California’s burger king still reigns supreme.
A new foodie ranking naming the most iconic burger joint in every state has crowned In-N-Out Burger Golden State’s patty purveyor.
But the specific location chosen is steeped in fast-food royalty: Baldwin Park, the beloved chain’s birthplace.
Business Insider’s newly released list — spanning roadside stands, old-school diners and nationally famous chains across all 50 states — named the eatery the crème de la crème.
The restaurant traces its roots to 1948, when Harry and Esther Snyder opened California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand at the corner of Francisquito and Garvey avenues.
There, the couple introduced an innovative two-way speaker box, forever changing how Americans grab food on the go.
While the original stand is long gone, the company opened a replica near the historic site in 2014, giving burger pilgrims a glimpse of where the California fast-food phenomenon began.
More than seven decades later, the chain’s famously stripped down menu and red-and-yellow signage has become quintessential Southern California.
These days, hungry tourists and Angelenos flock to the chain’s palm-tree-lined location for Double-Doubles and Animal Style fries.
Before naming it California’s top burger spot, Business Insider said it considered each restaurant’s national and local significance, along with customer reviews.
“In-N-Out is always top tier, but for some reason, the Double Double actually tastes way better than other locations,” one Redditor wrote alongside photos from a visit to the “OG In-N-Out in Baldwin Park.”
“This was hands down the best In-N-Out I’ve had,” added another. “Honestly, it was gold standard.”
One visitor on Trip Advisor called seeing the old-school stand replica “a treat all by itself” and urged fellow fans to make the trek to Baldwin Park to see where it all began.
“Super friendly ppl taking your order,” one satisfied Yelper wrote on Sept. 7 after a weekday lunch at the location. “Friendly staff cleaning tables. They even ask how you’re doing when you’re eating! Food came out hot and fresh as expected. Burger is excellent as usual for fast food, fries are mid as usual (lol).”
Near the stand, visitors can also find a gift shop and In-N-Out University, where managers receive training for their high-paying roles.
The ranking comes as In-N-Out moves its corporate headquarters from Irvine back to its historic roots in Baldwin Park.
The company’s footprint now includes more than 400 restaurants, with three new sites headed to Southern California and a fourth coming soon to the Central Valley.
Another is slated to open in West LA, where it will share a neighborhood with another California-founded burger spot, Hamburger Habit.
Still family-owned, In-N-Out currently operates in 10 states, with an 11th — New Mexico — on the horizon next year.
