When you think of Julia Child, you probably picture fancy French dishes with complicated names and butter – lots of butter. But behind that sophisticated palate was a woman who kept a list of fast food restaurants in her purse. Yes, the queen of French cooking in America had a secret fast food obsession that might make you feel better about your own drive-thru habits. Julia Child, the 6-foot-2 chef who brought beef bourguignon to American kitchens, couldn’t resist a good old-fashioned burger from In-N-Out. And she wasn’t shy about it either.
The California girl loved In-N-Out’s simple menu
Born in Pasadena, California, Julia Child shared her hometown roots with the first In-N-Out Burger, which opened in nearby Baldwin Park in 1948. This connection might explain why she felt so strongly about this particular fast food chain. Unlike other fast food places with menus as long as your arm, In-N-Out keeps things simple. They focus on doing a few things really well – burgers, fries, and shakes – rather than trying to be everything to everyone. This straightforward approach matched Julia’s own cooking philosophy: use good ingredients and don’t overcomplicate things.
Julia was known to make In-N-Out her first stop whenever she returned to California. She even kept a list of every location between San Francisco and Santa Barbara in her purse so she would never miss an opportunity to grab her favorite burger. Think about that – a woman who could make the most amazing French food from scratch chose to eat at a fast food joint. That’s like finding out that a world-famous pianist loves to play “Chopsticks” in their spare time. Her love for In-N-Out shows that good food doesn’t always have to be fancy or expensive.
Fresh ingredients made all the difference
What drew Julia to In-N-Out wasn’t just nostalgia for her California roots – it was the chain’s commitment to quality. In-N-Out is famous for never freezing their beef, cutting potatoes fresh daily for their fries, and avoiding preservatives and additives. These values aligned perfectly with Julia’s own cooking standards. She always emphasized using the freshest ingredients possible in her recipes. At a time when most fast food chains were moving toward frozen, pre-packaged foods, In-N-Out stood out by sticking to their guns about freshness and quality.
In-N-Out’s refusal to use microwaves or heat lamps in their kitchens would have appealed to Julia, who believed in cooking food properly. The chain’s focus on fresh vegetables for their burgers matched Julia’s own preference for high-quality produce. Even their “secret menu” with options like “animal style” (mustard-cooked patties with grilled onions) shows attention to detail and flavor that a trained chef would appreciate. While other celebrities might hide their fast food habits, Julia was proud of her In-N-Out obsession – it reflected her belief that good food is good food, regardless of whether it comes on fine china or wrapped in paper.
She knew every location on the California coast
Julia’s love for In-N-Out went beyond casual fandom – she was practically a walking GPS for their locations. Friends who traveled with her through California tell stories about how she would map out their route based on In-N-Out stops. One story goes that she could spot the chain’s distinctive palm tree logo from miles away and would insist on pulling over, no matter what time of day. On road trips, she’d plan multiple burger breaks, treating each stop like a wine tasting on a tour through Napa Valley. This wasn’t just a quick meal to her – it was an experience she looked forward to.
Her knowledge of In-N-Out locations was so extensive that she reportedly knew every location between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. That’s dedication! She didn’t just eat there when it was convenient; she sought it out. Even when she was recovering from knee surgery in the hospital, she asked friends to bring her In-N-Out burgers instead of settling for hospital food. This wasn’t a chef slumming it with fast food – this was someone who genuinely thought these burgers were worth going out of her way for. It shows how Julia never let food snobbery get in the way of enjoying what she truly liked.
Other famous chefs share her In-N-Out passion
Julia wasn’t alone in her admiration for In-N-Out. Many celebrity chefs have professed their love for the chain, including Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain, and David Chang. These are people who have eaten at the finest restaurants in the world, yet they still crave these relatively simple burgers. What makes this interesting is how these chefs, who can be incredibly critical of food, all seem to agree that In-N-Out gets it right. They’re drawn to the same qualities Julia appreciated – the commitment to freshness, the consistency, and the lack of pretension.
Ina Garten, another famous chef who’s known for her refined taste, has mentioned that she shares Julia’s love for In-N-Out. When someone of Julia’s stature publicly embraces something as everyday as a fast food burger, it gives others permission to admit their own similar preferences. In a world where food can sometimes feel elitist, with complicated ingredients and techniques, Julia’s openness about enjoying In-N-Out was refreshing. It showed that even the most sophisticated palates can appreciate simple pleasures, and that good food doesn’t have to come with a high price tag or a fancy atmosphere.
