"Fine" Dining

46:18

Wienerschnitzel: The Taco Bell of Hot Dogs

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/10/07

🌭🏰 Wienerschnitzel: Incorrect German, Taco Bell, and Iconic Chili 🏰🌭 This week, David Luong (@daviddluong) joins me to dig into the history of Wienerschnitzel, America's massive hot dog chain with a name that raises eyebrows. We trace the unlikely connections behind its creation, unpack the improper German that's been there since day one, and investigate how a restaurant named after schnitzel somehow went decades without actually serving any. 🔔 Wienerschnitzel's Founder Was Close with Taco

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42:37

Septemburger 2026: It Ends Here!!

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/09/30

🍔🏆 Septemburger 2026: The Semi-Finals & FINALE! 🏆🍔 It all comes down to this! Joyce, Miranda Coker (@miranda_writes114), Sandy Rose, and Seif Rahoumi (@seifrahoumi) return as Septemburger 2026 reaches its conclusion! Four chains remain, two matchups stand between them and the championship, and naturally, everyone is still cutting wrestling promos like these burgers have personally wronged them. 👑 BurgerFi's CEO Burger Enters the Semi-Finals with Joyce in Its Corner 🤠 Miranda & I Grade

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01:05:54

Fatburger: The Top Contender?

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/09/23

🍔🏆 Fatburger: The No. 1 Seed Takes on McDonald's in Septemburger! 🏆🍔 This week, Miranda Coker (@miranda_writes114) joins me at Fatburger, the No. 1 seed in Septemburger 2026! We dig into the history of this Black-owned burger institution while putting its burger up against McDonald's Big Mac, all before the putting it to the Chili's Test. There's a reason Fatburger earned the top seed, but listen to us gush about just how tasty it is. 💔 How "Mr. Fatburger" Became Just Fatburger After a

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01:12:14

The Oldest McDonald's Still in Operation (It Has a...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/09/16

🍔🏛️ The Oldest McDonald's: Fried Apple Pies, Speedee, and Ray Kroc History 🏛️🍔 We're going back in time! Everyone's favorite recurring guest VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) joins me at the oldest operating McDonald's, the historic Downey, California location that's still rocking the original Speedee mascot, has its own museum, and most importantly, STILL FRIES ITS APPLE PIES. We're also here on official Septemburger 2026 business, finding three burgers worthy (?) of representing the Golden Arches

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01:09:43

Burger King: Is the Upgraded Whopper Good?

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/09/09

👑🍔 Burger King Returns: New History, Three Whoppers, and a Septemburger Showdown 🍔👑 Fill out the Septemburger 2026 Bracket here by 11:59PM PST on September 15th, 2026!! It's been three years since I last covered Burger King, so Andrew Carter (@andrewcahtah) joins me to find out what's changed since 2023 AND revisit the food as BK enters Septemburger 2026 against BurgerFi. There's just one problem: Andrew is very much NOT a Burger King fan. Can the King win him over, or is this tournament

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39:09

Septemburger 2026 Begins NOW!

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/09/02

Fill out the Septemburger 2026 Bracket here by 11:59PM PST on September 15th, 2026!! 🍔🏆 Septemburger 2026 Begins: Five Burgers Enter the Tournament! 🏆🍔 SEPTEMBURGER 2026 IS HERE! Five returning guests join me for the official kickoff as we revisit the burgers entering our first batch of tournament matchups. Luke Pace, Sandy Rose, Bennett Cohen, Seif Rahoumi, and Joyce are back to defend their respective restaurants, talk an unreasonable amount of trash, and find out which burgers survive the

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53:48

JINYA Ramen Bar: I'm Obsessed!

