The Meatiest, Cheesiest Necessary Evil of All: In-N-Out

The source of my burger rant. Found on ffffound.com.

My final proper meal in California before returning to New York after Christmas break was In-N-Out. It was absolutely delightful – a Double-Double animal-style, a Cheeseburger animal-style, fries and a pink lemonade (the salivary glands are fully functional).

There are a few burger joints in NY that I'm told rival In-N-Out's meaty, cheesy, secret saucey goodness but I remain skeptical. I tried Shake Shack's (Upper West Side, 366 Columbus Avenue @ 77th Street) best burger, and it was pretty damn good. It even had a similar presentation with a thin patty and golden-brown bun. Was was it In-N-Out quality? Hell no. Corner Bistro (West Village, 331 W. 4th Street) also served up a hearty medium-rare contender, but it couldn't touch the yellow left turn arrow logos' price. And most recently I put a burger from Bill's Bar and Burger (West Village, 22 9th Avenue) to the taste-test, and though I left satisfied, it wasn't the same sense of burger-dining nirvana that you-know-who serves up.

Oh, Lord of Sirloin Beef and Condiments, how I would sacrifice for a No. 1 with a chocolate shake sometime in the near future! East Coasters, if you're wise, you'll lobby for the In-N-Out franchise to go bi-coastal. Or you can just continue to wallow in your second-rate burger eating experience (ok, I apologize, that was a bit rude and over the top ... but seriously, In-N-Out is F'n amazing!).

Call it West Coast bias, but I remain a staunch In-N-Out for burger-serving President supporter (whatever that means) – but the challenge continues. If you've got a true contender within the five boroughs in mind, let me know, and I'll give it a go. Just make sure it's not Papaya Dog, that place gave me indigestion for a week.

The Last Meal in CA.