that I live in the vast In-N-Out free wasteland otherwise known as the Pacific Northwest, I frequently lust over the proximity of this jewel of cuisine to my parents house, and whenever I go home to visit, I generally stop at In-N-Out within the first 12 hours, just to get my fix. Are burgers too much like smack? I don't care, they are delicious.
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This place is really an In-N-In...no drive through, so everyone's packed into the dining room like starving wildebeests in various states of emotional breakdown. I went here on a Friday night just after Daylight Savings. I made a very important discovery about myself: I really don't like people.
-Heather
HR Professional (really.)
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the in & out here is not as busy as the ones in contra costa or oaktown. it's always double double and fries for me.
i see the parking lot as small and easily packed. nevertheless, there's parking nearby.
always friendly service.
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By far my favorite fast food place ever! the burgers are so delicious, even though their fries are a little wimpy. But let's just say, that everytime i leave california, i start craving in-n-out
Don't get me wrong, I love In-N-Out just as much as the next Californian, but this one doesn't have a drive-thru, which I think it technically against In-N-Out historical policy.
It's not like I mind getting out of my car and standing in line with the majority of 14-17 year olds ordering 4x4's and animal style everything (which is gluttonously awesome once in a blue moon). But, sometimes I do. And sometimes I just want to eat in my car, while talking on my cell phone, while listening to the radio, while driving back to work in my 15 minute window before my next meeting. Sometimes it just happens.
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2 Stars for the burger, 5 Stars for the French Fries, 1 Star for the Milkshake, and 5+ Stars for how hard the employees work. Wow, those guys have it down.
I was there for lunch today.... pushy lunch crowd, everyone wants what they want NOW. I can't imagine looking forward to servicing a lunch crowd at a take out every day. The staff was very nice, fast, and focused.
Number 93 was called so many times I wanted to stand up and scream you stupid F**k come and get your food #93!!! Gee wiz!
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I don't know what it is about this particular In-N-Out Burger location, but there are so many hotties here. Three men and two women caught my eye in the 10 minutes that I waited for my double-double. Some flirty looks back and forth...it felt like a flirting orgy!
Too bad I ordered my burger to go... :-(
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Takes me back to my days in college in the O-C, bitch. I almost always stop here when I happen to be zooming up the 101 through Marin. I think this is the only In-n-Out without a drive thru, and this place is invariably busy. Still, it's pretty much the same In-N-Out experience you'd expect: tasty (but small) burgers, super fresh almost-too-potatoey fries, and Jesus cups. Still, each Double Double is a small bite of heaven. You could say In-N-Out isn't perfect, just very forgiven.
Oh
My
God
So I have been here a few times (never to eat, but with friends who do order) and the place is always a cluster of people. It's loud, packed, hot...*shudder* I really hate going in there because it's perma-busy (and I don't want to eat anything from there anyway) but my friends seem to really be into it.
NO DRIVE THRU? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS? Worst of all, it pretends to have a drive-thru by having a drive-thru window yet the entrance is blocked by an utterly confusing vertical white pole.
So I'm new to Marin County. And I've never seen a place here so packed in my 1-week Marin County life. I thought, "So THIS is where everyone is at--IN-N-OUT." A little disappointing.
Service was fine. The guy who was making fries was very concerned about getting the ready orders to line up perfectly amidst the hustle and bustle, it was rather amusing as I waited for my order.
I was a bit disappointed in the burger. I don't know if it's normally like this here, or if it was just a bad day, but there just wasn't enough stuff in it. Usually the burger's so packed that it looks too big for the paper wrapping! And this time I swear I could fit my hand in before taking a bite.
Unfortunately this is the only In-N-Out for miles so i guess I will just have to deal.
It's always a scene here, mobbed with stoned high school kids scarfing down order number 1, 2, 3 or 4.
I love the simplicity of In & Out, and there cheeseburgers are damn good.
I wish there was a drive through so I could skip the long lines filled with loud 9th graders screaming: "Ohmygod I'm hellllla drunk!"
Somehow, the In N Out Burgers in Northern CA don't seem to match Southern CA. Just a mite colder, the wait a lot longer, and the experience not quite what I'd hope for. Still, for a quick fresh burger at a cheap price, especially for a low-carb diner (ask for it "Protein Style), it's not a bad 2nd option.
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Really, why eat here? The food is NOT that good tasting, the ingredients are not healthy, the crowds are ridiculous.
You only wann'a spend $4 for lunch? Go down the street 160 feet & have a real homemade Burrito at Lucinda's that tastes good & won't clog your arteries..
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Nothing gets your palate ready for wine tasting like good old In-N-Out! Not as cheap as McDonalds: I paid $6.50 for a double double, fries, and chocolate shake; but they do pay their employees $10.50/hour to start so I guess it's good for my karma. Minus one star cuz it's always packed and therefore takes forever, minus another star cuz the fries suck, plus one star for all the cute Marin boys and other assorted eye candies!!! Pretty good shake!
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In N Out burgers are a godsend but what I really respect is that their employees are not assdragging. every single one of them is moving, working hard, aiming to please. I haven't seen customer service like this in ages, not even in high-end establishments. God bless these kids, I hope they carry these ethics with them throughout their lives
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