40+ Horrifying Restaurant Foods You Can Actually Order in the USA

This article appeared in Bigglobaltravel and has been published here with permission.

40+ Horrifying Restaurant Foods You Can Actually Order in the USA

Food preparation and consumption is a form of art. It takes a level of imagination and creativity to invent amazing food recipes. However, there are some inventions that are horrifying and gross. What’s more? Some of these horrifying dishes are available in many American restaurants. Here’s a comprehensive list describing some of these dishes.

Deep in Lobsters

Lobsters make for an exotic dish that’s enjoyed by many. It’s quite hard to imagine that lobsters would be prepared in a way that makes it gross or horrifying.

Deep in Lobsters

In many restaurants in Michigan, though, they don’t prepare the lobsters themselves but rather their inner organs. Yes, that’s right — the liver, pancreas, and a lobster’s other inner organs are consumed in this part of America.

Pears and Mayonnaise

Various types and mixtures of salad have been made by man, some less appetizing than others. But in terms of yucky, this one definitely tops the list — a salad made of canned pears and mayonnaise.

Pears and Mayonnaise

Some even go the extra (gross) mile of adding shredded cheddar cheese to this combination. One thing is for sure — this meal isn’t for the faint of heart. But, if you’re interested, then you can usually find this dish in restaurants around Georgia.

Cactus Fries

Cactus is a plant popular for its ability to survive in the harshest of conditions. Apparently, it’s also something that can be deep-fried and consumed in America.

Cactus Fries

There are very few things on Earth that can be done to remove the hard and dry texture of cactus. Deep frying is not one of those few things and so, one has to enjoy the cactus with all its features. In all honesty, we wouldn’t mind trying this at least once. Guess it’s time for a visit to Arizona!

Burger of Death

This particular burger holds the record for the highest-calorie burger in the world. It has a whopping 20,000 calories! It’s so dangerously fattening that you actually have to sign a waiver before consuming it.

Burger of Death

Known as the Quadruple Bypass Burger, it has caused many health issues for a lot of people — hence the waiver. If anyone wishes to eat this burger, you’ll have to travel down to Las Vegas.

The Predated Predator

When meat is the topic of discussion, there are many options that come to mind. Cattle, birds, and many others are examples of common meat-filled meals in the US. However, there’s another type of meat that’s also available, if one knows where to look. Can you imagine having a plate full of lion’s meat?

The Predated Predator

It’s hard to fathom that such a fearsome predator would be reduced to something edible. Though most of the meat is reared domestically, there are still protests and complaints by animal rights groups.

Moose in a Jelly

Cooking is one way of expressing a different level of creativity. For some, that creative power means trying out all sorts of unique flavors and dishes. An instance is this popular food in Alaska.

Moose in a Jelly

When one hears moose and jelly in the same sentence, it’s hard to think that those two go together. But, this typical example of gross restaurant foods is just that. The food is a combination of vinegar, jelly, and a moose’s nose. Yes — a moose’s nose. We wonder what that tastes like…

Bones in Eggs

Eggs are popular diet in many cultures and many countries. They are soft and mainly consist of egg white and yolk. It’s a meal that’s as simple as it gets. But, it turns out that this dish isn’t all that simple when it comes to certain US restaurants.

Bones in Eggs

Through science and wild imagination, a gross version of eggs has been invented. Here comes Balut! Balut is a meal of eggs that have been incubated and have well-developed chicks inside. The eggs are boiled and eaten with the whole chicks inside. What?!

Wisdom of the Brain

Here’s another example of gross restaurants food one can order in the US. There are many parts of animals that get to stay on the chopping block during the process.

Wisdom of the Brain

Some other parts have to go to the trash bin. In many places, an animal’s brain falls in the latter category. However, in parts of Indiana, an animal’s brain that’s battered and deep-fried is something of a delicacy. It started with cow brains, but to prevent mad cow disease, attention has shifted towards pig’s brain. Hope they gain more wisdom.

Fish Is Alive

Part of the art that’s involved in eating delicious food includes preparation, cooking, presentation, and many other aspects. Some dishes don’t need to be cooked before they’re served. However, some New York restaurants are now giving people a new option.

