I had my first In and Out burger last week. Yes, I ordered it Animal Style. There are actually a lot of "secret" ways to order at I&OB.


If I were coming from San Jose, I would stop at Falafel's Drive Inn.

aggiegirl,

This will also be better if the low tide is early morning that day(so you can do your tidepooling)

http://daviswiki.org/In-N-Out_Secret_Menu


http://www.falafelsdrivein.com/

The Banana Shake is popular at Falafels as is the Falafel Sandwich. Fast Food Kicked Up Greek.

Oh boy, I guess it's time for me to confess why I was thinking of stopping in Gilroy. Yes, I wanted to try In-n-out Burger! Seriously, that was my reason! I have heard good things and we will definitely be hungry after a long flight.

Well Falafels scores higher marks with me. But, you could try one going and one coming. Can't really go wrong with either of them though. In and Out reminds me of a cross between McDonalds and Krispy Kreme. Falafels is a one of a kind unique place.

You have to ask for pickles on In & out. I always forget to ask for them and then I'm disappointed.

Just in case . . . here is an in-N-out practically right next door to the airport.

It'll be fun to stop at In-n-Out because of its "aura", but don't expect great food! The burgers are good for fast food burgers, no more, no less. I personally think the fries taste like cardboard (and I've eaten at various outlets at least 100 times --- soccer team choice, not mine!)

Ate at the Gilroy In-n-Out several times on the way to Carmel. Double double, fries and a shake. Good fast food, cheap and delicious.

I think you should get lunch at the In-n-Out across from the SJC airport (on Coleman Ave, in front of the Lowes store), then take I-880 south, which becomes Hwy 17, follow Hwy 17 over "the hill" to Santa Cruz, where you pick up Hwy 1 south all the way to Carmel. I think it's a much nicer/prettier drive than 101-156-1.

I just thought I was smelling garlic, it was hamburgers. I really don't see all the hype of In and Out. They are good, but they are just a hamburger.

spiro- I love the Falafel drive in too- what a fun place- has been featured on the Food Net Work- just a hole in the wall but great food

I would second hazel's suggestion ONLY if you're used to driving around curves at a rapid speed.

I was just talking with someone from the East Coast earlier this week and she said that the first couple of times she drove over Highway 17, it was a "white knuckles" event most of the way. Highway 17 is a mountainous, curvy road - just so you know.

Otherwise, take 101-156-1, because it's flat and pretty much straight all the way.

There's also an In-n-Out Burger in Morgan Hill before Gilroy. Get off at the Cochrane exit, go over the freeway and it's in the large shopping center.

We pretty much have In-n-Out everywhere now.

"<i>We pretty much have In-n-Out everywhere now.</o>"

But interestingly, not many anywhere along the OP's route south of SJ or on the coast. Just San Jose near the airport, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy. (fewer in that vast area than w/i 10 miles of my house.)

oops -screwed up the italics. Teach me to not preview :(

Living in Oklahoma, we only see them when we go to Dallas(we go to Dallas 4 or 5 time per year). I don't think would eat at one while on vacation in say California, unless I was just in the mood for a fast food burger. To me a gourmet burger at say Chili's is better than In and Out. In and Out doesn't have burgers like Southwest, BBQ, Swiss/Mushroom, etc or anything that is even slightly different. In and Out burgers are kinda like Mcdonalds fries, sometimes they are just what your in the mood for.

An In-N-Out burger can't be compared to a "gourmet burger" anywhere! It's a good fast food burger (sauce, lettuce and tomato). I've heard Five Guys' burgers are way better than In-N-Out, even from Californians.

Five-Guys is good too - totally different type of burger though. I think both chains have lost some of what made them special though - just because they are so common now. In-n-Out used to be something out of the ordinary, that you could only have if you happened to be in one of the few places where they existed. Now there are 11 in the south bay alone. But it is mostly a west coast/southwest thing, so for people in other parts of the country, it may still be a novelty.