In-N-Out Burger is popping up in Wellington for one day – what’s all the fuss?

Burger lovers of the capital, prepare for a queue: US chain In-N-Out is popping up on Wednesday for one day only.

You’ve seen it in movies, but what even is an In-N-Out and what sets it apart from anything else? Read on for everything you need to know.

What are we so excited about?

In-N-Out is holding a pop-up at St John’s Bar & Eatery on Cable St from 9am til 3pm on Wednesday, March 1.

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What is In-N-Out?

A burger chain that opened in California in 1948 and now operates nearly 400 locations across the West Coast and South West.

Still family-owned – the current president of the company is the granddaughter of its founders – In-N-Out is massively popular in that part of the US and a destination for many visitors to it.

Is it any different from any other burger joint?

While you can get a regular hamburger or cheeseburger at In-N-Out, it’s particularly known for the double-double, which has two beef patties and two slices of cheese separated by a whole onion slice.

There’s also a 3×3 – three patties, three cheese slices – and a 4×4 on what In-N-Out still refers to as its “secret menu” despite these items being among its most popular.

Ask for any burger animal style, and you’ll get mustard grilled into your patties, along with pickles, chopped grilled onions and an extra serve of In-N-Out’s signature sauce (very like a thousand island).

Animal style fries come with melted cheese, pickles and onions on top.

What can I get at St John’s?

Both double-double and animal style burgers will be on the pop-up menu on Wednesday, along with protein style burgers, which substitute lettuce for the burger bun.

Quantities are limited, the company has warned.

Is this the first time In-N-Out has been available in Aotearoa?

No. In-N-Out has popped in Auckland in 2013, 2017 and most recently in January 2020 at the Portland Public House in Kingsland in January 2020.

Queues for that event, which opened at 11am, were in place from 7am, so Wellingtonians might want to consider lining up before breakfast in order to get burgers for lunch.

Does that mean we’re getting our own restaurant?

Maybe, but there’s no official sign of that now.

We can console ourselves, however, with Marky Mark’s Wahlburgers, which will finally open its first New Zealand outlet on the very same day.