The New Dallas In-N-Out Is, For the Moment Anyway, Positively Serene

By Joe Tone Thu., Jun. 23 2011 at 10:02 AM

All photos by Alex Scott

The scene of chaos, madness at In-N-Out Dallas this morning

About 20 minutes ago, on my way into Observer HQ, I swung past the new In-N-Out Burger, which opened at 9 a.m. today at Caruth Haven and Central. I was expecting to see tents, miles of idling cars, lines of people snaking around the building, weird ladies crying into their burgers -- the whole deal.

But, no: It was downright quiet. There were seven or eight cars in the drive-thru line, one guy at the counter ordering and three or four tables of people eating.

"Not as busy as you expected," I said to one young associate, who looked really excited about his new paper hat.

He assured me that this is what they were planning for, even though there was an army of employees spread across the grounds with nothing to do. It will get crazy at lunch, he promised.

Still, you can tell people were caught off guard. One lady cruised up in her SUV, rolled down her window and looked stunned. "It's quiet," she told the gaggle of bored staffers.

I thought maybe she was going to cry, not because she's unusually attached to the Double-Double but because instead of sitting in a drive-thru line for three hours before grabbing a burger for lunch, she's going to show up at the office at 10:15 and have to explain that she's already downed a burger and shake for breakfast.

Anyway, it'll probably be mass chaos later. But for now, this:

All photos by Alex Scott

Tags:

in-n-out, in-n-out burger

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3rd Wheel Marketing

IN and OUT burgers are methadone. Angry Dog Burgers are heroin.

NonDiabetic NonObese Urbanite

They're fatter in the suburbs.

The_Anus_is_on_You

with doo doo animal style

fitzgerald

A hamburger is a hamburger is a hamburger is a hamburger..........you know what I mean. For the usual chain stuff, it is all the same. Eating some of the best ones that have been around many years is the best way to go. Now pass me the mustard.

gave it a try

Burger was pretty good. Fries - terrible. Milk Shake - tasted like Jack n Box. Try it for yourself except for the fries - do not experiment the fries.

Chris Danger

As long as the staff doesnt make people line-up in a parking lot to eat, I may swing by at lunch..

Martingermany

It's not really that difficult to figure why.One, this isn't the very first In-N-Out within 2 states distance like Allen or Frisco were.Second, it wasn't publicized for weeks in advance that it would open today.And third, people assumed there would be a huge crowd clogging 75 and so stayed away?

trannyntraining

there clogging it up as we speak!

Rkel180

can't we all just get along?

Montemalone

doubtful

BelaArt

So there you go! We want actual, healthy, food these days. And as far as a burger; I can grill one up 10x better, and better for U! Sorry burger places:(

GusMitchem

Are you stealing that old Eddie Murphy bit about McDonalds? sure sonds like it to me

trannyntraining

it's busy there now...so I guess you're wrong : (

G_David

"Busy" doesn't begin to describe the "Holy shit I've gotta wait 4 hours for an average fast-food burger or I'll just fucking DIE" hysteria they had up in southern Oklahoma a few weeks ago. So I guess he's right.

Hot Cougar

i love dallashttp://ethicalfutures.wordpres...

twinwillow

I knew this was going to be the case after the much publicized madness in Allen and Frisco.Personally, I think now that everyone knows it's not a "zoo" at Caruth, business there will build quick enough. Whether or not it builds to the level as seen in Allen and Frisco remains to be seen.

Justin Julian

Anyone who lived in Frisco or Plano knows why: Collin County is full of California ex-pats. We always joked that Plano is the halfway house for CA folk moving to Texas. Hell, -we- came to Texas from CA and moved to Plano at first. (We aren't FROM there, though.) This explains the furor in Frisco, and relatively less furor in Dallas.

White_Rock_Tex

I blame the heat and so should you. Yeah you.

trannyntraining

It's just all them yankee carpetbaggers up in them thar burbs!

Henry

I think a big factor is the amount of Western transplants in Collin County. 3-4 years ago 1 out of every 10 cars seemed to have a California or Arizona license plate.

Miss Macy

I'm a southern California transplant. I didn't eat at In-N-Out in Los Angeles and won't eat at In-N-Out here in Texas. Personally, I think Five Guys and Burger Island are much, much better!

Scruffygeist

Because nobody from Dallas proper made the trek to the burbs and contributed to the chaos? I know the potholes are bad, but it doesn't keep you from leaving city limits...

Enrique De La Fuente

More than likely it was people from Garland, Arlington, and Mesquite.

trannyntraining

Let my fellow Dallasites have a moment to stick their noses in the air. Or maybe all these fast food joints in the city are supported solely by suburbanites? I dunno...

Peepaw

Your photography makes the food look better than it really is!

Cardhuneat

proof that are neighbors to the north are a bunch of nuts...this is an overrated burger afterall...I expect longer lines at the Whataburger on Greenville long-term.

Mlo51987

That's because Whataburger is slow as hell, there's always a long line.

Bellyupdallas

Meanwhile......They are still lining up in Frisco

Lis

I'm kinda proud of Dallas for keeping its shit together while the suburbs lost they minds

Asdfa

the dallasites all went to the suburbs. the suburbs dont have THAT many people

trannyntraining

How proud are ya about now? Looks to be a bit backed up.

Rooster

Yeah, because, you know, there certainly weren't any Dallasites that drove to Allen to wait 3 hours for a fast food hamburger two months ago. That would never happen...