Fish Is Alive

How about eating the meal while it’s still alive? Impossible? Not with Ikizukuri, a dish of fish or lobster that’s consumed while it’s alive. Sounds appetizing?

You Mess With the Bull…

If you ever decide to visit one of the southern or midwestern cities in America and you check out a restaurant while there, you might be in for a rude awakening. On the menu, you may be able to find a dish that’s not so common anywhere else.

You Mess With the Bull…

One might even be tempted to ask if there was a mistake — but no, it’s not a mistake. Bull testicles are a real food item that people order either baked or deep-fried! The testicles of goats, lambs, and others are also available.

Sannakji: Squirm Movements

There are many Korean restaurants in the US and they all have special delicacies that bring the taste of a unique culture to one’s plate. One of those special delicacies is on the list of weird foods in the US.

Sannakji: Squirm Movements

Here’s a gross fact about octopus. When an octopus is sliced up, the tentacles still move and wiggle around and even try to grab things. Now, imagine that on a plate — moving and squirming. When eating it, it clings onto the throat as it moves down. Koreans call it Sannakji.

Special Ice Cream

Ice cream is great for both young and old. A little bit of it once in a while just makes life better; cream, sugar, chocolate, or some other flavors coming together to present something truly wonderful. Well, in Washington DC restaurants, there’s one extra ingredient. What could that be? Nothing major — just pig blood.

Special Ice Cream

This is yet another shocking example of gross foods that can be ordered in a US restaurant. Lovers of this delicacy claim that the blood is for thickening purposes only and adds nothing to the flavor.

A Soup of Saliva

There are many weird foods in US, but this one is among the weirdest. Everything about this meal is different. It’s called Bird’s Nest Soup, however, it doesn’t make use of a bird’s nest in preparation.

A Soup of Saliva

The process involves the collection of a bird’s saliva that is then stored periodically to solidify it. After, it’s converted to soup using flavoring and additives. According to some who have eaten the soup, the soup is delicious and greatly helps the immune system.

A “See” of Fishes

This is a meal that’s new to many communities in the United States. However, it’s quickly gaining popularity. The common expression is “a sea of fishes” but in this case, it’s “a see of fishes.” Why? Because the major ingredient in this meal is a fish’s eye.

A “See” of Fishes

The meal has a fatty and spongy texture. One major reason why this meal is gaining much popularity is because of its diet-friendly high-protein content. Imagine staring into a fish’s eyes while they stare back before they are diced and eaten.

The Real Home Recipe

To prepare many various delicacies, one has to journey down to the local market or make orders in order to get the needed recipe. However, the next item on the list isn’t necessarily gross but it is quite different.

The Real Home Recipe

The major ingredient is always at home depending on one’s gender. A chef in the US once produced the most unique cheese of all using this ingredient. He made breast milk cheese. After questions and protests, he mentioned that he had used his wife’s at home as the supply. New ways to enjoy breast milk.

Ant Caviar

This meal is one that’s particularly hard to find but it can be found at a few restaurants around the US. It’s known to many as Escamoles. What are they? Well, they’re just edible larvae and pupae of ants.

Ant Caviar

When consumed, the eggs sometimes pop in your mouth. While that may feel like somewhat of a weird sensation, the eggs are said to have a peppery flavor when they pop. This meal is more common in Mexico, so it’s not surprising that you probably haven’t heard of it.

The Toilet Dishes

This is particularly gross, not because of the food that’s served but because of the way in which it’s served. Imagine having your ice cream served in a mini toilet, or a curry dish presented in a urinal.

The Toilet Dishes

Foods are served to look like excrement and many other gross bodily functions. This type of restaurant exists all over the world. They are slowly gaining presence and space in the US. Whoever initially thought of this idea must have been a weird genius.

Three Layers of Birds

This meal was said to have been invented by a surgeon. Though the origin is contested, it’s pretty evident as to why one would think that.

Three Layers of Birds

This meal, which is known as the Turducken, is essentially an entire chicken that has been stuffed into a duck — and the chicken-stuffed duck is then stuffed into a turkey. We can only imagine the level of stress that would go into this whole process.

