Say what? In-N-Out beaten by this other California chain for best burger in USA TODAY list

Color us dubious.

Or, more accurately put: Double Double Dubious.

The folks back east at USA TODAY's headquarters recently named the best fast-food burgers served by chains nationwide.

First, the good news: The top two finishers are California-based compainies.

Now, the dubious part: USA TODAY ranked California-based Habit Burger Grill higher than California-based In-N-Out Burger.

You can hear the collective "Say what?" groans from diehard In-N-Out fans across California.

How did the editors come up with this decision? USA TODAY 10Best's editors and a panel of burger buffs nominated the best choices. Then (misguided) readers voted for their favorites.

Jason Triail, Habit’s director of culinary innovation, took a victory lap via email when SFGATE asked them about the recognition, crediting the chain's "chargrilling" and "smoky flavor" for the win.

"It’s not just about the taste, though," Trail said. "It’s about the entire experience."

All righty, then. If you say so.

USA TODAY's best burgers served by chains list

Here's the complete top-10 list of USA TODAY's best burgers from a chain.

1. Double Char - The Habit Burger Grill
2. Double-Double - In-N-Out Burger
3. BBQ Rodeo Burger - BurgerFi
4. Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger - Jack in the Box
5. Cheeseburger - Five Guys
6. Double Meat Whataburger - Whataburge
7. ButterBurger Cheese, Double - Culver's
8. Whopper - Burger King
9. Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger - Carl's Jr.
10. The 1921 Slider - White Castle

When did The Habit Burger Grill start?

The Habit Burger Grill first opened in Santa Barbara in 1969, originally named Hamburger Habit. In 1995, a second location opened in Ventura and gradually expanded to more than 20 Southern California locations. By 2014, the company had 109 locations. Today the Irvine-based company has 372 locations, including 30 in the United Kingdom.

When did In-N-Out Burger start?

In-N-Out opened its first location in 1948 in Baldwin Park. Today, it has about 400 locations in seven states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and Colorado.

The burger haven has since developed a devotion among everyday people and celebrities alike, especially after celebrity chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain declared In-N-Out the best restaurant in Los Angeles.

Earlier this year, Paul Giamatti famously celebrated his Best Actor Golden Globe win for "The Holdovers" by heading to the In-N-Out in Westwood. While still wearing his tuxedo, the actor was spotted sitting at a table with his Golden Globe Award trophy.

Does In-N-Out have a secret menu?

First things first: In-N-Out doesn't have a real "secret menu," Carl Van Fleet, vice president of planning and development, told USA TODAY. But it does have a not-so-secret menu, he says, that's not posted on store menu boards but on the chain's website.

Among those items is the Protein Burger, which consists of two cheeseburger patties wrapped in lettuce but no bun. "We never set out to create or pioneer a secret menu," says Van Fleet. Some of the names for these variations just stuck."

USA TODAY contributed to this story.