A New Jersey resident has meticulously recreated the iconic West Coast burger chain In-N-Out at her home, allowing her parents to experience the famed eatery without leaving their neighborhood. Grace Lewis, a food influencer with over 2 million TikTok followers, embarked on the project to bring a taste of the West Coast to her parents, who moved to the U.S. from South Korea approximately five years ago and had never tried In-N-Out.
Lewis and her sister dedicated nearly a week to the endeavor, aiming to replicate not only the food but also the branding and drive-thru experience of the popular chain. The project, which Lewis dubbed "Out-N-In," began as a casual idea but quickly grew into a significant undertaking as they delved into researching In-N-Out's specific recipes and preparation methods. They discovered that many of the chain's ingredients, such as its ketchup, pickles, and buns, are made with unique processes and without common additives like corn syrup.
Recreating the burger buns proved to be the most challenging aspect, requiring multiple attempts to achieve the desired texture. Lewis, who is gluten-free herself, relied on her sister, who had prior experience with In-N-Out, to taste-test and perfect the recipe. The sisters also focused on recreating the drive-thru system, noting that In-N-Out was a pioneer in adopting speaker systems for this service. They converted a window on the side of their house into a functioning order station, complete with a menu board and speaker.
The initiative held particular significance as Lewis' parents were unaccustomed to ordering through drive-thru speakers in English. Lewis shared that her mother, 70, ordered a Double-Double