Scraps and Meals

This one definitely has a weird ring to it. It’s a meal common in many restaurants in Pennsylvania. It’s actually called scrapple — a fitting name for a meal so dry and crunchy.

Scraps and Meals

According to the recipe, it’s a loaf made of pork scraps, cornmeal, buckwheat, and spices. However, the final result is so dense that you’d assume it was made of brick. It’s like leaving a cake out in the sun for two decades before eating it.

The Pickled Steps

Here we have a meal that’s more common in the southern parts of the country. Whoever invented pickled pig feet must’ve been having a rough day.

The Pickled Steps

Although you may find it more predominantly in restaurants, the delicacy is also available in various grocery stores.

The Koolickle

Some dishes are just fun to look at, especially when they have the ability to make your mouth water! The Koolickle might sound cool, but it’s not one of those foods that’ll have you wanting more.

The Koolickle

One can guess the major parts of the meal from the name. Yes, the Koolickle is a pickle brined in Kool-Aid. This must have been invented by someone with a lot of time on their hands and very little food in the house.

The Rattle Meal

It’s no secret that rattlesnakes are venomous — so much so that a bite can be deadly if it’s left untreated. The sight of a rattlesnake could make anyone’s adrenaline pump with fear.

The Rattle Meal

However, in some restaurants across the United States, especially in Oklahoma, spotting a rattlesnake is actually a delight. In this case, the only thing that’s rising is your appetite. Introducing… a plate of rattlesnakes?

Frozen Whale Dish

There are many types of sea creatures that many people have tried dicing with a fork. A whale is sadly not exempted from the list. That’s not the most bizarre thing about this dish, but rather the way it’s prepared.

Frozen Whale Dish

Popular in restaurants across Alaska, Muktuk is a dish of frozen whale skin. Some prefer to cook the skin while others just consume it raw. It’s difficult to imagine what it would taste like. Rubbery, perhaps? In any case, it’s not a dish that should be popularized.

Do-Not Burger

Here we have something that sounds like it wouldn’t be able to work but surprisingly does — the donut burger. This salty-sweet dish can be found in California!

Do-Not Burger

It may not pique everyone’s interest considering that it earned a place on this list, but we do understand why there’s a market for it in sunny California.

Steamed Burger

Apparently, there are many ways in America to ruin a burger. Who knew? Here we have the steamed burger. It’s pretty straightforward — it’s made by simply steaming the meat patty.

Steamed Burger

Hard to imagine or determine what kind of inspiration led to that. But it’s another one of those horrifying restaurant foods that one can order, specifically in Connecticut.

Tongue

Like cow’s brain, this is yet another dish that might make your skin crawl — unless you’re the adventurous type. Here we have steamed cow tongue.

Tongue

While it is quite tasty, we’re not entirely sure how someone came up with this idea, to begin with. This meal is popular in East Asia and has gained much popularity in many restaurants across America, especially in Hawaii.

Deep-Fried Butter

Butter is a major part of many great dishes out there in America and so, it’s safe to say that it’s loved by all. However, when the love for butter gets to be too much, it can lead to a horrifying menu item — such as this one. Yes, the meal is prepared just as the name implies.

Deep-Fried Butter

Butter is put on a stick, dipped in cinnamon honey, and then deep-fried. It’s then consumed as is. Aside from the fact that it’s totally disgusting, the health effects are enough to make us run the other way.

Cold-Weather Comfort Food

One would expect a dish with such a nickname to be comforting. However, it’s not. Humans are nothing if not unpredictable.

Cold-Weather Comfort Food

Well, this dish — popular in restaurants across Kansas — is a combination of cinnamon rolls and chili. It’s hard to tell what kind of comfort this meal provides exactly.

Nutria-cious

What could be more horrifying than a plate of boiled rat? Known as nutria by the people of Louisiana. This type of giant rat is found in this part of the city.

Nutria-cious

If you’re brave enough, you can order this dish from a local restaurant around Louisiana. Before doing that, it’s important to note that the rat is boiled in a crockpot for four hours. This boiling does little to the taste and texture of the meat.

Pickle in Beef

When the name pickle dog comes to mind, one would easily assume that it’s a hot dog topped with pickles. However, this is not the case in Minnesota.

