"Fine" Dining

🍖🔥 Tony Roma's: The Rib Pivot That Took Over the World (and Then Left America?) 🔥🍖 This week, Gabe Legg (@gabe_legg) joins me to unpack the history of  Tony Roma's , a restaurant that stumbled into ribs, built an empire on them, and somehow ended up bigger overseas than in the US. From Playboy beginnings to NFL ownership to a string of financial shakeups, Tony Roma's might be one of the strang...

🍗🔥 Zaxby's Review: Fingerz, Wings, and a Whole Lot of Disagreement 🔥🍗 We're back at Zaxby's with Alex Stedman (@alex.paisley.stedman), and this one is...divisive. We did not see eye to eye on a LOT of these items, the vibes were aggressively brown, and one unexpected menu item rose above it all as the most consistent treat. 🍗 Fingerz & Wings Meal with Tongue Torch Sauce Sparks Debate 🍞 Texas...

🍗🔥 Zaxbys: Sauce Boss, $16K Beginnings, and the Cult of the Z 🔥🍗 Brought to you by the 2025 Septemburger Tournament bracket winner Craig Majors , this week, I'm joined by actress and improvisor  Alex Stedman (@alex.paisley.stedman) to break down the history of Zaxbys . From a tiny college chicken joint called "Zax" to a 1,000+ location powerhouse, this is a story of an obsession with the lette...

🌮🔥 Torchy's Tacos Review: Damn Good (Hey! That's Their Slogan!) 🔥🌮 We're back at Torchy's Tacos with my mom Sue Ornelas , and despite forgotten items, cooled-off food, and a few service hiccups, this ended up being a remarkably positive experience. The decor is packed with personality (pitchfork door handles are peak), and the food carries the day. Also, we unpack the long-standing psychologic...

🌮🔥 Torchy's Tacos: From Trailer Park to Taco Empire (Damn Good Origins!) 🔥🌮 This week, I'm joined by my mom, Sue Ornelas , to dig into the history of Torchy's Tacos . From humble trailer beginnings to an expanding national chain, Torchy's built its reputation on pork tacos, the devil, and tacos named after political affiliations. We talk about its early days, the wild marketing stunts, and whe...

🍔👻 The Burger Den (Denny's?!): We Ate INSIDE a Ghost Kitchen… and It Felt Illegal 👻🍔 Ansley Layne (@spookyfoodie) and I return to paranormally investigate The Burger Den , except…we're now criminals. Eating inside the Denny's, being served like it was completely normal, despite the Burger Den being take-out only?? My stars!! Our waitress actually served us despite not expecting a tip (which sh...

👻🍔📦 Ghost Kitchens: The Pandemic, Chain Alter Egos, and Uber's Co-Founder 📦🍔👻 This week, I'm joined by Ansley Layne (@spookyfoodie) for a haunted deep dive into the world of ghost kitchens . We tell the entire history like a ghost story, tracing how these delivery-only concepts rose from the shadows to dominate the pandemic era. From secret alternate restaurant identities on delivery apps to...

🏴‍☠️🐟🍟 Long John Silver's Review: Pirate Music, Fried Sea Water, and Puke Breaks  🍟🐟🏴‍☠️ We're back with Part 2 of Long John Silver's , and my cousin  Emma Danger returns as we finally taste what the seafood chain has to offer. There are a few bright spots. The pirate-style orchestral covers of popular songs are delightful, and the Captain's Bell looming overhead feels like a reward we despe...

🐟🏴‍☠️🍟 Long John Silver's: Toy Lawsuits, Abandoned by Yum!, and the Worst Restaurant Meal in America 🍟🏴‍☠️🐟 This week I'm joined by my cousin Emma Danger for her fourth appearance on the show as we dive into the history of  Long John Silver's . From its time sailing under the Yum! Brands flag alongside KFC and Taco Bell to its rocky financial voyages through bankruptcy, the chain has had qui...

🌮🔥🥑 On the Border Review: Guacamole Glory, Taco Chips, and The Chili's Test 🥑🔥🌮 We're back with Part 2 of On the Border , and this time Trent Tucker (@TheGOTSPod) and I actually sit down to eat at the former Brinker sibling to Chili's. There are highs. There are lows. There is guacamole made tableside that absolutely slaps. We also encounter a manager radiating peak "Karen energy," raid a Li...

🌮🔥🍹 On the Border: Bankruptcy, Bottomless Calories, and Marky Marg Madness 🍹🔥🌮 This week, Trent Tucker (@thegotspod) from the Geek Off the Street podcast joins me to break down the chaotic history of On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina , a chain that once lived under the Chili's corporate umbrella at Brinker International before getting unceremoniously left behind. On the Border has had a...

🍕🔥🏠 Papa Murphy's Pizza Review: When Take 'N' Bake Fights Back 🏠🔥🍕 We're back with Part 2 of Papa Murphy's , and this time Peter Murphy (@peter_murphy) and I actually put the take 'n' bake concept to the test after a four-hour round-trip to experience it properly. What followed was a very kind cashier, a slightly alarming health department confession, and instructions that nearly burned my a...

