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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Attacker's no-show at sentencing leaves victim without closure ... Dispose of unwanted drugs Saturday at Take-Back event ... Man involved in car-wash crash linked to Walmart restroom robbery ... Attacker's no-show at sentencing leaves victim without closure ... Dispose of unwanted drugs Saturday at Take-Back event ... Man involved in car-wash crash linked to Walmart restroom robbery ... DINING In-N-Out Burger worth the wait in every sense Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Local fans of In-N-Out Burger restaurants — myself among them — have already braved the long lines and learned to expect bona fide Double-Doubles right here at home. Our stories of overnight campers and jubilant grand-opening attendees were written for those fans in mind, but anything that has such a rabid fan base — be it hamburgers or a certain brand of smartphone — fosters backlashes, not to mention the apathetic wondering of "What's the big deal?" Rather than preach to a hamburger choir, it's more prudent to shed my insights on In-N-Out fandom to the uninitiated. Six months after news broke that the restaurant chain was building a store in Medford, there's still an element of surprise that surrounds the arrival of the chain's first Oregon store. Not long ago, writing about a Medford In-N-Out Burger would have seemed implausible. Common knowledge said the company-owned chain didn't go north of the California border, and any rumors of plans to the contrary were preposterous. For those unfamiliar with the chain, I like to describe it as "fast food before they learned how to cut corners." The best example I can give is that "Colonel" Harlan Sanders was famously disappointed about changes Kentucky Fried Chicken made after he sold the business, such as that chain's switch to reconstituted potatoes and gravy. The business even sued Sanders for libel in the 1970s because of it, which I think about every time I'm handed a packet of "Buttery Spread" or "Honey Sauce" made from high fructose corn syrup. It's hard to know if the saga of KFC was taken to heart by In-N-Out executives, but I personally admire how adamantly they steer clear of a very slippery slope. It's been said the restaurant doesn't even have freezers. The naysayers note that local restaurants make hamburgers too, but In-N-Out Burger and our local stands are separate in my mind. My very first Tempo dining review was a roundup of locally made burgers at Yellow Basket, Barney's Burgers and Jasper's. I still have burger eyes for those local standbys, as well as new favorites I'll soon round up, and I'll continue supporting them because they make tasty burgers. But it's the franchise chains that I peg to be most likely affected by this benevolent 800-pound gorilla, with their cheerful, better-paid staff and deep commitment to quality. Each store is privately owned by the company and carefully managed. The difference in price between a Big Mac meal ($6.10) and a Double Double with always-fresh fries and a Coke ($6.80) is pocket change at the register, and monumental at the dining table. The menu is deceptively simple. Newcomers can have a great visit choosing between a hamburger, cheeseburger or Double Double, but there's more available than what's written above the register. For vegetarians, there's the "grilled cheese," which omits the fresh, never-frozen beef patty; for the hungry there's the 3-by-3 and 4-by-4 (you can actually go up to 10 patties and 10 slices of cheese, but even my appetite has limits); the carb-conscious can ask for "Protein Style," which trades the bun for lettuce; and the fast-food avant garde can ask for "Animal Style," which grills the patties in mustard and adds grilled onions, pickles and extra "spread" — In-N-Out-speak for a special burger sauce similar to Thousand Island dressing. Cashiers are ready and willing to cater to a customer's whims ... provided the ingredients are on site. As great as its fresh burgers on grilled buns are, it's the impossibly fresh fries that make me feel like I'm eating something special. They start as potatoes hand peeled in the store until they're sliced just before going in the fryer. The secret menu extends to fries, as well. You can make them cheese fries, add grilled onions, make them "Extra Crispy" if you'd rather they spend some extra time in the fryer, or make them "Animal Fries," which are topped with cheese, grilled onion and "spread." For those who can't wait, the wait is over. For those who don't have the patience for an hour at the drive-thru or lining up on the sidewalk during the opening frenzy, you may have to wait a bit for the lines to die down. It will still be worth the wait. — Nick Morgan MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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