We were in Flagstaff earlier today and tried to go to Culver's but the line was as bad as the Quail Springs Chik-Fil-A and the parking lot design was even worse.

It sure smelled good, though.

I really hope they don’t expand to NE though. They are synonymously a western chain and it’s cool for them to stay like that. OKC qualifies as a western city or at least it being on the western divide so why not.

I write to In-N-Out often for them to come to OKC.

Do they ever answer back?

I suspect we need to do a better job of supporting what good hamburger places we got.

Do they ever answer back?

I suspect we need to do a better job of supporting what good hamburger places we got.
Haha they do but it’s the typical “thanks for your feedback and interesting in our chain” crap. I doubt a human ever reads it or at least anyone involved in where they actually place the restaurants.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is gorgeous as is a lot of that state.

CDA is nothing but expensive. I was entertaining a move somewhere to the west at one point but getting priced out of every desirable location. Sucks for me. Oklahoma would be nice if there were mountains and natural areas, BLM (that's Bureau of Land Management) areas, off road and primitive camping. As it stands it's off to Arkansas or Colorado as far as I can tell.

CDA is nothing but expensive. I was entertaining a move somewhere to the west at one point but getting priced out of every desirable location. Sucks for me. Oklahoma would be nice if there were mountains and natural areas, BLM (that's Bureau of Land Management) areas, off road and primitive camping. As it stands it's off to Arkansas or Colorado as far as I can tell.

Not that you would choose to live there, but have you been to Southeastern Oklahoma?

Not that you would choose to live there, but have you been to Southeastern Oklahoma?

I have not but I have heard it's nice. It's probably one of those things like "Why didn't I come here sooner" kind of things after I get a chance to visit.

PC, you’d be surprised about the number of outdoor recreational opportunities that exist in Oklahoma. I’ve been meaning to make a thread about it as I’ve really gotten into such interests over the last 2 years.

PC, you’d be surprised about the number of outdoor recreational opportunities that exist in Oklahoma. I’ve been meaning to make a thread about it as I’ve really gotten into such interests over the last 2 years.

I'm all ears Plutonic Panda. What kind of activities and where? tks.

I'm all ears Plutonic Panda. What kind of activities and where? tks.

I would also be very interested in such a thread?

I'm not a mountain biker, but I know Oklahoma has some pretty good riding and "The MId-South" gravel race, based out of District Bicycles in Stillwater, is nationally known and is one of the big events in that genre of cycling.

I remembered seeing a map comparing the range of their original distribution center to their new DFW distribution center. Found it again (thank you, Google image search). Based on that map, they could easily build not only in OKC, but even Tulsa and as far as St Louis (hypothetically).

16774

I suspect this distribution model might be old as they have stores in SW Oregon well beyond the 578 mile (or whatever it is/was) range; unless there's another distribution in N-Cal....

CDA is nothing but expensive. I was entertaining a move somewhere to the west at one point but getting priced out of every desirable location. Sucks for me. Oklahoma would be nice if there were mountains and natural areas, BLM (that's Bureau of Land Management) areas, off road and primitive camping. As it stands it's off to Arkansas or Colorado as far as I can tell.

doesn't Oklahoma have that in the SE? Give it a shot.

doesn't Oklahoma have that in the SE? Give it a shot.

I can’t find any BLM lands in Oklahoma.

I can't vouch for the camping as I don't camp, but the Wichita Mountains are great for hiking and only an hour and a half from Downtown. I just wouldn't go in the June - September timeframe as there isn't very much tree cover. I haven't been out to Eastern OK yet but want to try Robber's Cave State Park in the spring and Tallgrass Prairie Preserve at dusk in the summer. Black Mesa Preserve in the Panhandle also seems interesting but it's a solid six hour drive away. Oklahoma is honestly a very geologically diverse state, the issue is that OKC is in the most boring part of it so you have to drive a ways to find anything neat. Also, our state parks aren't very well maintained in my experience but hopefully that will start to change as they're charging for parking now in order to increase funding.