Pickle in Beef

Pickle corn-dogs are exactly how they sound — the dog is wrapped in a pickle and then covered in corn batter to get deep-fried. It actually doesn’t sound half bad, eh?

All the Garbage in It

A local student walks into a restaurant and asks for a plate with “all the garbage in it.” What could that possibly mean? A mix of leftover meat, chicken tenders, and French fries all stuffed between two burger buns.

All the Garbage in It

The issue is, the whole combination is yesterday’s leftovers, which isn’t necessarily a problem if this meal was made at home but why would someone pay a restaurant to make them a burger made of yesterday’s leftovers? Hopefully, customers get a discount!

Oink, Oink

Different parts of pig are consumed depending on where you are in America. However, the people of North Carolina are more interested in the pig’s inner organs. They have a dish known as Livermush.

Oink, Oink

This dish is made up of mashed liver, as well as other parts of a pig’s inner organs. The mixture is seasoned and served as shown in the picture. It has a soft texture but a very unique flavor that’s difficult to describe.

Deep-Fried Okra

Okra is a nutritious option for many. It’s great for people with high cholesterol — unless it’s deep-fried, that is.

Deep-Fried Okra

Still, the good people of Oklahoma wanted to put a twist on the plant and came up with this wonderfully crisp dish. It looks pretty delicious, honestly!

40+ Things Absolutely No One Asked For, But Grocery Stores Sold Anyway

How Could They Sell This?

We don’t make the decisions on what grocery stores stock their shelves with. But we do make the decisions on what we put in our shopping cart. Here’s a collection of items found in actual supermarkets that we are a little too scared to try — let alone wonder what the motivation was for people creating them. Remember: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

A Ball of Beans

Would we eat beans in a bowl? Yes. As a side item on a plate? Absolutely. In a cup? Sure. But we are somehow so put off by the site of a ball of beans shrink-wrapped and tossed on a shelf in a grocery store that we’re doubting the shape of our containers for beans.

A Ball of Beans

Are we so used to canned beans or dried and bagged beans that a ball of beans is this offensive? Maybe we wouldn’t have been so triggered if it wasn’t clear plastic holding the beans together.

Double the Cheese

Was there really not enough cheese in the actual mac and cheese to necessitate placing four additional slices of cheese on top? This isn’t what we want when we say we want something extra cheesy. We don’t care if that’s how you actually make something extra cheesy.

Double the Cheese

We want to enjoy the illusion of delicious, creamy, artisanal cheese lovingly mixed into our mac. You’re spoiling everything when you hit us with this monstrosity in the supermarket.

Raw and Ready

Say you’re on a diet. And say that diet restricts your consumption of sweets. If you were really craving ice cream one day — like eyeing Baskin Robbins from across the street and mapping out McDonald’s to hit up for soft serve on your way home — maybe you might be desperate enough to try this concoction.

Raw and Ready

For the rest of us, though, raw salmon in a waffle cone is just not going to do it. We shudder to consider the sweetness of the cone and the umami of the fish.

An Artistic Pallet

We’re in the business of being honest with you here. We would never, ever eat this. But we might be interested in preserving it in resin and hanging it up on our wall like the masterpiece in color, shape, and composition that it is.

An Artistic Pallet

Behold the delightful circles of the thinnest slices of carrot, pickle, and boiled egg we’ve ever seen. Then appreciate the swoop of the piece of ham — all held together with bright packaging. It’s a true work of art.

Real Surprising Dessert

Do you want to make an enemy for life? Tell us that you love us and want us to be happy and enjoy a delicious serving of vanilla gelato. Then watch us lick frozen mayo and lose our lunch.

Real Surprising Dessert

This is the cruelest dessert we have ever laid eyes on, and we’ve seen some really bad ones in this collection of questionable grocery store items. This is one that would make us never trust vanilla as an ice cream flavor ever again.

Meat With Treats

There’s something satisfying about pairing savory with sweet. That’s where we get such delicacies as honey roasted peanuts and, if you’re feeling daring, bacon added to dessert items like fudge sundaes. However, we find this particular product extremely unsatisfactory.

Meat With Treats

First of all, who grinds pork bratwurst and mashes it into a patty form? Probably the same person who thought it was an amazing idea to stud the entire monstrosity with gummy bears.

