When we talk about fast food brands, how can we miss their epic rivalries? McDonald’s vs. In-N-Out is one such controversial rivalry that exists in the fast food industry. Through this article, I will help you to choose the better option whenever you next plan to grab a bite of fast food.
In the McDonald’s vs In-N-Out battle, McDonald’s is a clear winner when we talk about menu versatility, prices, nutrition, etc. But In-N-Out is nothing less when it comes to serving delicious yet fresh burgers to its customers.
McDonald’s has been in this fast food industry for a long time but does that make it the best option? Just keep reading the article to find out.
In this article, I have compared both restaurants on different parameters including menu, deals, locations, secret menu, kids menu, and breakfast menu. Let’s settle the debate once and for all and find out which one outweighs the other.
What's In The Post
Which Has The Better Menu?
Both McDonald’s and In-N-Out offer delicious food items. Let’s see which one surpasses the other, when it comes to offering diversity.
Both the fast food giants offer delicious burgers and have always been the crowd’s favorite. McDonald’s offers Quarter Pounder, bacon Quarter Pounder with cheese, McDouble, the popular Big Mac, bacon Big Mac, cheeseburgers, and Hamburgers. On the other hand, you only get cheeseburgers and hamburgers at In-N-Out.
When it comes to sandwiches, McDonald’s stands out as a clear winner. You can get the famous McMuffin, McGriddle, McCrispy, bacon ranch McCrispy, spicy McCrispy, deluxe McCrispy, Fish-O-Filet, and McChicken. On the contrary, you can’t get any kind of sandwich at In-N-Out.
When we talk about versatility, how can we forget about the different delicious flavors of McFlurry? You can try mouth-watering flavors of McFlurry such as Oreo McFlurry and M&M McFlurry. However, you can’t get flurry options at In-N-Out.
McDonald’s always tries to be in trend with its menu and never disappoints its customers. It has introduced a wide range of delicious sandwiches, burgers, and coffees.
Over the years, McDonald’s has also come up with exclusive offers to create a happy experience for its loyal customers. McDonald’s offers a whole line of various menus for each period of time such as the breakfast menu, lunch menu, and dinner menu.
You can treat yourself with McMuffin, McGriddles, sausage biscuits, hot cakes, Burritos, oatmeal, and breakfast meals in the mornings. But In-N-Out does not offer these kinds of menus. You can enjoy their regular menu and not-so-secret menu.
In addition to this, McDonald’s also takes care of your midnight cravings and thus, provides a late-night menu for its customers. But sadly, you can’t get a late night menu at In-N-Out.
McDonald’s also presented the world with flavorful desserts such as pies, shakes, cookies, and sundaes. Moreover, McDonald’s menu prices are much more affordable and offer food at super attractive prices.
It only offers three different flavors of shakes including chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry that are prepared with ice cream.
Winner – Thus, when it comes to diversity in the menu, McDonald’s takes the cake.
Which Is Cheaper?
Another great criterion to see which of these two fast food giants is better will be to compare the prices or as I said, which one’s cheaper.
At the end of the day, all that matters is good food at an affordable price, am I right? When it comes to their prices, McDonald’s offers food at affordable prices as compared to In-N-Out.
For your ease and better understanding, I compared the prices of three of their common items. For a fair comparison, the quantities are taken the same as well.
| Menu Items | In-N-Out | McDonald’s |
|---|---|---|
| Cheeseburger | $2.80 | $2.49 |
| Hamburger | $2.50 | $2.19 |
| French Fries | $1.85 | $1.39 |
Even if the difference is just a little, a win is a win. Also, if you buy all the items together, that’s where you’ll see the real savings.
Thus, you can see that the prices of the food on McDonald’s regular menu are much more affordable than the In-N-Out.
Winner – This makes McDonald’s a cheaper (I’d like to use the word affordable) option to satisfy your fast food craving.
Which Has Better Tasting Food?
Well, the comparison based on taste is quite subjective and thus must be done on various parameters.
McDonald’s and In-N-Out both are quite favorites among people. But who serves better-tasting food is quite a debate. Fries served by McDonald’s are much crisper as compared to the fries served by In-N-Out.
But when it comes to burgers, McDonald’s cannot beat the freshness, size, and taste of the burgers served by In-N-Out.
What else is better to have than fresh food? In the present era, where most restaurants are dealing with frozen and prepacked food, In-N-Out stands out as an exception in this category.
It does not freeze, pre-package, or microwave the food and thus the chances of having fresh food automatically increase.
Even on their official website, they have mentioned that they prepare the food by following the “old fashioned way”.
Winner – Thus, In-N-Out food is much more delicious and tastier than McDonald’s.
Which Has The Better Burgers & Sandwiches?
Both fast-food chains have gained a spot for the best-selling burgers and sandwiches. Big Macs and Quarter Pounders are quite famous burgers served by McDonald’s, while most customers love hamburgers and cheeseburgers served by In-N-Out.
Regarding prices, the burgers are more expensive at In-N-Out than at McDonald’s. The components of Hamburgers are quite similar to that of McDonald’s.