I can't vouch for the camping as I don't camp, but the Wichita Mountains are great for hiking and only an hour and a half from Downtown. I just wouldn't go in the June - September timeframe as there isn't very much tree cover. I haven't been out to Eastern OK yet but want to try Robber's Cave State Park in the spring and Tallgrass Prairie Preserve at dusk in the summer. Black Mesa Preserve in the Panhandle also seems interesting but it's a solid six hour drive away. Oklahoma is honestly a very geologically diverse state, the issue is that OKC is in the most boring part of it so you have to drive a ways to find anything neat. Also, our state parks aren't very well maintained in my experience but hopefully that will start to change as they're charging for parking now in order to increase funding.

Don’t forget Alabaster Caverns, and Little Sahara

Perfect opportunity Governor. Sell her on the benefits of life in Oklahoma and we might get some more burger joints.

In-N-Out Heiress Lynsi Snyder Selling $17M California Estate | PEOPLE.com
https://www.google.com/amp/s/people.com/home/reclusive-billionaire-in-n-out-heiress-lynsi-snyder-selling-17m-california-estate-see-inside/%3famp=true

I was recently in Dallas and made sure to stop by the location right off Central Expressway.

It was about noon on a Saturday and they weren't busy at all. I have never, ever seen an In-N-Out that slow anywhere in California at any time of day.

I know Texas is Whataburger country... I believe In-N-Out does pretty well in the DFW area but could understand concentrating on Cali versus doing more locations in this part of the country. They could build a hundred more on the West Coast and still be swamped.

Yeah I don’t get the infatuation with In-N-Out in Cali at all. Even the one in Kingman gets swamped but still isn’t as busy as the LA area ones. Still I’d love one in OKC and I think it would do well here. I still enjoy a good In-N-Out burger. I’ve been going to Whataburger less and less over the years.

I lived in Las Vegas for 4 years, visit LA a lot and visit Tucson and visit SF/Oakland a lot and In-N-Out is so just ok I don't get the infatuation with it.

Everytime I'm like its gonna be different this time and it never is. Not much flavor and the fries have even less flavor.

Its like the infatuation with chick fil a I don't get it

It's a California institution and the difficulty in getting it just adds to the desire.

Their fries are different because they are freshly cut and fried just once, rather than fried, frozen, then fried again like every other place.

IMO, it's the best burger for the money. Their prices are generally slightly less than McDonald's.


These burger places that have crazy followings in one area of the country don't seem to translate well to other regions: In-N-Out, Whataburger, Five Guys, etc.

It’s absolutely the best burger for the money. One of the things I feel good about in supporting In-N-Out is how they’ve kept their prices pretty low which shows other companies like Five Guys are straight up price gouging their customers.

^

And In-N-Out treats their employees very well and in turn, the customer service is generally fantastic for a fast food place.

Very similar to Chick-Fil-A in that respect, and both places are rewarded with mega-business.

Yeah I don’t get the infatuation with In-N-Out in Cali at all. Even the one in Kingman gets swamped but still isn’t as busy as the LA area ones. Still I’d love one in OKC and I think it would do well here. I still enjoy a good In-N-Out burger. I’ve been going to Whataburger less and less over the years.

Whataburger has become more hit and miss. It's still quite good overall but as it has grown, I've noticed it has become less dependably great.

I think In-N-Out kind of gets elevated out of its category sometimes by the people who champion it. The first time I had it, it was so oversold to me that I was like "well, it's okay". But, yeah, when it's rightfully positioned with McDonald's, etc. it makes sense why people love it. As a fast food drive in burger (which it obviously is) it's good and I always make a stop at one when I'm in a market that has one.

But, I do wonder if we had one here if I would actually reach for it first when craving a burger and time / time of day wasn't a factor. At 2AM, yeah, I'm going to In-N-Out over the usual options at that time. Otherwise, I think I'm going to S&B (original), McNellies, Tuckers, Sparks, Bar Arbolada, etc.

I agree on their fries, though. I don't think they salt them much. But they are fresh and "healthier" than most fast food fries, but that's not why you're in a fast food restaurant, is it? lol

^

And In-N-Out treats their employees very well and in turn, the customer service is generally fantastic for a fast food place.