Some Savory Donuts

Fine, we kind of grudgingly understand this one. With the recent trend of burgers using donuts instead of buns, some enterprising soul thought they’d cash in with matching beef patties. But would you cut a hole in the lettuce, too? The tomato? All the other toppings?

Some Savory Donuts

Really, all we can see is that the butcher has shorted us on at least one or two bites of delicious meat. We’d prefer to put an intact burger on our donuts, thanks.

A Questionable Jiggle

Nowhere in the history of anything do we believe that anyone has requested “chicken jello.” We have questions, and we’re afraid of the answers. We fully expect that a main ingredient of chicken wings would be chicken.

A Questionable Jiggle

We can also accept salt and pepper, if we’re purchasing them seasoned. But we really doubt that any kind of recipe would instruct someone to add gelatin for a really delicious order of wings.

One Cheese, Please

We’ve already been desensitized to the puzzlement of items packaged in singles thanks to the shrimp we just witnessed. So what outrages us even more about this single slice of cheese is that it costs nearly a dollar.

One Cheese, Please

For a dollar, you can probably get an entire package of individually wrapped processed cheese. What’s so special about this slice? We suppose the cheese stands alone — especially in this particular case.

Now That’s Mystery Meat

You know what’s a mystery about this meat? That someone actually signed off on naming it “miscellaneous meat.” There is no amount of money you could pay us to sample that. We’re not so naive — we understand that there is plenty of miscellaneous meat in our lives already.

Now That’s Mystery Meat

But we like to give those items nice names like hotdogs, bologna, spam, and sausage. If this grocery store was trying to avoid copyright infringement on naming that dangerous stick of mystery, they could’ve tried a lot harder.

Pass on the Ham

Here’s the thing. We Americans can be awfully squeamish about our meat products. Do we know and understand that they come from real, living, breathing animals? Of course we do. But do we want to look in their cute faces as we feast on their flesh? We do not.

Pass on the Ham

Shaping this delightful pig in the middle of a vat of ham salad is akin to reminding us that animals you might see at a petting zoo have died to satisfy our lunchtime cravings.

Not Very Appetizing

How can we say this without saying it? This meal looks like something a janitor had to vacuum out of the carpet in our second-grade classroom before sprinkling wood chips over to combat the smell.

Not Very Appetizing

Whose bright idea in marketing was it to give us a window into this absolute desecration of a meal? They should’ve kept that view safely behind cardboard instead of giving us a preview of what we might very well hack up later that night.

That’s Not a Thing

We can enjoy a delicious filet mignon — especially for a special occasion. There’s no holiday or date night that can’t be improved by a single bite of succulent beef, cooked and seasoned to perfection and enhanced by a juicy strip of bacon.

That’s Not a Thing

If that first bite would reveal itself to our tastebuds as poultry, our night would be ruined — just saying. If you’re going to spring for the mignon, skip the chicken. Don’t leave your date night disappointed.

From Snack to Entree

Who in the world thought that this was a good idea? Doritos are for late-night snacking, not dubious entrees behind the glass at a deli. We have to wonder what the other ingredients are in this terrifying concoction. Did they go with a protein? Was it miscellaneous meat?

From Snack to Entree

Does anyone even dare to order a heaping serving of this? We can’t imagine the sodium levels in this — or, frankly, the vision behind something so intense.

Something Is Fishy

Look, we can get behind some food items with alcoholic infusions. But we’re thinking about things like bourbon barbecue sauce, boozy truffles and other treats, and more. We are not about to consider even trying smoked salmon with a gin and tonic flavoring.

Something is Fishy

Smoke salmon by itself? Delicious. A gin and tonic by itself — when you’re in the mood for one? Also delicious. But those two things don’t mix no matter what reality you’re living in.

A Walk on the Wild Side

Oh, we’re getting crazy tonight all right. We have to stop and consider what supermarket this “exotic” salad first appeared in. Had the person packing these veggies up and making the labels to mark them never seen peas before? Or perhaps it was the carrots? Maybe it was the combination of the two?

A Walk on the Wild Side

Because peas and carrots together are absolutely a thing — there’s nothing exotic about it. In fact, it’s famously quoted by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump when he talks about how close he and his childhood friend, Jenny, are.

