Los Angeles - In-N-Out Burger
The Hidden Menu for Celiacs
“Double-double, protein style, animal style, add chopped chilies.” You can’t leave LA without the taste of an In-N-Out burger. Yes, as a celiac you can eat here too, but you have to be careful. First thing to do is to mention you have a gluten allergy! And yes, you have to purposefully state your disease wrong so other people will understand what to do, but as a celiac you probably will be familiar with doing this. However, we can’t complain too much because there aren’t a lot of chain restaurants in America that cater to celiacs. So, for this time I will gladly say I have a gluten allergy. Therefore, they will take extra precautions in the kitchen to avoid cross contamination. Someone from the management staff will prepare your food and I think it also really helps if you know in advance which items on the menu does and which doesn’t contain gluten!
Once I went to In-N-Out Burger and repeated three times that I had a gluten allergy. The girl on duty affirmed my gluten allergy, but I had the feeling she didn’t select this on her iPad. So, when I went up to the window to get my receipt, I noticed there was no sign of the words ‘gluten allergy’. Because of this, they had to redo my order again, which they did, but of course, it was inconvenient on both ends. So always double check if you feel insecure about anything, mistakes happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Even if you feel like a nuisance sometimes!
In terms of taste, the protein-style burger is very good. Though it is very unhandy to eat with your hands. Nothing on the burger is ever well situated. All the chilies are waiting for you in one spot, so your mouth will be on fire forever. Therefore, my preference is to eat the burger at home with a plate underneath it and some cutlery (I know this sounds awful but to me, it is way tastier this way!). The fries are not my style, but I am Dutch, so I normally eat thick fries, freshly pealed and then fried. However, I must say that I am so happy that I am able to order fries. Most of the time, this is not an option. So even though I think they could be better, I will still order them every time I go to one of the many In-N-Out locations in California. Furthermore, there has been some debate about the sauce, whether it is gluten-free or not. I tried it several times and was okay afterwards. The ingredients don’t mention gluten so I would say it is safe to eat! I think the taste of the sauce is great (despite it being fairly salty).
Fries and a protein style double double from the In-N-Out burger in El Segundo.
Safety: be alert when ordering. They will do their best to avoid cross contamination.