The only difference you can find is that instead of American cheese, In-N-Out uses a spread while preparing their hamburgers.
When we talk about burgers, McDonald’s can not beat the freshness of the burgers served by In-N-Out.
Even popular artists are absolutely in love with In-N-Out burgers. Kylie Jenner, the popular celebrity, stated that she loves the burger of In -N-Out and had a lot of burgers from this chain during her pregnancy period.
In addition to this, the famous singer, Ed Sheeran mentioned this fast food chain in his popular song “Shape of You”.
The burgers offered by In-N-Out are much better in all aspects whether its size, fresh toppings, quality, and even the bun they used for the burger is quite fresh.
Winner – Thus, it is safe to say that the burgers at In-N-Out are much better than those at McDonald’s.
Which Has The Better Breakfast Menu?
For the busy bees who do not have time to prepare breakfast, you can head toward fast food restaurants to enjoy their breakfast menu.
McDonald’s gets much more acknowledgment when it introduces the breakfast menu. It offers a huge variety of breakfast food items to satisfy the taste and preferences of all its customers and their dietary requirements.
Who doesn’t love the famous egg muffin from McDonald’s? Other than this, Mcgriddles, pancakes, hash browns, biscuits, and even fruits are offered in the breakfast menu served at McDonald’s.
Moreover, the prices during breakfast timings are quite affordable at McDonald’s. For creating a joyful customer experience, McDonald’s also used to serve all-day breakfast.
On the other hand, In-N-Out does not offer a breakfast menu to its customers. It only serves a regular menu that too does not have many choices for the customers.
Winner – Thus, McDonald’s is the clear winner when it comes to the breakfast menu.
Which Has The Better Coffee Options?
Whenever we think about coffee, we automatically think about Starbucks. But McCafé options are not less than anyone and are much more affordable.
Try the whole line up of coffee options available at the Mcdonald’s McCafé. Mcdonald’s coffee is prepared with 100% roasted Arabica beans that provide a little dark brew. No doubt, the taste of the coffee is so satisfying.
McDonald’s offers a whole parade of coffees on its menu. You can get different varieties of Cappuccino, Latte, Frappe, and others. Customers can explore the full McCafé® coffee menu for a selection of espresso drinks and coffee at McDonald’s.
Moreover, you can enjoy a classic iced latte, frozen coffee drink, hot cappuccino, or caramel macchiato. Other than this you can also enjoy soft drinks such as sprite, coke, and much more.
On the other hand, In-N-Out serves refreshing selections such as coca cola, diet coke, Dr. Pepper, root beer, pink lemonade, minute maid, zero-sugar lemonade, iced tea, milk, coffee, and hot cocoa.
Thus, McDonald’s has the upper hand when it comes to introducing a tasty variety of coffees to customers.
Which Has The Better Fries?
Who does not love the crunchy and salty flavor of fries? McDonald’s is quite famous for its salted fries, and it is one of the most loved food items on its menu.
McDonald’s serves perfect fries, which are soft and fluffy with a crunch outside. The company chooses the right potatoes and makes perfect fries from them. In addition to this, McDonald’s also provides a fries refill option for its customers. Isn’t it amazing?
On the other hand, the fries served by In-N-Out are rated the lowest or second to the last positions by the customers.
McDonald’s fries are always loved by their customers and always ranked best or second best. The fries served by McDonald’s always wins the heart of people with their incredible texture as well as taste.
Winner – McDonald’s is just a clear winner in this section.
Which Is Healthier?
There is no doubt that fast food is extremely delicious. But when it comes to their nutritional profile, they are not so healthy.
McDonald’s menu serves calories enriched food and so does the latter. This eventually makes the comparison between the restaurants much easier.
Let’s compare the calories of a few popular food items from both restaurants and figure out which one is better.
| Food Items | McDonald’s | In-N-Out |
|---|---|---|
| French Fries | 220 kcal | 370 kcal |
| Hamburger | 250 kcal | 390 kcal |
| Double Cheeseburger | 450 kcal | 480 kcal |
You can clearly see that McDonald’s food items have fewer calories. Moreover, meals of this brand have less cholesterol and salt, with higher amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Not only this, Mickey D offers a variety of nutritional, vegan, low-calorie, and gluten-free menu items, such as salads, which gives this fast food company a slight edge.
Winner – Thus, it is quite clear that the menu of McDonald’s is much healthier as compared to In-N-Out. .
Which Has A Better Secret Menu?
The secret menu has now become a new thing in the fast food industry and customers love to have it. The secret menu is not advertised by the brand but if you know about them, you can make a request.
Both McDonald’s and In-N-Out have a secret menu on their list with delectable options.
The secret menu of In-N-Out is short but has a limited number of meals, including double meat burgers, animal-style burgers, protein-style burgers, grilled cheeseburgers, and more.
On the contrary, the secret menu of McDonald’s has more than thirty food items. Baba Booey Burger, Big Mac’n’Cheese, Big McChicken, and much more can be enjoyed.
Winner – Thus, McDonald’s is the clear winner in this area.
