While ordering a burger Animal Style at In-N-Out is definitely a thing — it's part of the chain's not-so-secret menu, after all — that doesn't necessarily mean folks should pull up to the drive-thru and start listing off different, particular animals in the hopes that their server will whip up a custom creation, no questions asked. For instance, trying to order your burger "Doggy Style" will embarrass everyone involved — it's not a thing — and while requesting your food "Gorilla Style" likely won't result in you being laughed out of the lot, it might earn you some blank stares.
Innovation and experimentation among its fans are deeply embedded in In-N-Out's culture, so while Gorilla Style isn't a standard item on its secret menu — not yet, anyway — various social media users have reported successfully ordering it. The only catch? Everyone seems to have a different understanding of what it comprises. One Reddit user stated that when they order this way, it means they're asking the restaurant to "toast the buns, add chopped peppers, and add ketchup" to their burger. A separate YouTuber claimed it referred to a Double-Double prepared Animal Style, topped with Animal Style fries and a Flying Dutchman, resulting in a three-patty burger — and plenty more interpretations abound on the internet.
If you ask us, there's something sort of poetic about such an amorphous burger. It's whatever you need it to be. Maybe the real Gorilla Style was just the friends we made along the way.
Read more: 13 McDonald's Hacks That Will Change The Way You Eat At The Fast Food Chain
Clear communication improves the secret menu ordering process
There are plenty of fast food secret menu items worth trying, but before you roll up to In-N-Out, we suggest following some etiquette to make sure your request is met with enthusiasm rather than scorn. For one thing, if you read about an unofficial food item online, take a few seconds to verify that the chain actually carries all the ingredients that purportedly make up the meal. In the past, fake secret menu items that went viral online have ended up frustrating hard-working servers, who had to explain to disappointed customers that In-N-Out carries neither the chopped hot dogs found on the faux Doggy Style preparation nor the chicken sandwich that some social media users falsely claimed existed.
Next, instead of using the unofficial name when ordering, try explaining your customizations to an existing menu item politely and concisely. It saves you both time (which your server will appreciate during busy shifts) and prevents misunderstandings. "If you try ordering [a fake menu item], the associate will be confused because it is not a button on our register," one Reddit user explained. Simple modifications, on the other hand, are common and easy for associates to input.
Finally, be prepared to build complex hybrid orders yourself. While it's generally no big deal to ask for your burger buns extra-toasted, or your fries "well-done," if your custom item requires extensive assembly, as some of the Gorilla Style interpretations do, it's best to handle the final construction at your table.
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Read the original article on Food Republic.