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/08/26

🍜🔥 JINYA Ramen Bar Review: Tableside Birria, Garlic Heaven, and a One-in-a-Million Mishap 🔥🍜 Grayson Alamango Shapiro (@grayson.a.shapiro), first AD of Obsession, is back as we finally eat our way through JINYA Ramen Bar and put it to the Chili's Test! The ramen is pretty solid, the appetizers keep delivering, and then Garlic Rice with Beef Birria steals the entire meal. But even with all that deliciousness, JINYA manages to give us a service mishap so bizarre that I've genuinely never seen

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44:13

Jinya Ramen History with "Obsession" Crew

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/08/19

🍜✈️ JINYA Ramen Bar: The Allure of Hollywood, First-Class Collaboration, and Keanu Reeves ✈️🍜 This week, Obsession first AD Grayson Alamango Shapiro (@grayson.a.shapiro) joins me to dig into the history of JINYA Ramen Bar, a chain that helped take ramen from a regional specialty to a major national restaurant concept. We talk about the appeal of bringing JINYA to "Hollywood," some unexpected celebrity clientele, and how the brand grew into one of the biggest names in American ramen. And somehow,

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44:00

We Ate ALL the Pizzas at Slice House

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/08/12

🍕🧱 Slice House Review: We Tried All the Pizza Styles, and Is Court Crying?! 🧱🍕 Court McGowan (@the_courtjester_) is back as we put Slice House by Tony Gemignani to the Chili's Test! And if you're going to review a place built around Tony's mastery of different pizza styles, of course we're going to try them all. Four different crusts, wings can tear friendships apart, and mooooore! 🍕 We Try So Many Pizzas 🍗 Court and I Are Quite Far Apart on the Wings 🍪 A Chocolate Chip Cookie That Is More

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43:16

Slice House: The Pizza World Champion, Pizza...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/08/05

🍕🏆 Slice House by Tony Gemignani: World Champion Pizza, "Hot Mario (Lopez??)," and Pizza Acrobatics 🏆🍕 This week, Court McGowan (@the_courtjester_) joins me to dive into the history of Slice House by Tony Gemignani, the pizza empire built by one of the most decorated pizza makers on Earth. From world championship dough tossing to an American winning a pizza competition in Naples (which almost caused a riot), this episode is full of a prestigious history! 🏆 Tony Gemignani Becomes a Pizza World

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53:07

Five Guys: Avoid Their Bacon, But Seek Out the Cajun...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/07/29

🍔🥜 Five Guys Review: Worst Bacon Ever, Amazing Fries, and Competitive Burgers 🥜🍔 This week, Seif Rahoumi (@seifrahoumi) returns as we put Five Guys to the Chili's Test. With Five Guys entering Septemburger 2026 as the No. 2 seed, it's time to find out whether one of America's most beloved burger chains can live up to the hype. Between three tournament burgers, fresh-cut fries, and a shockingly bad hot dog, there's a lot to unpack. 🍔 Three Burgers Enter the Septemburger Conversation 🥜 Seif

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40:49

Five Guys Was Actually Six Guys and a Lady

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/07/22

🍔🥜 Five Guys: Shaq's Five Guys Empire, The Secret Sixth Guy, and An Old Yelper Yells at Clouds 🥜🍔 This week, Seif Rahoumi (@seifrahoumi) joins me to look into the history of Five Guys, a family burger business that has scaled massively. Faced with a choice between college and burgers, the Murrell brothers helped build one of America's biggest fast-casual success stories...despite the fact that there are actually six guys, plus one very important woman who didn't make it into the name. 🎓

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51:01

Raising Cane's: Reviewing the Whole Menu, the Insane...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/07/15

🐔🍟 Raising Cane's Review: Amazing Sauce, Terrible Sandwich, and Where Are the Knives?! 🍟🐔 This week, D'Angelo Reyes and I finally put Raising Cane's to the Chili's Test. We order literally everything on the menu, from the famous chicken fingers to the sandwich, fries, slaw, Texas toast, and naturally it comes with the yummy yummy Cane's Sauce. Some items deliver...while one leaves behind the most unpleasant aftertaste I think I've ever encountered from simple produce. 🍗 We Try the Entire

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40:06

Raising Cane's: Named After a Dog, Assumed to Fail,...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/07/08

🐔🎣 Raising Cane's: The Dog Behind the Name, Post Malone, and Velvet Elvis 🎣🐔 This week, D'Angelo Reyes (@dangelo1260) joins me to explore the history of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a restaurant built around one simple idea that almost everyone thought would fail. From disco balls in every dining room to naming the entire company after his beloved dog, Raising Cane's proves that sometimes sticking to your vision is the best business strategy of all. 🐶 Why There Have Been THREE Raising Cane

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58:31

Smashburger: Good, But Not Smashed Enough!!