Which Has A Better Kids Menu?
Well, we all know about the kid’s menu served by McDonald’s. McDonald’s kids’ menu includes nuggets, cheeseburgers, and hamburgers with world Famous Fries and apple slices.
It is a well-known fact that no one beats the McDonald’s happy meal and its incentives. This brand knows what kids love.
In addition to this, McDonald’s has collaborated with toy-making companies to form suitable toys and figurines.
Kids just love McDonald’s gifts including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Nintendo, and of course the famous Disney characters.
McDonald’s has toys on its kid’s menu, which automatically makes it the first choice of kids. On the other hand, In-N-Out does not have any kind of special menu as we get in McDonald’s.
Winner – Thus in this area of comparison, McDonald’s surpasses In-N-Out.
Which Has Better Deals?
Who doesn’t love extra food and that too at a discounted price? Restaurant deals offer a happy customer experience.
You can get a variety of deals and coupons offered by both restaurants. But no one can beat McDonald’s when it comes to deals and offers.
McDonald’s has a lot of menu items that are offered to customers on a daily basis. Not only this, this fast food chain offers discounted deals and coupons that make an ordering experience much better and exciting.
This famous restaurant chain offers a variety of deals, including offers for kids and senior citizens, such as happy kids and senior discounts.
McDonald’s offers other famous deals, such as McDonald’s $6 Meal, McDonald’s 2 for $5 Deal, McDonald’s 2 for $6 Deal, $5 Dollar Meal of the Day, Dollar Menu, and Senior discount.
On the other hand, In-N-Out does not offer such deals to its customers. Although this fast food chain does offer some saving offers such as discounts on food items. It also offers a gift card option too.
Winner – Thus, McDonald’s is the clear winner of this round.
Which Has A Modern Look?
Doesn’t matter how delicious a meal is served, the fame of the restaurant majorly relies on the vibe and how good and unique it looks!
McDonald’s has more outlets compared to In-N-Out around the world. Even though the latter tries to be more innovative, McDonald’s surpasses it when it comes to better interiors and stores.
At present, McDonald’s is quite a popular restaurant and its outlets have effortlessly contributed to it. Not only this, McDonald’s does a lot of promotions through advertisements and effective marketing techniques. Moreover, it also has a vast social media presence.
McDonald’s has also introduced the kids to playing sections and has rides and games which automatically become the first choice of the customers.
Winner – McDonald’s is the clear winner for this round.
Which Sells Fresh Meat?
When it comes to comparing the freshness of the burgers, In-N-Out has an upper hand. We all are aware of the fact that McDonald’s does not sell fresh meat.
They often use frozen meat for preparing their burgers. On the other hand, In-N-Out only uses USDA chuck, which is deboned and ground into burger patties associates.
The burgers thus offered by In-N-Out are made from fresh meat. In addition to this, there are no filters, additives, or preservatives in the meat, so customers can enjoy the beef flavor. This fresh flavor satisfies your taste buds.
Winner – In-N-Out is the clear winner here.
Which Is More Successful?
The success of any business totally depends on revenue generation. In-N-Out does not have many outlets as compared to McDonald’s. When it comes to being successful, McDonald’s has an upper hand. McDonald’s is more popular than the latter.
The success of this fast food chain is high due to its cheap hamburgers and abundance of variety in its menu. McDonald’s has about more than 4600 stores in the United States alone.
On the other hand, In-N-Out has about 371 locations and exists only in a few states. This store is found only in California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Oregon to this day. It has no other locations.
This chain is a much smaller restaurant as compared to McDonald’s.
Thus the number of this fast food chain is quite low which eventually made McDonald’s much more successful than In-N-Out. This is quite evident that the number of stores represents the generation of more economy.
Winner – McDonald’s is quite more successful than In-N-Out.
Who Wins This Popularity Battle- McDonald’s or In-N-Out?
When we talk about McDonald’s vs. In-N-Out, there is no competition and comparison when it comes to fries. The fries served by McDonald’s are just way better than the latter.
As I already mentioned, the fries offered by McDonald’s have gained a lot of love and fondness from people all over the world. In addition to this, when it comes to the menu, McDonald’s menu is more extensive and consists of much more varieties than the In-N-Out.
Although the prices of the food items of both the fast food chain are quite identical, McDonald’s still has an upper hand when it comes to affordability.
Nevertheless, when we talk about burgers, who does not admire the fresh and rich taste of meat? In-N-Out is here to serve you the best fresh burgers.
Although McDonald’s has a higher edge in revenue generation and a number of locations, the burgers with the larger portions served by In-N-Out are much healthier as compared to McDonald’s on an average basis.
Conclusion
This is all about the comparison between McDonald’s and In-N-Out. Now, whenever you are planning to have fast food with your loved ones, you know which option to choose.
If you are interested to know the comparison of McDonald’s with its other competitors, just follow the links of our articles Burger King vs. McDonald’s, Wendy’s vs McDonald’s, and Chick-Fil-A vs. McDonald’s, to get a better understanding and what to choose when you visit these restaurants next time.
Thanks for reading, and take care!
