I tried In-N-Out and Whataburger side by side - and it's obvious who makes the better burger

To put it simply, Whataburger is to Texas what In-N-Out is to California.

Both companies are still family-owned, regional chains - an anomaly in a market that is mostly dominated by national, multimillion-dollar fast food companies.

In-N-Out is scattered throughout the Southwest, while Whatabuger locations line the south from New Mexico over to Florida.

They meet in the middle: Dallas, Texas, to be exact, which is where I had the opportunity to eat the two side-by-side in a classic taste test smackdown.

While Texans swear by Whataburger's more southern menu items (Texas toast, patty melts, biscuits), Californians rave about In-N-Out's fresh ingredients and "animal style" burgers.

For this test, I ordered the basics: burger, large fries, and a chocolate milkshake.