One of the most exciting things about the culinary world is it’s constantly evolving. There are always brilliant innovators bringing fresh ideas to the plate. However, some notable recent Food trends have lost their shine. Despite their popularity on social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, we're simply ready to move on. 

1. Burgers Drowned in Cheese

Hamburger with Cheese – a classic combination. People sometimes manage to take this match made in heaven a little too far. Too many TikToks show someone drenching a perfectly good burger with nacho cheese, drowning the entire sandwich, which begs the question – how do you eat it?

2. Gold Flakes on Everything

The gold flake thing was cool for a second, but now it’s just lame. Edible gold flakes have zero flavor and are usually haphazardly littered onto the plate. While they’re mainly for aesthetic purposes and to bump up meal prices, they’re not even that pretty.

3. Extra Tall Sandwiches and Burgers

Triple-deckers used to be the tallest of all the sandwiches, but people now make burgers and sammies that are ridiculously tall, making them impossible to eat. Unless you can unhinge your jaw like a python, there is no smooth way to enjoy a seven-inch tall cheeseburger.

4. Serving Food Without Plates

Even some of the most high-end restaurants in the world opt for strange serving items, like wood planks, rock slabs, lunchboxes, and even shoes. I was once served food on a literal book. People want the food to be the star of the show, not the vessel delivering it, so maybe we should just focus on what goes on the plate.

5. Clean Eating

Eating healthy is important, but the term “clean eating” has taken on a monstrous life of its own. Not only do people use the term improperly, but some even tote clean eating as the only possible way to live and shame others for enjoying their Cheetos and Coca-Cola, which isn’t cool.

6. Faux Aioli

There seems to be some confusion surrounding the definition of aioli, so let’s clarify it. Aioli is an emulsified sauce made with garlic and olive oil and sometimes includes egg. Mayonnaise is emulsified oil and egg. Adding seasoning to mayo and calling it aioli is a lie.

7. Dump Meals

Dump meals are all about saving time, which can be nice, but at what cost? It is unsettling to see someone throw a block of cheddar cheese, a cup of milk, uncooked macaroni, and a ton of seasoning into a casserole dish and then throw it in the oven. Taking the time to compose the ingredients before combining them can be beneficial.

8. Throwing Food Around

This one applies explicitly to influencers who make cooking videos. Some more intense influencers will aggressively slam ingredients on the counter, which is supposed to be captivating or funny. However, seeing a beautiful loaf of bread slammed onto a table is unpleasant.

9. Hot Food Charcuterie

Charcuterie boards and plates are meant to be served at room temperature. But some people have been spreading any food on a board and calling it charcuterie. Dumping a bunch of McDonald’s fries and McNuggets on a cutting board does not make it charcuterie; it makes it cold.

10. Excessive Cheese

This relates back to the burgers assaulted by liquid cheese, but generally, people are tired of excessive cheese in viral recipes. Cheese is delicious and wonderful, but it can be used in moderation and doesn’t necessarily make everything better.

11. Obnoxiously-Named Recipes

Red flag phrases in recipes are things like “Crack Mac and Cheese,” “Marry Me Chicken,” and “The Best Ever Steak.” These self-promoting and aggressive phrases are not as enticing as the recipe makers think they are. Plus, “marry me” anything is outdated and silly.

12. Black Charcoal

Similar to the gold flakes, the black charcoal trend is exhausting people. People used black charcoal, also called activated charcoal, to make things like pasta, bread, and sauces black, creating an intriguing appearance. It was trendy and exciting for a minute, but that minute is over.

13. Tomahawk Steaks

Tomahawk steaks seem enticing because of their ridiculously massive size, but many people find the amount of meat abysmal. The mass of the steak is sometimes mostly bone, so ordering one is more visually exciting than eating it. Nevertheless, this trend persists.

14. Overly Meaty Burgers

Most people believe putting bacon on a burger is acceptable and even encouraged! But beyond that, adding different meats to a burger can be excessive. Burgers with pulled pork, ham, jerky, and even meatballs are overwhelming and unnecessary. Plus, they’re a heart attack waiting to happen!

15. Cakes That Look Like Sneakers

I’m not just talking about sneakers but the general trend of people making cakes and other desserts that are supposed to look like realistic objects. The competition show Is It Cake? is literally about only this. It’s okay if my cake looks like a cake… I’ll still enjoy it.

16. Unnecessary Food Fusions

Fusion cuisine has brought us beautiful creations, but not foodies welcome all these food crossovers. For example, the cronut (croissant and donut) is beloved by many, but the cragel (croissant and bagel) or the donnoli (donut and cannoli) are not as widely adored. While some people want this crossover trend to end, others still enjoy these delicious innovations.

17. Sugar Bomb Desserts

Speaking of cronuts and the like, people are also tired of insanely sugary desserts that could give you diabetes just by looking at them. Because sites like TikTok are all about the visuals, people create over-the-top desserts like Cotton Candy Ice Cream Sprinkle Burritos.

18. One-Pot Meals

Listen, I love one-pot meals as much as the next busy person, but trying to turn every recipe into a one-pot meal will not work. Mac and cheese can be made in one pot; fish and chips should not be a one-pot meal. Some things just take a little more finesse.

19. Deconstructed Plates

The concept of deconstructed meals was initially interesting, but people are over it. Sometimes, you want to enjoy all the delicious ingredients in one bite, which goes against deconstruction. Also, deconstructed plates can take some of the magic away from the final presentation.

20. Mac and Cheese as a Condiment

Mac and cheese is a favorite meal or side dish for many, but people have been using it as a condiment lately. Burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, and steaks don’t need a heaping spoonful of mac and cheese on top to be satisfying, and it compromises the original flavor profile.

21. Obnoxious Bloody Marys

At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone drop a dollop of mac and cheese onto a Bloody Mary. Adding olives, lemon wedges, and lime slices to Bloody Marys has always been traditional. Still, people are taking it to outrageous levels, adding bacon, bagels, chicken wings, lobster tails, and the kitchen sink.

22. Amateur Wagyu

A few people online have lamented about the disrespectful nature in which people cook Wagyu. This type of steak is coveted around the world, and it can be painful for knowledgeable foodies to watch an inexperienced TikTok influencer ruin a prime piece. Maybe wait to buy Wagyu until you’ve mastered the sirloin.

23. Truffle Oil

Lots of restaurants are adding a drizzle of truffle oil onto fries, burgers, mac and cheese, and other items so they can upcharge and seem fancy. But people are over this trend. Many feel that truffle oil, which doesn’t contain real truffles, tastes and smells like feet, so it’s not worth the added cost.

24. Vegan Meat

Vegan imitation meat products, such as seitan or Beyond Meat, can be delicious and satisfying. However, many people feel vegan recipes and restaurants don’t need to serve “meat.” Many of us can enjoy a meal devoid of meat or meat-like items and be perfectly happy, so don’t be afraid to embrace the veggies!

25. 30-Minute Dinner Lies

Everyone wants to conjure dinner up in 30 minutes when tired from a busy day, and plenty of recipes make it seem possible. But online foodies complain that many “30-minute” recipes take much longer and feel deceived by the recipe makers.