Opinion: Missoula Will Be Just Fine Without an ‘In-N-Out’ Burger

For years I heard how great In-N-Out burgers are. I have met people who have moved to Montana from California and talked a lot about their love for In-N-Out. I have relatives that live in California and I hear the same thing, about how great their burgers are. The hype was built up so much over the years, it almost seemed mythical. I expected the heaven's to part and my taste buds to rejoice, neither happened.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad burger, it just was built up so much that my expectations were very high. When stories come out about an In-N-Out restaurant opening closer to Montana it seems like there are a lot of people who get very excited about the prospect we could be getting one soon.

Read More: In-N-Out Moves Another Step Closer To Montana

For those that haven't eaten at an In-N-Out burger before, I just want to manage your expectations a bit. They serve a good burger. Is it a great burger? Not really. A big appeal for In-N-Out is the small variety of food on their menu. They basically just offer burgers, fries, drinks and shakes.

Missoula will be just fine if we don't see an In-N-Out burger anytime soon. There are some pretty darn good burgers already available here in town.

• Wally & Buck on Front Street offers smash burgers
• Double K Ranch in the Paxson Plaza offers smash burgers
• Gary's Local Downtown on Front Street they offer a $6 burger
• Missoula Club if you want a burger in a joint that has been around since 1890
• Conflux Taphouse on North Pattee Street downtown

If you are ever craving an In-N-Out burger, maybe give one of these a try instead. If Missoula ever does get an In-N-Out odds are it will probably be located somewhere on North Reserve and the last thing we need is more traffic in that area of town. Any local restaurant that has any menu items named "Double Double" or "Animal" can expect a "cease and desist" letter from an In-N-Out attorney because they own the trademark to those phrases, you can read about that here.

I am not saying we should never get an In-N-Out in Missoula, I just think we will be fine without one. Just check out these local food trucks.