Why You'll Never See A Freezer Or Microwave At An In-N-Out Location

In-N-Out is known for its secret menus and elaborate hacks, which means you can indeed order a grilled cheese even though it's not on In-N-Out's menu. (Sadly, there's no secret breakfast burrito.) People like to dunk on the hyped fast food chain, but In-N-Out really does get some things right. To the delight and surprise of this writer, In-N-Out doesn't have freezers or microwaves in their restaurants — a clear dig at McDonald's and a kind of "put your money where your mouth is" ante up at Wendy's (who does the "fresh never frozen" thing).

In a 2024 post on Instagram, In-N-Out touted its own fresh ingredients. Its tomatoes are juicy, its cheese is real cheese, its fries are hand chopped and skinned at each location, and it uses fresh, all real beef with no additives or fillers. While In-N-Out is very much a fast food establishment, there's something quaint about a fast food chain committed to the idea that, just because it's cheap and fast, doesn't mean it needs to be fake and frozen. As a way to stand out, In-N-Out is committed to the idea that "old fashioned" methods are best. You won't find a freezer or microwave at In-N-Out because none of what it makes requires it.

Part of what makes In-N-Out so alluring (and so popular) is that the food quality is spectacular (for fast food, anyway). And while freshness matters, it also pays its employees well compared to competitors. It even provides benefits to its employees. Because it's a privately held company, you kind of have to take its word on how it sources produce, but the reviews speak for themselves.

In fact, one of the reasons why In-N-Out is known for not expanding is that it refuses to open up locations that are too far from its warehouses, where its fresh produce is stored. Expanding for In-N-Out isn't just about opening up franchises or rapidly buying buildings, it requires finding viable markets which are close enough to existing warehouses such that the food will maintain its freshness on delivery. It doesn't exactly hurt the brand if there's an air of exclusivity, either. However, the new president, Lynsi Snyder has launched a new, aggressive (for In-N-Out) expansion plan. We'll see if it can maintain quality at its new locations which are speculated to crop up in Tennessee, New Mexico, and Washington, but surely folks will be happy to see their state finally get an In-N-Out.