Meet the "Bi-Coastal Burger," a divine mashup of Shake Shack and In-N-Out
In-N-Out or Shake Shack?
It's the age-old question that fires up burger fanatics from both coasts of the United States.
While those on the west tout homeland pride for In-N-Out's not-so-secret secret menu "animal style" burger and fries combo, East Coast natives hold Shake Shack's pretentious "anti-chain chain" status and inimitable ShakeSauce close to their hearts.
There hasn't really been a bipartisan approach to the burger chains until recently, when one man decided to do something decidedly brave. Director/cinematographer Don Arangio, living a bicoastal life himself, focused on unity, not war.
In March, Arangio fused a "Double-Double, animal style" with a classic "ShackBurger" to birth the "Bi-Coastal Burger." The result? Just look:
"All these textures and flavors — they blended for this harmonious perfect cheeseburger," Arangio said in an interview, hinting that his creation might just be the best cheeseburger in the world.
Introducing the Bi-Coastal Burger
The city of Los Angeles houses two Shake Shack locations (the first one opened in late 2015, so the restaurant is still relatively novel). Arangio and his girlfriend started at In-N-Out, picking up a Double Double, and then made their way over to Shake Shack to get their supplies. Arangio said he received some glares from customers and staff while waiting in line for the second burger, In-N-Out contraband in tow.
The material gathering and assembly process took more than an hour, but "the burgers maintained pretty well," Arangio said. Once the burger inception was complete, Arangio and his girlfriend chomped down, agreeing that their genesis was "fantastic."
"You get the best of both worlds," Arangio said. "The ShackSauce, the Animal Style... You get the onions, tomatoes, you get the lettuce from the ShackBurger, you get the potato bun and you get a standard bun."
Beyond a random strike of genius, it was romance that brought this masterpiece to fruition.
"My girlfriend and I were a bicoastal couple, she's from LA, I'm from New York and food is a big point of contention between us — in a fun way," Arangio said. She likes pineapple on her pizza; he says that doesn't count as pizza at all. While each member of the couple holds a different position on best burger chain, they wanted to meld their different tastes into one. They agree that their concoction takes the cake.
Isn't love a beautiful thing?
