Blue Plate Special: Hamburgers, hamburgers and more hamburgers, all served fresh and cooked to order.

The Dish: In the late 1940s, an entrepreneur named Harry Snyder had the good business sense to marry Southern California's two greatest loves -- the hamburger and the automobile. Soon, the drive-thru burger joint was born. Today, it's not uncommon to see cars lined up down the block in the early morning hours filled with burger buffs looking for a Double-Double fix. Why? Simply put, few things can rival the Double-Double in the all-time rankings of guilty pleasures. Stacked with two pure beef patties, two slices of American cheese, hand-leafed lettuce, tomato and onions (grilled on request), the Double-Double is by far the top draw. The burgers also come in the single patty variety, but if you're going to wait for it, you might as well make it a double. Nearly as popular as the burgers are the fresh cut French fries and the pure ice cream milk shakes, prepared the same way since 1948.

The Atmosphere: The design of the In-N-Out Burger drive-thru has all the aesthetic charm of a parking lot -- but that's the point. The dated décor is all part of a strategy that reminisces for simpler days in the burger trade. Wedged between two lanes of a steady car parade, agile employees buzz around inside a kitchen not much larger than a walk-in closet, pumping out burgers at an alarming rate. The newer stores have dropped the strict drive-thru format to include indoor dining -- which often serves up food quicker than the drive-thru. The crowd is always an eclectic California blend, with teens (flaunting new drivers licenses) dominating the late-night hours. -- Mikael Romano (Photo: Rick Fisher)