January 2009

In-N-Out Burger veterans in California know there are certain items not on the menu that can be ordered.  I feel rather smug as a Northwest native when I step up to the counter and order their Double Double “animal style” or ask for a “Flying Dutchman” (two meat, two cheese and nothing else).  Several versions of the In-N-Out ‘secret’ menu are posted on the web if you are interested are a fan of their burgers, fries, and shakes.  Here is a decent one: HIDDEN IN N OUT MENU.

More recently I’ve also stumbled onto a similar off-menu item at Starbucks that is a delight if you didn’t walk in the door desperate for your hit of caffeine.  The bonus is that this particular drink might be the best deal in the shop.   It is essentially a Venti Mango Strawberry Smoothie, but it will only set you back $2.25.  This might be an almost obscene about for a drink in the pre-Starbuckian era, but in today’s world of designer coffee and custom Chai it qualifies as a steal.

24 ounces of fruity goodness in a plastic cup recently re-engineered to use 15% less plastic and produce 45% fewer carbon emissions during production.  Ah!  Eco and health self-righteousness in a cup.

Just don’t blow it for me by making a big deal of this steal.  Act totally nonchalant if you plan to order one and do the following:

1. Saunter up to the juice case next to the cash register and pick out the small (10 ounce) bottle of Naked Juice: Mighty Mango.
2. Casually ask the barista behind the counter if they can add strawberry puree to the juice to make a smoothie in a Venti cup.
3. Hand them your cash or card and act collected while your mango-strawberry goodness is blended.
4. Take your drink and move calmly out of earshot of any employees before you laugh with delight and start sipping like a fiend.

Let me know what you think after trying it or pass along suggestions of other off-menu items you order at your favorite places.