Food trends that need to disappear in 2024

Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·4 min read

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Welcome back, readers.

I hate to sound all humbug-y on this week before Christmas, but I've decided to focus today's newsletter on some long-running restaurant trends that I hope to see phased out in 2024. Some are relatively new, while others are long-running trends that have outstayed their welcome.

Apologies in advance if I offend anyone.

Hot honey

Hot honey needs to slow down.
Hot honey needs to slow down.

I get the sweet-spicy appeal of hot honey, but it’s also sticky, overpowering and best used as a side condiment if at all. What was once an innovative idea jumped the shark once fast food chains (Wendy's was at the forefront) started glomming on to it.

Tater tots

Tater tots are nostalgic, but maybe left best for home.
Tater tots are nostalgic, but maybe left best for home.

Sure, it was fun returning to those public school days of crispy tots dunked in ketchup, but it’s time for us to move on (and I say this as a deeply nostalgic eater). The tater tots you get at restaurants are usually no better than the Ore-Ida versions you buy in the Kroger freezer aisle. No amount of cheese or bacon toppings will make them worth the money. Disclaimer: I like tater tots. I just don't see the point of ordering them at a restaurant.

The word 'sammich'

A smoked turkey SANDWICH busts straight out of its bun at Smokin' This and That Barbecue, in Florence.
A smoked turkey SANDWICH busts straight out of its bun at Smokin' This and That Barbecue, in Florence.

I know how cranky-old-man it sounds, but this one’s been bugging me for years now. Is it really so hard to just say sandwich? Or at least san-wich? I don't think so.

Living walls

A u0022living wallu0022 of moss welcomes guests at a restaurant in Tennessee.
A u0022living wallu0022 of moss welcomes guests at a restaurant in Tennessee.

There are some beautiful living walls here in town that work. What was once a great trend that made every restaurant feel like a rainforest or the Krohn Conservatory is starting to feel a little dampened by time.

Bacon on burgers

Burgers can be eaten without bacon.
Burgers can be eaten without bacon.

Bacon burgers have been around for as long as I can remember. But I’ve always seen putting bacon on a burger as a ridiculous exercise in American artery carnage. If you want bacon on your sandwich, get a BLT so it can really shine.

Charred Brussels sprouts

Charred Brussels sprouts.
Charred Brussels sprouts.

Don't get me wrong – I love Brussels sprouts. In fact, I'm eating an excellent Brussels sprout salad from a pop-up called Young Buck Deli as I write this. But seeing charred-to-death versions on so many restaurant menus is no longer interesting to me (especially if they come with a hot-honey glaze).

Cupped pepperoni

Nothing like a little cup of grease to top your already greasy pizza. I suggest taking a cue from Adriatico's by using the salami-sized versions that make their pizzas so unforgettable.

Overwrought mac and cheese

Unless it’s served at a soul food or barbecue joint where the chefs know what they’re doing, mac and cheese is something I always avoid unless I'm with my 8-year-old daughter. Gut-busting versions that incorporate short ribs or brisket – and such questionable acts as stuffing mac and cheese into tacos (yes, this happens) – have put a stain on the childhood classic for me. Yes, there are a few exceptions to the rule, the lobster mac and cheese at Le Bar a Boeuf being one of them, but let’s put an end to this insanity.

Charcuterie boards

There's a time and a place for a charcuterie board.
There's a time and a place for a charcuterie board.

Hear me out on this one. Some places do an excellent job composing charcuterie boards, namely cheese shops that let you sample their offerings in the best, most beautiful way possible. There are also several restaurants that do a great job, too (Bouquet among them). But as a person who's spent most of his life assembling pretty damn good charcuterie boards out of whatever I can find while rummaging through my fridge and pantry, I don’t see why I would order one at a restaurant.

QR menus

QR code menus got very popular during the pandemic.
QR code menus got very popular during the pandemic.

A necessary evil of pandemic-era America, the QR code menu is now something that turns me off of a restaurant almost immediately. The worn, peeling stickers on the tables are a sign that I’m going to deal with my phone, the thing I'm usually trying to get away from while dining out. I find this just as frustrating when restaurants have printed-out menus with beer, cocktail or wine lists only available via a code.

Substituting the word 'Skyline' for 'Cincinnati chili'

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. In a city that’s home to dozens of Cincinnati chili parlors, each with its own recipe, using Skyline like we use the word Kleenex is disrespectful to all of the other immigrant families who brought us our most unique cuisine.

Bad Cuban sandwiches

A random mystery photo of a Cuban sandwich that actually looks pretty good.
A random mystery photo of a Cuban sandwich that actually looks pretty good.

Please don't bother making them if you're not going to do it right. There's an art to composing a good Cuban. And the bread REALLY matters. (The same goes for bad banh mi sandwiches.)

Keith Pandolfi covers food and dining for The Enquirer/Cincinnati.com. Follow his latest dining adventures on Instagram @keithpandolfi or via the At the Table newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Food trends that need to disappear in 2024