I lived in CA for about 15 years. Never really “got” the In-N-Out cult thing. The food was OK, but not remarkable, IMHO.
I like In-N-Out because I consider it a bit better than the other fast food place at a similar price point. At the same time, I’m not one of those fans who’ll sit in the drive-thru for 45 minutes for their food. If the drive-thru line is too long and/or it’s too crowded inside, then I don’t really consider it “fast” food and will go elsewhere. Conversely, I know a few people who absolutely hate In-N-Out, and, to a person, their gripe is the same: they hate the fries. Personally, I really like their fresh-cut fries, but I can appreciate the fact that they’re a significantly different sort of fry than the standard frozen fries of McDonald’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box, etc. And some folks just prefer the latter.