Weird History Food 2025: Episode Guide & Ratings

Once upon a time, almost every fast food place in America had a bar. A salad bar, that is. Heck, a bunch of them even had full on all-you-can-eat buffets, which feels a little more in line with cheeseburger culture. But then, without warning, those bars and buffets started vanishing just as quickly as they had appeared.

Whether you’re headed to McDonald’s for a Big Mac, a box of Chicken McNuggets, or a Filet o’Fish, odds are… you’re probably gonna have some fries with that. And that’s because -- all over the world -- pretty much everyone loves the taste of McDonald’s french fries. So what’s the secret?

Grilled, fried, or rare. Whole, sliced, or massaged and beer-fed… Americans love a good steak. But with a red meat scare on the rise, many steakhouse regulars face grave concerns. Is chowing down on all that beef truly unhealthy, or has steak simply been slandered for the last few decades?

If you were alive in the 1980s and '90s, then you remember the glory days of fruit snacks. Some of them were gummy. Some of them gushed. And some of them were oddly stringy. But the undisputed champion of fruity deliciousness was the snack that rolled. General Mills' legendary fruit roll-ups have been a part of kids' lunches and snack times since 1983, and over the years, they've had their sticky fingers on all sorts of triumphs and controversies. But how were they invented? And exactly how much "fruit" is rolled into that cellophane wrapper?

They say “you’ve gotta have heart.” But whoever they were, they clearly weren’t talking about Hart House, a Vegan Fast Food Restaurant founded by comedian Kevin Hart. Despite the best intentions, the chain was so short lived it’s likely you never even heard of it before it blinked out of existence forever. So what went wrong?

Unless you’ve been living on Mars, odds are you've heard the phrase “Snap into a Slim Jim!”. Probably from a professional wrestler. Slim Jims are a “meat snack” that is similar to, but legally distinct from beef jerky, and in the 1990s, they were everywhere. But all of a sudden, this once-dominant salty treat seemingly blinked out of existence, as if Thanos snapped into one. So, what happened?

The Flintstones was a sitcom that ran on A-B-C from 1960 to 1966, making history as the first animated show to air in primetime. While the show has been off the air for decades, the Flintstones are still a regular fixture in many of our lives thanks to the continued success of a certain brand of breakfast cereals. In fact, it’s possible some people only know them as grocery store mascots, and have no idea the show ever existed.

Picture it: you’re out to eat and the smell of loaded potato skins is strong. The walls are adorned with an attic’s worth of knick-knacks, the wait staff is cheery in their white and red striped uniforms, and you’re mesmerized by the tricks the bartender is performing in the background, because in here, it’s always Friday night.

Is dessert really dessert without Cool Whip? It’s practically against the law to serve pie or ice cream without a dollop of the light, fluffy spread - or an entire tub, if it’s your birthday. But while it feels as though it's always been there for us, Cool Whip is a fairly recent invention. And we’ve never really been sure what it actually is.

When it comes to casual dining, we all know the biggest players in the game. Fast food franchises like McDonald's and Taco Bell, or sit-down restaurants like Denny's and Cracker Barrel have dominated America for decades. But you can't hold onto market domination without a little market innovation, which is why many of these giants have tried to duplicate their success with spin-off restaurants!

Subway is one of the most well known submarine sandwich chain of all time. And for a while, they were cruising along like a train. But somewhere along the way, the ride got a little bumpy, and eventually the franchise all but derailed. So what happened, like , ASIDE from that whole fiasco with Jared Fogel?

Back in the 1980s, Domino’s Pizza encouraged their customers to “avoid the Noid” -- a strange claymation creature who starred in a series of popular ads for the chain. But the ads turned out to be a little too popular, leading to a dramatic crime that no one could have predicted. How did an animated mascot cause so much havoc?

Back in 2003, South Park premiered an episode about an outlandish Mexican restaurant with cliff diving, puppet shows and even a full-on cave system. For most people outside the Colorado area, it was their introduction to Lakewood local legend, Casa Bonita. The real-life, kid-focused plaza de comida has been lovingly described as “so bad, it's good,” and for 50 years has dazzled families with live entertainment, charming attractions and even fire breathers, before it became a violation of fire code. About the only thing people do not remember fondly was the food - that is, until South Park stepped in and saved it!

Ice cream trucks are a cornerstone of classic, nostalgic Americana… but where did they come from? How do they pick their routes? Don’t those drivers get sick of hearing “Pop Goes the Weasel” over and over again all day? And why are they more dangerous than you thought? Let us know in the comments of your most memorable Ice Cream truck experience growing up!

In the history of fruit flavored sodas, the almighty Fanta might just reign supreme. With a massive worldwide following and a long history of international production, this orange beverage has become a favorite for just about everyone on the planet…Unless you’re an American that is. As beloved as Fanta is by its diehard fans, U.S. sales for the citrus pop can’t even crack the top five. So what gives?