It’s Falling Flat

We had always wondered when pumpkin spice was going to go too far. We’re a fan of the lattes. We’re a fan of the ice cream, muffins, cookies, and other dessert items. But there is a line, pumpkin spice.

It’s Falling Flat

And you just crossed it with this combination of gouda cheese. No one in their right mind would ever enjoy something like this. And if they do, we need to know about it so we can avoid them for the rest of our natural life.

Drink Your Soup

We had a strong reaction to this, and let us tell you why. Sure, it’s probably a healthy option, promising to be packed with superfoods. And when you’re on the go, it’s probably pretty convenient to take this out of your bag and enjoy it instead of swinging by a fast food place.

Drink Your Soup

But what we’re so up in arms about is how we feel so overworked and busy that we can’t sit down, take a break, and feed ourselves. If it was us, we’d put our foot down, pour this soup in a bowl, and relax for a bit.

Where’s the Dessert?

If you can’t tell by now, we take our sweets seriously. There’s nothing serious about this laughable combination of flavors and ingredients. Don’t try to tell us that this is dessert if it has kale in it. Kale is not for dessert. Kale is not for consumption at any time.

Where’s the Dessert?

We want kale to go back to decorating buffet lines and deli coolers. And if you insist on adding it to smoothies and other things like this ice cream that are supposed to be sweet? We’ll have things to say about that.

Stop Trying to Make Kale Happen

What kind of joyless parent do you have to be to serve your kids people-shaped kale and potato patties? If you’re trying to trick your kid into eating their vegetables, you’d have to slather these in sauces (but NOT a combination of honey, mustard, and chocolate) to hide the green.

Stop Trying to Make Kale Happen

Kids can instantly identify the foods they hate the most by their color. You’d think that this company would’ve gone through more trouble to disguise everything.

Sandwich in a Can

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are perhaps one of the very first meals a child learns how to make themselves without any parental supervision. It’s a rite of passage. Over time, you develop your own style and preferences. Maybe you’re one who likes to build a peanut butter wall to act as a dam against a sea of jelly in the middle.

Sandwich in a Can

Or perhaps you’re a traditionalist — one slice of bread with peanut butter, the other with jelly. There is nobody, however, who pops their PB&J out of a can. This is truly cursed.

Some Hot Potatoes

At first glance, we were so sure that this was an outrageous box of tiny, curated potatoes that we almost wanted one for ourselves. We were additionally a little disappointed to learn that this box is actually full of sweet treats only made to look like potatoes.

Some Hot Potatoes

Our disappointment faded, however, when we realized how funny it would be to trick someone into thinking they were receiving a box of potatoes for a nice Valentine’s Day gift.

A Taste of the Sea

We now know what Ariel, the Little Mermaid who gave up her fins — and, temporarily, her voice — to become a princess on land, snacked on when she was missing the sea: salt and seaweed-flavored Pringles.

A Taste of the Sea

She probably thought of Flounder, Sebastian, and the rest of her water-dwelling friends as she munched through half a can in one sitting, wondering whether Prince Eric ever regretted not getting to marry Ursula in disguise.

Worst Salad Ever

There are some regions in the United States that take the boundaries of what should be considered a salad and push them further than they should ever go. In some cases, just tossing more than a couple of ingredients together is classified as a salad. It doesn’t matter if none of those ingredients are leafy and green (we’re looking at you, ham salad).

Worst Salad Ever

And it certainly doesn’t matter if that salad is sweet, like this one, bristling with mayonnaise, cottage cheese, jello cubes, and other questionable additions.

One Slice Is Nice

Speaking of things that don’t belong in a can, we would like to draw your attention to this can-shaped loaf of bread that probably oozed forth from its confines like some sort of apocalyptic creature waking from its slumber to wreak havoc on us all.

One Slice is Nice

This canned brown bread is apparently sweet and cake-like in texture, but we still don’t know if we could get ourselves to try it. Bread is one of our favorite things to eat, and we don’t want its memory tarnished by the canned variety.

A Key Ingredient

If you offer us chicken nuggets and then tell us that they’re chickenless, then they’re not chicken nuggets. Period. Don’t use chicken. Don’t use nuggets.

