Nexx Burger, a classic-style drive-thru burger joint in the city of Downey, is better than In-N-Out. Let's just get that out of the way from jump. Even their vegan burger might be better. Don't @ me.
(Though seriously, @ me all you want. It really helps my self-esteem to get social media notifications of any kind.)
There are arguably many burgers in Los Angeles better than In-N-Out, like the last meal-caliber Big Mec at Petit Trois or the argument-inducing sandwich at Father's Office. There was also a burger they used to grill on Thursdays at my middle school that made life much more tolerable. But short of taking out a second mortgage, brushing up on your Cicero, or solving time-space, In-N-Out is still the standard-bearer for the classic California burger joint. This is where Nexx Burger comes in, leaps over really.
Nexx Burger is comparable in affordability, speed, convenience, and in the simplicity of the menu. All this despite serving 100 percent all-natural, vegetarian-fed, no antibiotics, no fillers, Black Angus beef patties, unlike In-N-Out which failed its "antibiotic report card" last year. Not only on that, but the all-natural burger specialist is also superior to In-N-Out in quality and taste.
At $5.60, Nexx Burger's "little cheeseburger" is actually bigger overall than a Double Double, which goes for $4.15. And In-N-Out's famed secret menu does not compare to the rest of the offerings at Nexx Burger. The "little cheeseburger" patty alone is 2.7 oz compared to In-N-Out's 2-oz patty, which means even a wrap at Nexx Burger is going to have more meat.
It's important to note that In-N-Out uses 100-percent American beef patties. But Angus is just better. And Nexx Burger's 1/3 lb burgers are massive meat vehicles which can dwarf a 4 x 4 Animal Style upside-down cake, or whatever it is that you can get at your average In-N-Out. One 1/3 patty is the same as three In-N-Out patties.
The fries at Nexx Burger, which are my least favorite part of an In-N-Out experience, are as good as any you'll find anywhere in L.A. The Angus chili cheese fries strike the perfect balance of melted cheese, spicy beef, and perfectly crisp fries. It doesn't feel like the fork is going to break when you take a stab but you get a whole lot of everything in each bite. I'm looking at you, dense and plasticky animal-style fries.
What makes Nexx Burger truly stand out, are its vegan options. Its plant-based Impossible Burger is perhaps the most incredible thing on the menu. It's a vegan burger "for people who love the taste of meat," says the menu. Like the rest of the quickly growing locations offering the meat alternative burger, the burger is dangerously close to a beef burger. It comes severed with a refreshing avocado spread that does highlight the subtle differences between the plant-based and meat-based patties.
It sounds even unfair at this point to remind everyone that all you get when you order a "veggie burger" at In-N-Out is fat slice or two of usually mealy, unripe tomatoes. But I'm bringing it up because all is fair in love and burgers.
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Something else you won't find at In-N-Out is a beer menu. Nexx Burger boasts a small selection of brews that range from Modelo to 805. It also serves corn syrup-free Stubborn Colas with flavors like "Agave Vanilla Cream" and it makes great 100 percent real ice cream shakes.
That first bite of it is a bit of a revelation, much in the same way In-N-Out must have been in 1948 when it opened its first location in Baldwin Park. Though, not much has changed at L.A.'s favorite drive-thru burger joint–-even the Republican-leaning politics of its owners.
That timelessness is part of the beauty of In-N-Out, but it's no surprise that someone would come along and improve significantly on that model. Nexx Burger has only been open for about a year at 7414 Florence Ave. in Downey. Yet, it already feels like the future of burger chains in California, where people are typically willing to pay a little more for things like quality and sustainability.
And that's what Nexx's hamburgers “are all about."
Erick Galindo is a contributing Editor to L.A. TACO. He writes the Mis Ángeles column for LAist/KPCC and has written essays on food and culture for the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
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