In-N-Out
151 Kern St., Salinas 1350 Del Monte Blvd., Seaside (800) 786-1000, in-n-out.com
There’s no red tape, no mind-numbing bureaucracy, just delicious burgers built on a platform of simplicity. Lines might at times be as long as bread-lines in the former Soviet Union, but burgers are made quickly, to-order and with as many (or as few) patties and/or slices of cheese as one can handle. This democratic institution of fast food allows for culinary self-expression like ordering a burger “Animal Style” or just wrapped in lettuce, and with fries cut from actual potatoes mere minutes before being dropped into hot oil. In-N-Out might be a model for successful governments of the future.