I'm a food reporter who went to In-N-Out for the first time and it was the best fast-food burger I've ever eaten

The closest In-N-Out was a short drive away from my hotel in south Austin. After hopping in an Uber, I soon pulled up to the restaurant and saw the iconic yellow-and-red logo on the white building.

As a food reporter, I've tried a lot of fast-food items, from double cheeseburgers at practically every chain to newer items like the Megan Thee Stallion "Hottie" chicken sandwich from Popeyes.

However, as a native East Coaster, I've never been to In-N-Out before.

In 1958, In-N-Out replaced its bottled drinks with fountain service, offering customers beverages like Pepsi Cola, Nesbitt Orange, and Hires Root Beer. According to In-N-Out, a 12-ounce soda cost just 10 cents at the time.

In 1961, In-N-Out added "animal style" burgers to its menu as a response to overwhelming customer requests. The recipe is still the same today as it was in the 1960s: a mustard-cooked beef patty, lettuce, tomato, pickles, extra spread, and grilled onions.

In 1963, In-N-Out began serving its famous Double-Double burger. A few years later, In-N-Out opened its first location with a dining room in Ontario, California.

While some new items have been added since 1948, the menu is still pretty similar to the original menu, offering basic fast-food items like burgers and fries.

In-N-Out's restaurant design is relatively simple, with a seemingly vintage-inspired theme of red and white. I also immediately noticed the palm tree motif on the tiled cash register, which pays homage to the chain's California roots.

A friendly employee took my order at the counter and handed me my receipt, which had my order number on it.

While I waited for my food, I decided to have a look around the dining room.

Americana artwork on the wall made me feel like I had stepped back to the 1950s.

I poured myself my go-to drink, Diet Coke, and stood back to wait for my food.

After a few minutes, an employee called out my order number.

According to the sign, guests can request everything from sweeteners and ketchup to lemons and chilies.

It was a quaint touch that made the restaurant feel just a little bit more inviting.

In my opinion, no In-N-Out menu item is as iconic as the chain's Double-Double burger, so I knew I had to give it a try.

Although I've heard mixed reviews on the chain's plain fries, I decided to order them on their own rather than "animal style" or with cheese, since I ordered the burger animal style.

My entire meal came to just $11.80, including tax, which I thought was a fair price considering how much food I received.

The Double-Double usually comes with two beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and spread. If you order your burger animal style, the beef patties will be cooked in mustard and come with all the aforementioned toppings, plus pickles and extra spread, and the onions will be grilled.

The pickles were tart and crunchy, the beef patties were over-the-top juicy and flavorful, and the cheese-to-meat ratio was perfect. The onions came through and added a lot of flavor and I really liked the spread. It was super savory and unlike any other sauce I've had on a fast-food burger before.

The burger itself was also very large, and all the ingredients tasted fresh. The cheese was flavorful and thick — it was totally different from cheese I've had on other fast-food burgers.

If I were to come back to In-N-Out, I would definitely order this burger again. Plus, for only $4.50, it certainly didn't break the bank.

Despite having a smaller-than-average menu for a fast-food joint, In-N-Out gives customers a couple of different ways to order their classic fries. You can get them regular, which is what I ordered, well-done, with cheese, or animal style.

The fries were a tad underwhelming, in my opinion. They were crispy but could have used a touch more salt. The inside was not fluffy at all, which I thought gave them an odd texture. Next time, I'd probably order them as cheese fries or animal style to give them more flavor.

I did, however, think the number of fries I received was generous, especially as they only cost $2.

It wasn't overly rich and paired perfectly with my meal. It was also pretty inexpensive at $2.55. However, I was also glad that I ordered a soft drink on the side — I needed something to wash down all the food I was consuming.

For under $12, I thought the meal was balanced, delicious, and totally deserving of all the hype.

Everything I ordered was impressive. Even the fries, which I thought were just OK, weren't terrible by any means and the serving size was very generous. However, what truly stood out to me was the burger.

It was by far the best fast-food burger I've ever eaten. It was large, delicious, and inexpensive. Truly, what more could you ask for?