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/07/01

🍔🥔 Smashburger Review: Incredible Hot Tots, Garlic Fries, and the Elderly Invade! 🥔🍔 This week, Bennett Cohen (@bennettrcohen) and I put Smashburger to the Chili's Test. As the No. 7 seed in Septemburger 2026, Smashburger has a showdown with Five Guys looming in just a couple of months, so the stakes are high. Are they doomed solely by writing a check they couldn't cash (or, SMASH!?). Because these "smash" burgers are not smashed enough to our liking! 🍔 We Review Smashburger's Three Entrants

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45:13

Smashburger Comes From Fast Food Royalty

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/06/24

🍔🥩 Smashburger: McGriddle Meets Quizno's, The "Smash Pass," and False Advertising 🥩🍔 This week, my wonderful guest Bennett Cohen (@bennettrcohen) joins me to dive into the history of Smashburger, a burger brand created by one of the most influential minds in fast food history Tom Ryan (the guy who invented the McGriddle). From custom-forged burger presses to being named America's most promising company by Forbes, Smashburger's history is, at the very least, surpising. 🍔 Smashburger Was

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59:45

Fazoli's: Mom's Spaghetti, GOATed Breadsticks, and...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/06/17

🍝🥖 Fazoli's Review: Breadsticks, Nostalgic Pasta, and the Trader Joe's Restroom 🥖🍝 This week, Sabrina Carmichael (@brina711) and I finally put Fazoli's to the Chili's Test. Between "unlimited" breadsticks, pasta that reminds me of my mom's pasta, overly sweet desserts, and a pizza that looked like it had been "touched," Fazoli's delivered one of the more unique fast-fast dining experiences I've ever had. 🍝 Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Unlocks Childhood Memories (Plus: My Homemade Garlic Pasta

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42:27

Fazoli's: Fast Food Italian, Wayne Gretzky, and a...

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/06/10

🍝🥖 Fazoli's: Admitting they Can't Compete with Pizza, the "Breadstick Express," and Dr. Lee Zagna 🥖🍝 This week, Sabrina Carmichael (@brina711) joins me to explore the history of Fazoli's, a restaurant that looked at the pizza wars and wisely decided, "No thanks." Instead of trying to battle the delivery giants head-on, Fazoli's carved out a niche with pasta, breadsticks, and a surprisingly unique place in the fast food landscape. Along the way, we uncover one of the strangest restaurant name

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41:23

MOOYAH: Eat Here ASAP

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/06/03

🍔🥔 MOOYAH Review: They Sure Know Their Way Around a Potato...and Beef 🥔🍔 This week, Sandy Rose and I put MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes to the Chili's Test. I'm not lying when I say that all of their potato things are top notch. The fries taste fresh, the chips are just as good as the fries, and the BUNS! Potato buns have rented space in my daydreams (did that make sense...?) because they're all I can think about. 🍔 The MDC Shows Why MOOYAH Should Be Huge 🧅 The Well D'Onion Divides Sandy and

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38:15

MOOYAH: A Funny Burger That's Expensive But Delicious

"Fine" Dining ·

2026/05/27

🍔🔥 MOOYAH: Better Burger Boom, Secret Menus, and Bird Poop 🔥🍔 This week, Sandy Rose joins me to break down the history of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a burger chain that emerged from the "better burger" gold rush and somehow managed to stay decent even after private equity got involved. Along the way, Sandy and I debate whether being pooped on by a bird is actually good luck, unpack MOOYAH's aggressively goofy brand voice, and discover that apparently every restaurant chain on Earth is

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