She ordered burgers in the hospital
One of the most telling stories about Julia’s devotion to In-N-Out comes from when she was in the hospital recovering from knee surgery. Instead of settling for the hospital’s food (and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want an alternative to hospital food?), she asked friends to smuggle in burgers from her favorite chain. Imagine being in the hospital bed next to Julia Child while she happily munched away on a Double-Double! This wasn’t just about wanting better food than what the hospital offered – she specifically wanted In-N-Out, even when she could have requested anything.
This story reveals something important about Julia’s character. Even when she was not feeling her best, she still cared deeply about what she ate. Food wasn’t just fuel to her – it was a source of comfort and joy, whether that came from a perfectly crafted French sauce or a carefully assembled burger. Julia’s hospital order shows that her love for In-N-Out wasn’t just a casual preference but a genuine comfort food that she turned to when she needed cheering up. It humanizes her in a way that makes her more relatable – even culinary icons have their comfort foods.
Beyond burgers: her Costco hot dog obsession
In-N-Out wasn’t Julia’s only fast food weakness. She also had a well-documented love affair with Costco hot dogs. Yes, those same $1.50 hot-dog-and-soda combos that regular folks line up for after shopping for bulk paper towels. Julia would visit the Costco food court in Goleta, California, specifically for their hot dogs. She didn’t hide this preference either – she openly admitted that she enjoyed a good hot dog just as much as fine French cuisine. This wasn’t a guilty pleasure for her; it was simply another food she enjoyed without any pretense or embarrassment.
Her fondness for hot dogs shows that Julia’s appreciation for food wasn’t limited to fancy or expensive options. She approached all food with the same curiosity and openness, whether it was coq au vin or a hot dog. This down-to-earth attitude made her relatable to home cooks across America. While she taught Americans how to make sophisticated French dishes, she also showed them that it was okay to enjoy simple foods. Her Costco hot dog habit reminds us that good eating isn’t about following food trends or impressing others – it’s about enjoying what truly tastes good to you, regardless of price or status.
She balanced fancy French food with casual eats
What made Julia’s fast food preferences so interesting was how they contrasted with her professional identity. Here was a woman who could make the most complicated French dishes look easy, who wrote detailed cookbooks about the art of French cooking, stopping for a burger and fries on her way home. She didn’t see this as contradictory at all. For Julia, good food was good food, whether it came from a high-end restaurant in Paris or a drive-thru window in California. She didn’t believe in food hierarchy the way many other chefs did, and she never looked down on simpler fare.
Julia enjoyed a wide range of foods beyond just French cuisine and fast food. She loved Chinese takeout, tuna sandwiches made with Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and even served Goldfish crackers as appetizers at her parties. This range shows that she approached food with genuine curiosity rather than snobbery. She didn’t eat at In-N-Out to be ironic or to make a statement – she ate there because she genuinely enjoyed their food. Her balanced approach to eating, embracing both high and low cuisine, made her more approachable as a culinary teacher and helped audiences connect with her in a way they might not have if she had been more elitist about food.
Her food philosophy: quality above all else
Julia’s seemingly contradictory food choices actually made perfect sense when you understand her overall food philosophy. She believed in quality ingredients, prepared with care and attention. It didn’t matter if those ingredients were expensive truffles or hamburger meat – what mattered was that they were fresh and handled properly. In-N-Out aligned with this philosophy by using fresh beef and potatoes, never freezing their ingredients, and preparing food to order. In many ways, they followed Julia’s own principles about food more closely than many fancier restaurants did.
Julia was known for saying, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” This quote captures her practical, no-nonsense approach to eating. She wasn’t interested in food trends or fad diets – she wanted real food that tasted good. Her enjoyment of In-N-Out reflects this straightforward attitude. She didn’t complicate things by overthinking what she “should” eat based on her status as a famous chef. She simply ate what she liked. This authenticity endeared her to Americans who might otherwise have found French cuisine intimidating. If Julia Child could enjoy both beef bourguignon and a burger, then maybe French cooking wasn’t so out of reach after all.
Next time you find yourself in line at a fast food joint, remember Julia Child. Her love of In-N-Out reminds us that good food comes in many forms, and even the most refined palates can appreciate simple pleasures. Julia never let her expertise make her a food snob – she remained curious, open-minded, and joyful about eating throughout her life. That approach to food might be her most important legacy, beyond any recipe she ever taught us.