Very similar to Chick-Fil-A in that respect, and both places are rewarded with mega-business.
My one major criticism about In-N-Out and I know this might be why they’re great and produce consistently good food(which is a huge plus for me it’s not amazing but rarely have I had a bad meal at In-N-Out and I eat there A LOT) is I wish they’d update their ordering methods. It’d be nice to order through 3rd party app like DoorDash or introduce mobile orders. You can only order two ways(drive thru or walk in) and the location in my neighborhood(Hollywood) you can usually bet it’s going to be at least a 20 minute ordeal.

I always preferred Fat Burger over in n out but they are super expensive now for some reason

Always like jack n the box but haven't had a burger from there in over a decade so I don't know if they have gone down hill but their egg rolls are still solid

Whataburger has become more hit and miss. It's still quite good overall but as it has grown, I've noticed it has become less dependably great.
Yeah I agree. The consistency is getting questionable and I was worried this would happen when they announced their major expansion. Whataburger should stay around OK/Texas part of the country, In-N-Out shouldn’t expand any further than OKC(personal bias), and Tulsa should get a White Castle but that’s as far west as they should go(except for Vegas and I had heard they were considered Hollywood but not sure). Some things should be kept local.

PS, I just discovered a burger place a few years called Cozy Inn Burgers in Salina, KS. Those things are amazing.

My one major criticism about In-N-Out and I know this might be why they’re great and produce consistently good food(which is a huge plus for me it’s not amazing but rarely have I had a bad meal at In-N-Out and I eat there A LOT) is I wish they’d update their ordering methods. It’d be nice to order through 3rd party app like DoorDash or introduce mobile orders. You can only order two ways(drive thru or walk in) and the location in my neighborhood(Hollywood) you can usually bet it’s going to be at least a 20 minute ordeal.

The Sunset one?

Everywhere in LA is 20 minutes. Even the Sunset In-N-Out.

I always preferred Fat Burger over in n out but they are super expensive now for some reason

Always like jack n the box but haven't had a burger from there in over a decade so they have gone down hill but their egg rolls are still solid
Fat Burger is good. They are expanding in Fort Worth. I think they’d do well here. A Fat Sals would be nice too.

The Sunset one?

Everywhere in LA is 20 minutes. Even the Sunset In-N-Out.
Yeah Sunset and Orange. Really that’s just the norm for In-N-Out in SoCal from Santa Barbra to San Diego. Even the Vegas ones are packed. But Pete is right about the ones in Texas they don’t seem to be nearly as busy as the ones in Cali. The food seems to be consistent.

Have you had Krystals? It is exactly like white castle but the southern version, it would be awesome to get a krystals

Las vegas has white castle

In-N-Out has limited ordering because they want to make everything fresh and then hand it directly to you, rather than making something in advance for pickup; or have the food be cold by the time you pull up at the drive-thru window.

At some of their locations, they have workers with portable devices taking orders in the drive-thru ala Chick-Fil-A.


BTW, it's the same kind of crazy busy at California Trader Joe's and not much better at Costco. Every time I go in those place here, lots of people are commenting on the crowd and all I can think is, "You have no idea how good you have it".

I remember having to stock up on dog food so I could completely avoid Costco in December. Most of the time you could literally not find a parking space no matter how far away you were willing to go. Many, many times I'd set out for Costco or TJ's and turn right back around. And the same is true at In-N-Out.

The Costco in particular in Santa Monica/Venice/West LA area is stupid busy. As expensive as it would be, I wish we they’d build in Hollywood.

Someone tell me about this Jack in the Box. Never really ate there for some reason. Is is actually good?

The Costco in particular in Santa Monica, West LA is stupid busy.

They all are out there!

I had two of them near me in Thousand Oaks and they were almost as bad.

Someone tell me about this Jack in the Box. Never really ate there for some reason. Is is actually good?

Californians call it Gag in the Bag or Jack in the Crack.

It's typical fast food IMO.


Del Taco is another California export and it is miles better than Taco Bell or most Mexican fast food. It's all pretty fresh and they actually have some healthy options.

El Polo Loco is better yet and they can't get here soon enough. All their chicken is marinaded and charbroiled and darn good. Lots of burritos and taco but also salads and heathy options. It's my favorite fast food place by far.

