When I was working with Vore back in the early 80's the joke was that they called it "In & Out" because thats exactly what their food did...
Seriously, they make a good, old fashioned greasy burger. And yes, Hostrauser is correct, their fries suck big time.
Forgot one of my favorites in So Cal...TOMMIES!!! Yeah, kinda a like an In & Out with Chili on the burger too!!! They opened a place in Sacramento a few years ago, it advertises "chili burger's just like Tommies" and sure enough, they really are...even the chili tastes the same. Well worth it, since the closest we'll probably ever get to a Tommies is Bakersfield?
Not exactly fast food, but I miss Bob's Big Boy. Used to be a tradition that when PGOK and I went to All State (the occasional years I get kids in the band) we'd go to one of the last Bob's, which was in Fresno. Now it too is gone.
Two other great places....
Burrito King in Hollywood. Not sure it's still there, but for a while they were famous enough to start opening them in several locations. For a while, in the early 80's there was one about 1 block from Magnolia HS. The other great place is Casa Sanchez in Long Beach (they have several locations).
Whenever I judge in Reno its always a chance to go to Del Taco or El Pollo Loco.
In the "inland empire" Juan Pollo is a great place. Wonderful chicken and an awesome potato salad.
Some other great places now gone:
"Back Alley Pizza" in Fountain Valley. My favorite place in HS & College. Long gone now.
Love's Wood Pit BBQ. I used to work at one in Fountain Valley in HS. The guy who owned it sold it to start his own chain...he called it "Claim Jumper."
Another great place for awesome eats is "North Woods Inn" in the SanGabriel valley. When I was a little kid (I was born in the valley, but grew up in the OC) the fake snow on the roof used to facinate me.
Bad part about many great places to eat is that they just don't last. There was a place in Chico when I was first introduced to that town in 1981 called "La Fonda"...best mexican resteraunt (and chips & salsa) of all times. But they opened a "Chevy's" about 3 doors down, and it killed it. Even worse, about a year later the Chevy's went bankrupt. Dumb.
Ah well.
JCYS