Social dining creates fascinating pressures. We smile politely through meals we’d rather avoid, nod enthusiastically about trendy foods that make us cringe, and order dishes that sound sophisticated but taste terrible.
According to a revealing YouGov survey, this culinary charade is more common than we might think, with foods like anchovies disliked by 56% of Americans and liver by 54%, yet both frequently appearing on “gourmet” menus.
Here are 13 dinner staples that people commonly pretend to enjoy.
Lobster
Lobster is often seen as the pinnacle of luxury dining, but many people secretly regret ordering it. The sky-high price sets expectations that the flavor rarely meets. Beyond the cost, the process of eating it can be a messy and laborious affair, involving cracking shells and dealing with specialized tools.
One diner summed up the experience by saying, “You are literally cracking open the scalded carcass of a giant sea insect and sucking its guts out in tiny morsels.” For many, the mild, slightly sweet taste just isn’t worth the price or the effort.
Foie gras
Foie gras is another food associated with high-end dining that often leaves people underwhelmed. Made from the fattened liver of a duck or goose, its rich, buttery texture can be overpowering for many palates.
While some savor its unique flavor, others find it too much to handle. The ethical controversy surrounding its production also makes it a difficult dish for some to stomach, regardless of the taste.
Avocado toast
Once the darling of Instagram brunch photos, avocado toast has become a symbol of overpriced, overhyped food trends. At its core, it’s just mashed avocado on a slice of bread, yet it often comes with a surprisingly high price tag at cafes.
While a well-seasoned version can be enjoyable, many find it bland and unappealing in terms of texture. It’s a dish that many people order for its aesthetic appeal rather than the actual flavor.
Matcha latte
Matcha lattes have become a staple in trendy coffee shops, praised for their purported health benefits and vibrant green color. A study published in the NIH found that matcha slowed weight gain and improved hyperglycemia. However, many find the taste of matcha to be bitter and “grassy.”
To make it more palatable, these lattes are often loaded with milk and sugar, which mask the tea’s authentic flavor and negate many of its health benefits. It’s a drink many people pretend to love to seem on-trend.
Raw oysters
Raw oysters are another luxury food that many people pretend to enjoy to appear sophisticated. Their slimy, cold texture and strong, briny flavor can be off-putting.
As one critic on Reddit put it, “It’s cold, slimy, and tastes like seawater. I don’t understand how they’ve become a ‘luxury’ food.” While some genuinely love them, many others are just going along with the trend, masking the taste with lemon and hot sauce.
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Chicken breasts
Chicken breasts are a staple in many households, prized for being a lean source of protein. A 3-ounce cooked chicken breast provides around 26 grams of protein. However, they are notoriously bland and prone to drying out if not cooked perfectly.
Thigh meat offers far more flavor and moisture, yet breasts get all the attention. Most people rely on heavy seasonings, marinades, and sauces to make them palatable, which suggests that the meat itself isn’t what they truly enjoy.
Kale
Kale’s rise to superfood stardom has been meteoric, but many people secretly dislike its tough, fibrous texture and bitter taste. It often requires significant preparation, like massaging, to become even remotely tender.
While it’s packed with nutrients, the effort it takes to make kale enjoyable—and the often-disappointing results—leaves many people pushing it to the side of their plates while praising its health benefits.
Bone broth
Bone broth has surged in popularity as a wellness trend, praised by Healthline for its rich nutrient profile and benefits for gut health. However, many who have tried it describe it as a bland and underwhelming culinary experience.
While a well-made broth can be flavorful, the versions sold for their health benefits are often just that—broth. It’s often an overpriced version of something home cooks have been making for centuries without much fanfare.
Acai bowls
Acai bowls are marketed as a healthy, vibrant superfood meal, but they are often glorified, sugar-laden smoothies. While they look beautiful with their colorful toppings of fruit and granola, the acai base itself can be quite bland.
The high sugar content from fruit purees and sweeteners often turns this “healthy” meal into a dessert, leaving many to wonder if it’s worth the hype.
Wedge salad
A staple at many steakhouses, the wedge salad is often more work than it’s worth. A large chunk of iceberg lettuce is topped with dressing and a few other ingredients, requiring the diner to do all the cutting and mixing.
The result is often an unevenly dressed salad that’s difficult to eat gracefully. It’s a classic that many endure out of tradition rather than genuine enjoyment.
Cronuts
The cronut—a hybrid of a croissant and a donut—created a massive frenzy when it first appeared. People waited in long lines to try this new pastry. While the idea is innovative, the execution often falls short of the hype.
The flaky, layered texture combined with a sweet glaze can be a delightful concept, but many who try it find it underwhelming and not worth the effort or the long queues.
Caviar
Caviar is the epitome of a Veblen good, an item for which demand increases as the price rises, due to its exclusive nature and appeal as a status symbol. These salt-cured fish eggs have a distinctively fishy and salty taste, and a texture that pops in the mouth.
While high-end caviar can be a buttery, smooth delight for connoisseurs, most affordable versions are intensely fishy. Many people eat it more for the prestige than for the actual taste.
Quinoa
Quinoa is another health food that has gained immense popularity as a gluten-free alternative to grains. Despite its nutritional benefits, many people find it bland and slightly bitter with an aftertaste.
Its texture can also be unappealing to some. While it can serve as a decent base for a flavorful sauce or dressing, on its own, it’s a food that many eat out of a sense of obligation rather than genuine enjoyment.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
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I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the exact same things I always do, but my bill just keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly, eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
