I'm hear today to beg: Please. For the love of God and your taste buds. Don't.
Visitors to Southern California might not know this, but there is a much, much better place around here to get a fast-food hamburger. Its food is fresher, tastes better, is better for you... and just feels better in your stomach, not giving you that "food hangover" that fast food often delivers after the meal.
C'mon, Californians, you know where I'm talking about.
In-N-Out.
Here's the deal: This is a hamburger joint. They only do hamburgers. No chicken nuggets, fish sandwiches, tacos or breakfasts. All they have are one size of patty, one size of bun, fries, lettuce, American cheese, tomatoes, onions (grilled or raw), Thousand Island-style spread, ketchup, mustard, pickles. (I've heard that they have peppers, too, but I've not ordered them.) The meat in the patties is fresh, the buns toasted and the fries are cut from whole potatoes and fried in vegetable oil on the spot.
The menu includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, the "Double Double" (two patties and two slices of cheese on one bun), fries and drinks. The burgers come with lettuce, tomato and the Thousand Island spread. But they will make you *anything* for which they have the ingredients.
Cheese fries? Sure. Grilled cheese? (Just cheese on the bun.) No problem. A "protein-style" three-patty burger, wrapped in lettuce and without a bun? Okay. You can substitute ketchup and mustard for the spread, if you want. Or add pickles. The king of the secret orders is to get a Double-Double "animal style," cooked in mustard with added pickles. Some folks swear by "animal style" cheese fries, too. For about a year, all my daughter would eat at In-N-Out was a tomato sandwich - tomatoes on a bun. They made 'em for us.
Here is the restaurant's official 'secret' menu, as well as a more extensive unofficial secret menu with photos.
So, in an effort to improve your fast-food lunch experience, here are detailed driving directions to the nearest In-N-Out from each of Southern California's theme parks. You need never eat a lousy McDonald's hamburger again.
(In each case, if you will be coming back to the park, make sure you hold onto your parking pass, so that you can re-enter the park's parking lot without having to pay again.)
Drive two miles west on Ball Road, then turn right (north) on Brookhurst St. The In-N-Out is at 600 S Brookhurst St., in Anaheim.
Return by the same route.
Turn left (right if you are in the La Palma lot) and drive west on La Palma 1.5 miles to Valley View St., where you will turn right (north). The In-N-Out is a few feet ahead on your right, at 7926 Valley View St., in Buena Park.
Return on La Palma, staying on La Palma past Western and turning right on Beach Blvd., then bearing to the right on Grand Ave. to re-enter Knott's.
To return to Magic Mountain, turn right (south) out of the lot back onto Bouquet Canyon. Then turn right (west) on Magic Mountain Parkway and follow it all the way back to the park.
To return to USH, make a right (west) back on to Cahuenga and drive to Lankershim Blvd. Turn right (the only way you can go) on Lankershim and pass under the 101. The main entrance into Universal City will be a right turn at the first light.
From Armada, turn right (west) onto Palomar Airport Road and drive back toward Interstate 5. Go over I-5, making the first right after the highway, onto Avenida Encinas. The In-N-Out is about a quarter mile ahead, on the right, at 5950 Avenida Encinas, in Carlsbad.
To return to Legoland, go left on Avenida Encinas, heading back toward Palomar Airport Road. Turn left on Palomar, then stay in the left lane to enter the I-5. Head north on I-5, taking the very next exit, Cannon Rd. Drive north on Cannon back to Legoland Drive.
To return to SeaWorld, turn right out of the parking lot onto Sports Arena Blvd., heading west. Stay in the right lane, and when the road forks, bear right to continue north on Sports Arena Blvd. Continue north, under Interstate-8, as Sports Arena Blvd. becomes W Mission Bay Drive. Stay on Mission Bay north, over the canal and past SeaWorld Drive. Move to the left and follow the signs onto Ingraham Drive. At the first intersection, you'll turn right onto Perez Cove Way. Follow Perez Cove, past the employee entrances, around back to the SeaWorld entrance.
Your favorite?
In the comments, talk about In-N-Out, or share tips about other favorite places to eat around SoCal theme parks.
FYI, it's next door to the old Movieland Wax Museum, across the street from Medieval Times and on the same road as Knotts Berry Farm.
Question...do you know a suit at In-N-Out or something? I mean, recommending the restaurant is one thing, but giving detailed directions to the closest In-N-Out stop at every SoCal park? hmmm..
We were going to stop this past August but I ended up being a witness to a horrible car accident leaving Sea World San Diego and the man died. Lost my appetite after that and never got the chance to go :(
As for restaurants up at CityWalk Robert, I've been a fan of Camacho's and The Daily Grill.
But I have to admit, I'm not a fan of fast food anymore. I've become more interested in sit down places (not necessarily full service).
So in the interest of best food near So Cal Theme Parks, I'll concentrate on San Diego and its neighboring communities.
If you're by Sea World, and are craving Ribs, both pork and beef, check out Phil's BBQ @ 3750 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego, CA 92110. Delicious no matter what you get, along with great service. Order from the counter, find a seat, and pick up your food when you get called by the hand held buzzer. Not necessarily cheap as food ranges anywhere from $8 to $16 for a full meal with drink, the place also sells beer. The BBQ Sauce is the best, and tv's are always showing some sort of sport. Again, service is the best!
One warning though, the place gets BUSY. So avoid all lunch and dinner rushes. Treat it like an attraction (either go at open, or near close) and you'll be fine.
Again, if you're by Sea World San Diego, there is a wonderful burger place called Tioli's Crazee Burger in North Park, San Diego. 4201 30th St. It's a little hole in the wall featured on Food Network's Diners Drive-ins, & Dives that features the best burgers in San Diego, all made fresh... and ground fresh even! NO FREEZERS. Wine, beer, and soda are served here, along with a variety of burgers ranging from plain ground beef, to a mix of lamb and beef, to Buffalo burgers, to Ostrich, and Veggie Burgers. I highly recommend the Lamb & Beef burger, called the Santorini!
This place gets super busy too, and it's a small place.
Near Legoland, you can find a pretty good fast food restaurant called Angelo's (pronounced Anne-hello's) Burgers in Encinitas or Oceanside all on Highway 101. They're a mix of burgers and mexican food. The color scheme and logos are laughably similar to In-N-Out's scheme, but it's a good place to eat if you're willing to give it a chance. A little rough on the edges, the food is good, but the atmosphere is lacking.
And also near Legoland is Pizza Port, almost a Chuck E Cheeze's for adults, but with actually delicious pizza. Ok, so that's probably a bad analogy, but it's a pizza place that serves a wide variety of Pizza, as well as their own brewed beers. Carlsbad Chronic is one of their best, an amber ale. Find this place at 571 Carlsbad Village Drive. There are actually three different Pizza Ports, one in Solana Beach, one in San Clemente, and the Carlsbad branch... each one with their own specialty brews. The different pizzas are always delicious! Pizza Carlsbad is one of the most unique and tastiest!
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Thanks!