Houston’s New In-N-Out Burger Looks Like One Big Tease: Cult Favorite Admits It is Still a Long Way From Opening in the Bayou City

In-N-Out Burger fans here in Houston are going to have to go hungry a good while longer. California’s favorite fast food joint is gravitating toward Space City, but its opening is “still well over a year away,” In-N-Out spokesperson Carl Arena tells PaperCity.

We may be in burgertory, but there’s no need to panic. The plans are set. It’s just that the stage isn’t.

The cult-favorite burger chain purchased the property at 8373 Westheimer Road even with an existing lease in place, considering it an ideal location to build a restaurant once the current tenant’s lease expired. Buying quality sites and holding them for the future “is not an unusual strategy for us,” Arena says, given In-N-Out’s “relatively slow growth rate compared to others in the industry.”

But with the current tenant having a longterm lease and showing inclination to move out any sooner, the 8373 Westheimer Road spot cannot be converted into an In-N-Out anytime in the immediate future.

The ray of hope is that other Houston locales may be in works. In-N-Out is also scouting out “several opportunities in the (Houston) metro area,” according to Arena, but is keeping mum on the specifics whereabouts.

In-N-Out Professes Love for H-Town

Though it’s now a long time off, In-N-Out can’t wait to come to Houston. “There is a lot to like!” says Arena. “It’s a wonderful community with strong growth and great quality of life. We will consider it a privilege to be part of the Houston community when that time comes.”

Houstonians started salivating when the new Westheimer In-N-Out location was revealed about a year ago. Texans have been enjoying In-N-Outs in their home state since 2011, when the first one opened in Dallas. Now, there 36 In-N-Outs spanning across the Lone Star State. And many people feel it’s long past time Houston got its very own.

Some hopefuls have been fervent for years — and In-n-Out Houston speculation long ran rampant before any solid news reports. Local In-N-Out devotees started the Facebook page In-N-Out Burger Houston back in 2010. Posts were enthusiastic yet infrequent. It’s gone quiet, with February’s announcement as the most recent post.

The future Houston In-N-Out is a topic of everyday conversation across the city. Burger enthusiasts are watching the news on the development closely.  Passionate — divergent — opinions come from Californians living in Houston, and Houstonians living in California.

“In-N-Out Burger is a staple of quality fast food that defies the label,” Eric Lewis, an Orange County native currently pursuing his PhD at Rice University, tells PaperCity. Lewis lauds the combination of the “family-owned diner feel” and precise service management. That mix makes it his gold standard for burger joints, he says.

The only potential downside he sees of a location here in Houston: the challenge of managing a “distant locale and supply of the same quality ingredients I know and love.”

On the flip side, not all Houston transplants are as keen on the franchise. Reed Landrum grew up in Houston and moved to tech-central Palo Alto. After growing up on Whataburger, Landrum’s not so wild for animal style, calling In-N-Out “alright.”

“It’s the best fast food option out here, probably,” he adds.

He’s got loyalty and conviction when it comes to the true Texas burger chain. “Whataburger’s better,” he says outright.

If you’re in the In-N-Out camp, keep doubling down on the double double. Your time will come. Eventually.