In the 1994 classic Quentin Tarantino movie Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) orders a milkshake that has Vincent Vega (John Travolta) balking at the price. The cost: $5. Factoring for inflation, the milkshake Vega begrudgingly concedes is “pretty damn good” would cost $11 today.
But not at In-N-Out Burger.
As one woman recently found, it’s always 1994 at In-N-Out. At least if you’re judging by the price of milkshakes.
Earlier this month, tattoo artist Brookelyn Kelly (@brookelynwithab) posted a TikTok about her “ridiculous” discovery at the California-based chain.
“So In-N-Out Burger, if you go there it says on the menu ‘shakes’ and they’re like $3. There’s no sizes,” she says in the post.
Kelly was stunned to learn that In-N-Out actually does have other sizes: large and extra-large. The price for an extra-large had her floored. It costs just $5. This led her to exclaim, “What year is it at In-N-Out Burger?”
Kelly told BroBible she randomly made this fortuitous discovery.
“I was at the drive thru with my friend and we were ordering and I said to my friend that I wish they had bigger sizes of shakes and the guy said they did! I was like what?!” she via Instagram direct message.
A Fast-Food Restaurant With A Cult Following
The first In-N-Out opened its doors in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948. The family-owned business has slowly expanded in the decades since. Today there are several hundred In-N-Outs in the west and northwest.
Rather than franchising like many fast food restaurants, In-N-Out remains a family business. Its current president is Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of the founders.
“How bada– is it that it is a woman running that beautiful show? I have a lot of respect for how she does things,” Kelly said.
In-N-Out has a reputation for quality, consistently getting top honors as customers’ favorite fast food joint. It’s also widely reported to treat employees better than many of its competitors.
These qualities have earned it what’s widely been described as a cult following.
Kelly counts herself as a superfan, telling BroBible that it was the first burger she ever liked. She was 20.
She said she counts the opening of a Salt Lake City location blocks from her business as “a cosmic gift from In-N-Out to me personally.”
It has stirred controversy from time to time. Some don’t like that it cites Bible verses on some packaging. Kelly doesn’t mind, telling BroBible, “If subtle bible verses are the biggest complaint I’ve heard about them as a business, but their customers are happy AND their employees are happy? They’re doing pretty dang good.”
Milkshake Revelation Summons In-N-Out Loyalists
Nearly 500 people came running to comment on Kelly’s In-N-Out milkshake revelation, which has nearly 238,000 views as of this writing. People widely praised the company’s culture, prices, and quality.
“They are proof that you can be profitable and affordable wile paying a full staff good wages. and people still act like they are not amazing,” wrote one.
Another person opined that it’s so profitable because it doesn’t price gouge.
Many were particularly grateful to Kelly for revealing that its milkshakes do come in other sizes.
“I did not know you can get a larger size shake?!!!!” wrote one.
For Kelly, who says she likes a “frozen creamy treat in the morning,” this is also a game changer. She used to order two sometimes because one just wasn’t enough.
“A lot of places would charge $8-$12 for a shake that big,” she said.
She also offered a couple ordering tips that only a longtime customer would know: order a “fry light” so they’re not cooked as long and come out softer. “Especially if you are a slow eater, regular fries there are not kind to you,” she said.
And for fans of spicy food, ask for chili peppers on the burger. “Very occasionally you will get a wicked spicy one but in general? **chef’s kiss**”
@brookelynwithab All the wasted years. #innout