zagats best of fast food. no.1 hamburger is... in and out

Its funny, when I lived out in Arizona, we had In and Out Burgers available there. To me, they were average at best. I always found the burgers to be very plain tasting. I appreciated their practices of fresh meat, hand cut fries, etc, but never really "got" what all the hype was about.

I loved reading the out-takes from the surveys.

You are right, Carla. The outtakes are hilarious.

[Robin Garr]

I lived in California when I was younger and still get out there from time to time. I'm inclined to agree that In-and-Out is above average for fast food but really nothing to write home about.

Let's be real, though: Zagat is nothing but a popularity contest, akin to Louisville Magazine's (or, to be fair, LEO's) "Best of Louisville" awards. When we lived in NYC, few of our foodie friends paid much attention to Zagat. It was thought to reflect the opinion of "bridge and tunnel people" (suburbanites), regurgitating back favorable reports about all the places that had been hot last year or a couple of years back.

Robin, must you use "regurgitating" when talking about restaurant reviews?

Zagat or no Zagat - I'm out in CA this week and getting In-N-Out is always a must. Double Double Animal Style, no spread. A great fresh tasting burger that I really like and I can't get at home...