A Key Ingredient

Don’t get our hopes up and then dash them on the rocks below by serving us some pale, meatless substitute to one of the greatest comfort foods of all times. This is cruel and unusual, and we wonder how many children have been fooled by the similar shape.

What’s the Point?

Haggis, by its very nature, is stuffed with all kinds of meaty offerings. That is the entire point of the dish, which is made by traditionally packing a sheep’s stomach with its organs and other ingredients before boiling. It’s a serious thing in Scotland.

What’s the Point?

While we don’t know if we could ever muster the courage to try it, we have to shake our heads at this vegetarian version. What in the world would they put in the stuffing? It would miss the entire point of the dish.

Get Your Greens

We get it. Sometimes it’s hard to fit all of the recommended vegetables into our diets that nutritionists keep telling us about. But it just doesn’t seem fair to anyone to cram something like spinach in what should be a delicious and delightful muffin.

Get Your Greens

If we wanted to eat our greens, we’d have made like Popeye and cracked open a can of the stuff. But we just wanted to treat ourselves to a muffin. The spinach takes all of the fun out of it.

Dodge That Lawsuit

“Sorry, Goldfish isn’t here. I’m Whales, and I’m a close cousin. Close enough that if you close your eyes, you can’t really tell the difference!” At least, that’s what we think this packaging and branding is trying to achieve.

Dodge That Lawsuit

An orange, cheddar-flavored snack cracker that’s in the shape of something that lives in water? This one checks all the boxes — except for, with a little luck, the one that gets you sued for copyright infringement.

Some Branding Confusion

Wow. Just … wow. This beef lasagna by popular toothpaste-maker and oral health guru Colgate just isn’t doing it for us. We know that, in the past, brands did basically whatever they wanted, throwing their hat into multiple rings to try to make a buck.

Some Branding Confusion

But we wouldn’t be able to separate the minty fresh taste of toothpaste from a lasagna dinner with this one. And we can’t help but wonder whether this dinner is hard on your teeth. It would make Colgate an evil genius.

Controversial and Brave

If you know what marmite is, you know just how intense this photo was. Did the photographer insist on anonymity so they couldn’t be harassed afterward? And just what is the reception of these controversial products in the stores of supermarkets everywhere?

Controversial and Brave

If you don’t know what the big deal is, marmite is derived from yeast and traditionally spread on toast. These products are monumental in celebrating — or roasting — the distinctive, description-defying flavor.

Maybe Next Time

We don’t know if it’s the creepy design of what appears to be two terrified and brainwashed children or the ultra-long title. Either way, “Wow! Tastes Just Like Peanut Butter Safe4School WowButter” is not going to be on our shopping list the next time we venture out to the grocery store.

Maybe Next Time

We don’t care that it’s creamy. We don’t care that it’s gluten-free. We don’t trust a peanut butter replacement that brands itself like this.

Last Choice of Pickles

We can appreciate the push to not waste food items. We know that more and more people are incorporating parts of produce we would usually toss, like broccoli stems sautéed or incorporated into savory pancakes, or carrot greens adding flavor and color to soup.

Last Choice of Pickles

But we think sweet pickled watermelon rinds take this trend a little too far. We would never snack on pickled rinds — or whatever this mystery jar contains. We’d steer well clear of it in the supermarket aisle.

Nothing Terrific About It

We’re going to have to file a formal request (or complaint) asking companies to stop branding their products with worrisome titles like “Butterific.” If it’s not butter, we need to know exactly what it is so we can decide if we want to consume it.

Nothing Terrific About It

We do, however, have to award a few points for creative sidestepping of copyright laws covering such competitors as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

What Color Is It?

Maybe we just aren’t very adventurous eaters. But when our normally cream-colored vanilla pudding changes to green, that is usually a pretty strong signal to throw it out.

What Color Is It?

We don’t think we could endorse playing with our dessert items like this. Our stomach would turn if our Jell-o or pudding unexpectedly changed in appearance. But we were never fans of green and purple ketchup, either, so there’s that.