Perfect opportunity Governor. Sell her on the benefits of life in Oklahoma and we might get some more burger joints.

In-N-Out Heiress Lynsi Snyder Selling $17M California Estate | PEOPLE.com
https://www.google.com/amp/s/people.com/home/reclusive-billionaire-in-n-out-heiress-lynsi-snyder-selling-17m-california-estate-see-inside/%3famp=true

Maybe the governor can recommend she buy a home next door to Elon Musk. :)

Californians call it Gag in the Bag or Jack in the Crack.

It's typical fast food IMO.


Del Taco is another California export and it is miles better than Taco Bell or most Mexican fast food. It's all pretty fresh and they actually have some healthy options.

LMAO at the JITB nicknames. I got pretty excited when Del Taco came in, and it's still pretty darn good, but Taco Casa is way better, IMO.

Someone tell me about this Jack in the Box. Never really ate there for some reason. Is is actually good?

Meh, this is all going to be personal taste and opinion, but I always found them average for their price. Obviously not as cheap as McDonald's. We don't have one in our vicinity, as in Braum's and Whataburger are closer than Jack in the Box so we hardly go.

They all are out there!

I had two of them near me in Thousand Oaks and they were almost as bad.
The Thousand Oaks is my to go but I’ve been going to Walmart lately in Van Nuys. I’d be really happy if they could build a Walmart around Hollywood somewhere. There’s a huge demand it seems like for those type of stores in central and west LA. They keep opening new higher end grocers like Erwons, Whole Foods, and Gelsons and they are all packed from day one. There’s a huge relatively new Ralph’s, new Whole Foods, and gelsons all within a few miles of each on Ventura and they are always packed.

LMAO at the JITB nicknames. I got pretty excited when Del Taco came in, and it's still pretty darn good, but Taco Casa is way better, IMO.

I don't understand the draw for Taco Casa, we think Del Taco is much better. Is there some secret menu at Taco Casa that we need to ask for?

Fat Burger is good. They are expanding in Fort Worth. I think they’d do well here. A Fat Sals would be nice too.

I also preferred Fat Burger to In 'n Out when I lived in Southern California. I'd definitely go there if we had one. That charred bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on top...

^

It's very good but the name isn't helping Fat Burger.

And not really fair to compare to In-N-Out as a loaded Fat Burger alone can cost over $10.

One place expanding in LA right now is Egg Tuck. I’d like a place like or an Egg Slut.

I don't understand the draw for Taco Casa, we think Del Taco is much better. Is there some secret menu at Taco Casa that we need to ask for?

I could say the reverse about Del Taco. :) 1. I think their meat tastes better. 2. Their cheese tastes real. 3. The ones I have been in are always immaculately clean. 4. Their beans are better.

Not really a secret item but if you get their Super Burrito it will be better than any fast food burrito you will eat. Before Taco Bell was purchased by Pepsico, and later YUM Brands, the old Burrito Supreme was excellent. The Taco Casa version is like that but with better ingredients.

I tried the Super Taco recently and it was also delicious.

For beans and bean burritos, Taco Bueno used to be the go to, but that company is a shell of itself now and just completely unreliable. It is reliably dirty.

So, Taco Casa offers very real ingredients, excellent, well-staffed restaurants that are consistently clean, and very good basic fast-food Tex-Mex items. It's very hard to beat.

I will say that I had stale taco shells at the location in Midwest City once, so nothing's perfect. And, to add, I like Del Taco too, I just don't think the ingredients are as good.

^

The In-n-Out's in Texas still have very long waits; the one in Frisco has been open for nearly 10 years.

I understand that many people don't think their burgers are all that great, but many, many more love them, especially for the price and service.

That's the draw for me, there are better burgers but you can't do much better for the price. Love that the fries are fresh as well.

Pete, what is your best guess on any chance we see any come up to OKC now that they've expanded in DFW?

^

It's very good but the name isn't helping Fat Burger.

And not really fair to compare to In-N-Out as a loaded Fat Burger alone can cost over $10.

Yes, your posts have reminded me how inexpensive In-N-Out actually is for the quality, even though I was not much of a fan.