🍕🔥🏠 Papa Murphy's Pizza: Take 'N' Bake, No Ovens, No Mercy 🏠🔥🍕 This week, comedian Peter Murphy (@peter_murphy) joins me to break down the strange, fascinating history of Papa Murphy's , the pizza chain that refuses to cook your food for you. We dig into how take 'n' bake became the brand's entire identity, why you literally cannot buy a hot pizza there, and how that decision shaped everythi...

🍕🍪 BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse Review: Extreme Pizza, Elite Wings, and Too Much Chocolate 🍪🍕 We're back with Part 2 of BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse , and this time PJ McCormick (@peejmccormick) and I actually sit down to eat. The service feels a little detached, the vibes are exactly what you'd expect from a brewery, and PJ remains baffled that this place ever started as a pizza joint. 🍕 Peppe...

🍕🍺📚 BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse: Finding the Gimmick (It Was Beer) 📚🍺🍕 This week kicks off Part 1 of our BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse coverage with a full Eat Deets history episode, joined by PJ McCormick (@peejmccormick). We trace BJ's unlikely evolution from a Chicago-style pizza experiment to a beer-forward empire, debate whether pizza was ever really their best foot forward, and draw a co...

🍕📊🍴 Domino's Pizza Review: Three Pizzas, Vibes, & Getting  Deputized  🍴📊🍕 Season 4 continues as James Werner (@jamesyjoehenry) returns for Part 2 of our Domino's Pizza episode , this time putting the pizza where the mouth is. We actually ate inside a Domino's, sat at a real table, and watched the pies come together from what can only be described as the Young Pizza Inspector overlook. With a...

🍕📦🚗 Domino's Pizza: Hostages, Food Tampering, and Turning It All Around 🚗📦🍕 Season 4 (omg, what??) kicks off with a deep dive into the wild, complicated, and occasionally Noidy history of  Domino's Pizza . Joined by improviser and musician James Werner (@jamesyjoehenry), I trace how a tiny Michigan pizzeria turned into the world's largest pizza chain by making bold promises, bad mistakes, sm...

🗣️⭐🍽️ Yelp From Strangers: Rainforest Cafe, Bob's Big Boy, Waffle House, Pappadeaux & Chuy's 🍽️⭐🗣️ VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) is back as we wrap up our two-part Yelp From Strangers special during the final stretch of Bridge Season. This week's batch is truly unhinged. Once again, the food is secondary and the feelings are loud. Also, wtf does "we are bar people" even mean?? 🥩 A Rainforest Cafe...

🗣️⭐🍽️ Yelp From Strangers: Denny's, Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, Gyu-Kaku & Bubba Gump 🍽️⭐🗣️ This week, VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) joins me for a pure Yelp chaos episode as the Bridge Season barrels toward its finale. No history, no food review, just unfiltered opinions from the internet's most confident critics. From late-night diners to shrimp shrines, this first of a two-part Yelp special proves...

🍔🏄‍♂️🍟 Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks: The Best Casual Burger Chain? 🍟🏄‍♂️🍔 This week, VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) returns for another round of Eat Deets as we surf the waves of flavor offered by Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks . From their golden fries and proprietary fry salt to surf videos looping endlessly on the walls, Islands is a California chain that perfectly captures chill beach energ...

🍝🚋🕯️ The Old Spaghetti Factory: Trolleys, Mizithra, and Guss Dussin's Dream 🕯️🚋🍝 This week, VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) joins me for a deep dive into the charming, old-world history of The Old Spaghetti Factory . We uncover how a humble warehouse filled with antiques became one of America's most distinctive restaurant chains, complete with a refurbished trolley car centerpiece and chandeliers...

🐃🔥🍗 Buffalo Wild Wings GO: Garfield, Barbed Wire, and the Blazin' Knockout 🍗🔥🐃 This week, Shannon Bengston (@SSBengston) returns as we finally taste the chaos that is Buffalo Wild Wings GO . From an earnest-but-overwhelmed employee taking our order to a blaring Garfield cartoon that won't stop looping, this meal tests not just our patience, but the limits of the Chili's Test itself. 🥤 Mount...

🐃🔥🍗 Buffalo Wild Wings GO: The Fourth Jonas, Blazin' Heat & a Fightin' Manager 🍗🔥🐃 This week, Shannon Bengston (@SSBengston) joins me to trace the wild story behind Buffalo Wild Wings GO : from its roots as "BW3" in Columbus, Ohio to its modern takeout-only spin-off. We cover Hank the Buffalo, the forgotten Weck sandwich, and the Jonas Brothers ad campaign (yes, including the mysterious four...

🥩🦘🍺 Outback Steakhouse: "No Rules, Just Right," Survivor, & Bloomin' Onion Perfection 🍺🦘🥩 This week, I'm joined by VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) to explore the not-so-Australian history of Outback Steakhouse , the restaurant that proves authenticity is optional when the vibes are right. From a "No Rules, Just Right" slogan that's maybe a little too spicy, to Survivor contestants earning an Out...

🥴🍽️🚫 Hometown Buffet: The Absolute Bottom of the Tchotchke of Mediocrity 🚫🍽️🥴 This week, we revisit a meal that has haunted me since 2014: Hometown Buffet , the worst restaurant experience of my life. Joined by Trey Burch , I relive the sleepy Sunday morning buffet that somehow managed to fail at everything. From nonexistent service to questionable sushi, this trip back to mediocrity's basemen...