Over two decades ago, a seemingly outlandish request from a San Francisco tech worker at In-N-Out left a lasting mark on the burger chain’s legacy.
Will Young, along with a group of friends, had stumbled upon rumors circulating online about a clandestine menu at In-N-Out. Intrigued and eager to test its limits, they decided to put the whispers to the ultimate test.
On Halloween night in 2004, this adventurous group, which included the late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, approached the counter at an In-N-Out in Las Vegas with a bold request: a burger stacked with 100 beef patties and 100 slices of cheese.
This towering concoction soon became infamous as the 100-by-100. Its sheer absurdity prompted In-N-Out to reconsider the boundaries of its secret menu, ultimately leading to some changes.
Today, customers dreaming of skyscraper-like burgers will find their ambitions curbed, as In-N-Out has introduced a limit. The chain now caps its custom burgers at a more manageable 4×4, consisting of four patties and four slices of cheese.
Today, workers will no longer assemble those towering meat-and-cheese skyscrapers for customers, with the chain capping built burgers at a 4×4 – four patties and four slices of cheese.
Young said the whole thing started as a spontaneous Halloween detour, not a carefully planned stunt. He and seven friends had been planning a big night out at a club – or at least a bar – before stopping at In-N-Out for dinner.
It was Hsieh’s brother, Andy, who suggested ordering a 100-by-100 after hearing rumors that a group of college students had once attempted something similar.
More than 20 years ago, a tech worker from San Francisco made a request so absurd that he changed In-N-Out forever
In-N-Out is famous for its very simple menu, offering just three kind of burgers – double-double, cheeseburger, and hamburger
At one of Nevada’s In-N-Out locations – of which there are now 23 – the group stepped up to the counter and asked if the fast-food restaurant could make a double-double, but with 98 extra patties and 98 extra slices of cheese.
With a chuckle, the In-N-Out workers agreed, and thus the famous 100-by-100 burger was born.
‘It was no grand plan,’ Young told SFGATE. ‘We just asked. We thought they’d say no.’
Sure enough, the famously cheerful In-N-Out staff agreed to take on the monstrous challenge.
The mammoth order took quite some time to prepare – and it was no doubt a nightmare for the grill cooks battling to stack the towering creation together – but eventually the group received exactly what they wanted.
Workers on the evening shift even cobbled together a makeshift serving tray for the colossal burger, piecing cardboard boxes together just to hold the giant feast.
There was a single bun on top, another on the bottom, and in between sat a staggering 100 layers of beef and cheese. The meal reportedly cost $88.20 at the time and totaled nearly 20,000 calories, according to SFGATE.
‘That was the end of our night, of course,’ Young said, ‘because we ate it, felt terrible and didn’t go out after.’
Join the discussion
Should fast food chains limit outrageous custom orders or embrace customer creativity no matter the cost?
One of Young’s friends floated the outrageous idea of ordering a jaw-dropping 100-by-100 burger after hearing whispers of a legendary attempt by a group of college students
Sure enough, the famously cheerful In-N-Out staff agreed to take on the monstrous challenge
Once a longtime San Francisco resident, Young now has a couple of children and says he is more than happy to have swapped the bustle of the Mission District for the comfort of an East Bay backyard – even if he still misses being able to stroll out his front door and grab a top-tier burrito.
Like so many across the Bay Area, Young has spent much of his life orbiting the hazy and unpredictable world of tech and the internet. He has advised startups that ultimately fizzled out, coded for companies boasting eye-watering valuations, and worn just about every hat imaginable along the way.
At various points, he has been an early-stage investor, a behind-the-scenes tech worker, and the kind of employee you would need to squint at an org chart to even spot.
As of 2026, In-N-Out has expanded significantly, with more than 430 locations in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and Tennessee.
The chain is famous for its unusually simple official menu: the hamburger, cheeseburger, Double-Double, fries and shakes.
But its not-so-secret menu has long been a major part of its cult appeal.
Customers can ask for burgers ‘animal style’, which means mustard-grilled patties, grilled onions, extra spread and pickles. The animal style order dates back to 1961, when customers began asking for messier, more flavorful versions of the chain’s classic burgers.