In Santa Clarita, the In-N-Out and Fat Burger were about the same distance from our office, so if we were having burgers, it usually came down to those, hence the comparison. Next level up, at the time, would have been Red Robin or some such burger joint, I think.

Anyway, simply comparing burgers to burgers, I'm a Fat Burger guy.

^

I only ate a Fat Burger a couple of times because they were generally contracting when I lived out there.

But it was darn good.

The last time I ate a Fat Burger I was in Vegas, severely hungover. It was delicious. If it's the last one I ever eat, I'm OK with the memory of that one.

Someone tell me about this Jack in the Box. Never really ate there for some reason. Is is actually good?

Personally, I think Jack-in-the-Box burgers suck...really badly. REALLY BADLY. I love their tacos and egg rolls, but that's about all I've tried there that was good.

^

You should have seen the lines at California Jack in the Box drive-thrus after midnight (and often much, much later since they are open 24 hours).

All the partiers loading up on bags full of their fried tacos. It was somewhat of a tradition.

People are simultaneously repulsed and drawn to the deep-fried greasiness with a triangle of American cheese. Someone once described them as "a warm envelope of cat food". :lol2:

^

You should have seen the lines at California Jack in the Box drive-thrus after midnight (and often much, much later since they are open 24 hours).

All the partiers loading up on bags full of their fried tacos. It was somewhat of a tradition.

People are simultaneously repulsed and drawn to the deep-fried greasiness with a triangle of American cheese. Someone once described them as "a warm envelope of cat food". :lol2:

Hold on a minute: deep fried tacos? Hell to the yes. But American cheese tho. :)

One description of JITB tacos: "A wet envelope of cat food." Hmm.

https://www.mashed.com/227211/everything-you-dont-know-about-jack-in-the-boxs-tacos/

Hold on a minute: deep fried tacos? Hell to the yes. But American cheese tho. :)

I almost used the term "cat food" in my post, because it's a very accurate description, but I've never encountered triangles of American cheese on a Jack-in-the-Box taco. I love them because when they fry them, the top mostly closes up, which helps keep everything together and because the shell is moist (soaked in grease?), it doesn't break up like other tacos. The sauce is already on there. Delicious and up until very recently, they were two for $1.

People are simultaneously repulsed and drawn to the deep-fried greasiness with a triangle of American cheese. Someone once described them as "a warm envelope of cat food". :lol2:

I used to joke that I saw a box behind a JitB for their taco meat that said "MAY CONTAIN BEEF".

In-N-Out overall is a good product. The food is always fresh when I have eaten there. The price point is good as well.

In-N-Out overall is a good product. The food is always fresh when I have eaten there. The price point is good as well.

yep it is very very hard to beat for a fast food burger ..

I don't understand the draw for Taco Casa, we think Del Taco is much better. Is there some secret menu at Taco Casa that we need to ask for?

Taco Lite is all I order at Taco Casa, they are easily the BEST fast food tacos, That shell is so crispy and fresh every time I've had them. They are more expensive than a Del Taco or Taco Bell. You can get 2 Del Tacos for the price of a single Taco Casa taco. Del Taco is way better than Taco Bell tacos, the cheese tastes and feels like real cheese, and there is a lot of it. I really wish Taco Casa had better nachos, they were massively disappointing. I want to compare the 2, but I feel the price difference makes them good for when you want to spend a certain amount. Dell taco I'm full off 2 tacos at under $4, at Taco casa, the 2 taco lites are closer to $8. both seem to use fresher ingredients than most fast food, but Taco Casa has much LARGER tacos with better beef and shell, both use real enough cheese.

Oklahoma gets passed over again.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/burger-expanding-east-texas-1st-stop-tennessee-96344794

Oklahoma gets passed over again.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/burger-expanding-east-texas-1st-stop-tennessee-96344794

OKC is in the delivery area for the Texas distro center IIRC so they can expand here and likely will at some point

OKC is in the delivery area for the Texas distro center IIRC so they can expand here and likely will at some point

Their expansion strategy just seems odd, why not start with the states around you and branch out from there? It's like they're intentionally passing us over lol