People around these parts -- or indeed any part, I guess -- rave about In-N-Out Burger, which truly shows what products of marketing we have become. Really. They aren't that good. They're fine, but not that good.
People around these parts will also often claim D Lish's to be the closest local alternative we have to In-N-Out, and that's probably somewhat true. It's hard to argue that there isn't at least a fair similarity between the burgers, unless you've been completely brainwashed by the In-N-Out marketing machine
Yet, as with In-N-Out, I don't really think D Lish's is anything to go completely ga-ga over. These are good burgers, not great, and you can find better options in town.
By all means though, "good" is better than many, possibly even most. The patties and vegetable actually have some flavor to them, which, hey, can be kind of a rarity. The buns aren't particularly fantastic -- they taste like Franz or whatever -- but you can always go with the "bun flinger" instead, and have the meat wrapped in lettuce.
The burgers are pretty fresh tasting, for the most part, but we're talking about burgers here, not chateaubriand. They're not going to be part of a life altering meal.
In that sense, you might be better off just going with fries and a shake. The fries, advertised as never being frozen, are quite good, and have a distinct flavor of potatoes to them. I know, right? And, really, it's hard to go wrong with a huckleberry shake.
What it comes down to, for me, is that you can get a better "gourmet" burger at Churchill's and a better fast food burger at Rusty Roof's. Now that the latter is opening in the Gonzaga district, those of us who don't live north can enjoy the spot too.
D Lish's, meanwhile, is pretty good in its own right, or, as it is, In-N-Out's right.