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Tom Hanks Dropped Into an LA-Area In-N-Out and Bought Everyone Lunch

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The happy-go-lucky star shook hands and took lots of selfies

Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences’ 10th Annual Governors Awards - Show
Tom Hanks
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

Actor Tom Hanks and restaurant chain In-N-Out have a lot in common, it seems. Both are native California products that have spread love across the world, and each has a loyal base of eager fans that love to get really, really excited. So it’s no surprise that Hanks and wife and fellow actress Rita Wilson ended up splashed all over the news late last week when they showed up, unannounced, to an In-N-Out location in Fontana, California and bought everyone lunch.

The delightful scene unfolded just days before Christmas, when Hanks and Wilson popped in for a meal themselves. The crowd of diners and workers seemed so taken with the pair that, instead of just sitting and eating, they seem to have spent most of their time taking selfies with groups and politely shaking hands. And, as multiple reports have noted online, they bought everyone’s meal in the entire restaurant while they were there — including folks using the drive-thru window.

@tomhanks thanks for lunch .... he’s in Fontana people #tomhanks #innout #fontana #heboughtmylunch #thankyou #himrhanks #itsforrest #lifeslikeaboxofchocolate

Posted by Renee Chavez on Friday, December 21, 2018

Hanks has long spoken fondly of In-N-Out and its secret menu, and has a well-known reputation for dropping in politely out of nowhere, so the combination of the two just makes perfect sense. Plus, everyone knows — including the traveling Hanks — that In-N-Out is America’s greatest road trip burger.