Too Many Sauces

No. No, no, no. You took a beautiful burger and slathered it in an unthinkable combination of condiments. Honey, mustard, and chocolate. All of these sauces would be fine on their own. Only one of them would be acceptable on a burger.

Too Many Sauces

All three of them on a burger is just asking for trouble. We can hardly stomach the sight of this sandwich. What really pushes us over the top, though, is the hot tea on the side to wash it all down. Yuck.

Daring and Bold

This product is for people who have given up. It’s for the person at the restaurant who orders the parmesan garlic chicken wings with a side of onion rings. You might find these mints in the pocket of a cat lady sharing a diet with her fifteen felines of whole milk and canned tuna.

Daring and Bold

Because if you purchase a tin of mints that already tastes like onions, it shows the world that you don’t care about how your breath smells and you’re proud of it. Good luck, brave soul.

When Cheetos Aren’t Enough

We wish we had been a fly on the wall during the meeting where Mac n’ Cheetos was born. “I have always wanted to bite into the crunchy exterior of a puffy Cheeto only to be greeted by gooey, room-temperature mac and cheese,” we imagine a hungry CEO mused.

When Cheetos Aren’t Enough

“And if you don’t make it happen, I’m going to fire everyone and sell the company.” Because that’s literally the only scenario we can think of to allow this to see the light of day.

Your Finest Breakfast

We’re not ashamed to admit that we would go to town on this collection of pure marshmallows from Lucky Charms cereal. We wouldn’t try to add it to anything even a little bit healthier — nor milk.

Your Finest Breakfast

We would stuff our fists into that bag and eat them by the handful like a grizzly bear pounding down the contents of a dumpster. Would eating so much sugar make us sick? Yes, but we would be so very happy.

Cup of Mushroom

Given the strange history of mushroom-based beverages, we don’t think we really trust this one. It looks like coffee, sure. But our definition of coffee is the cup of joe we enjoy at the beginning of every day — and sometimes in the afternoon, too, to give us an extra energy boost.

Cup of Mushroom

We’re pretty doubtful that a brew made from mushrooms could give us the same effects as the java we’re so used to.

When Hydrating Isn’t Enough

We don’t understand the draw of beverages like this one with added caffeine. What in the world is wrong with a cup of coffee if you’re feeling your afternoon slump? You’ll already be kept up all night if that’s what you’re worried about. Somehow, it seems wrong to contaminate a bottle of pure water with a jolt of caffeine.

When Hydrating Isn’t Enough

It seems like something that goes against Mother Nature herself. And what if you’re thirsty already and accidentally chug it? You don’t have that risk with a hot cup of joe.

Spray It On

What has science done? In an attempt to continue to innovate, save time, and dazzle customers, we have created a monster. This monster will haunt us in our dreams — in the form of a few bottles of aerosol seasoning spray. Yes, you read that right. And if you got a creeping cold chill, you’re not alone.

Spray it On

You can essentially spray a can of air freshener on your food for a bracing blast of the holidays, including pumpkin spice, gingerbread, and cinnamon flavors.

A Splash of Color

We’re not saying this isn’t beautiful. But edible flowers just aren’t our cup of tea — even with all the likes and gushing comments, this would probably receive on Instagram.

A Splash of Color

First of all, we don’t trust that eating crushed flowers would be good for us. And what about the taste? Would it essentially be like taking a big bite out of a flowerpot? We’ll pass on the flora in our beverages and on our plates, thanks.

A Hard Pass

There aren’t many things that make us gag at first sight. But this ranch dressing-flavored soda sure did it. We can only imagine that this is some kind of a joke item to give to a young nephew — or, conversely, an uncle who never grew up — when you don’t know what else to get them for Christmas.

A Hard Pass

Because we could never imagine (again, without gagging) chugging an ice-cold bottle of bubbly ranch dressing soda to wash down our meal.

Eating for One

We’re going to go out on a limb here and try to figure out if there might be a good reason to sell a single shrimp in all that packaging. Perhaps you need just one to garnish a cocktail. Or let’s say a very small mouse is looking forward to a seafood feast for dinner.

Eating for One

Maybe you’ve never tried shrimp before in your life and you’re scared that you’re allergic and don’t want to spring for an entire package with a normal amount of the food in it. We really have no idea which one it might be.