Are Crazy Milkshakes Really the Worst Food Trend of the Decade?

We pay attention to what other people write. It helps us stay in touch with what’s going on in the world. And this week, Grub Street staff determined crazy looking milkshakes made with sugar and viral marketing were the absolute worst trend of the 2010’s. Listen, we’re blessed to live in a country where we have so much food in abundance, we can complain about the decisions chefs and restaurants make. So when reading this, keep in mind food opinion pieces are NOT meant to be taken too seriously with all that goes on in the world. Now, let’s take a look at some of the things in the world of food that defined the past decade, and see whether or not something else can claim Grub Street’s Title of Dumbest Food Trend.

Milkshakes: bringing all the calories to the yard. Photo: @lifebysyd

Okay, Let’s Voice Our Thoughts On Viral Milkshakes

When we talk viral milkshakes, Grub Street is specifically talking about the rise of Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer, which for the record makes excellent burgers. Under the watch of veteran chef Joe Isidore, a small burger shop that began making outlandish milkshakes thanks to Brittany Stark became a tourist trap. Waiting for several hours on a SoHo sidewalk became a daily occurrence, with people spending their vacations waiting to take a photo with the infamous shake. The shakes were tasty, fun to photograph, and played to our love of indulgence. If they were made with oat milk they would have been labeled ingenious by the vegan mafia. Instead, the obsession by tourists and people who generally don’t take food too seriously irked professional food writers. Part of it was the rise of Instagram influencers finding a shake that played to their followers primal urges. Part of it was continuing the stereotype of Americans over indulging in junk food. But most of all, it was the fact that a place that was ignored by mainstream critics was suddenly New York’s hottest ticket in town. Seriously, how can you hate on ice cream if you’re a food writer?

Will Beyond Burger last longer than the Arch Deluxe? Photo: Beyond Meat/Facebook

But What About Plant-Based Meat?

The push to make a burger that had a similar texture to beef and bled like it too was something that gained a ton of attention towards the later part of the decade. Now, we’re not knocking plant-based burgers. In fact, Superiority Burger is one of our favorite spots to snag a quick and affordable bite. But the idea that hundreds of thousands of dollars was poured into research to create a meatless burger is just something that didn’t need to happen. First off, Beyond Meat DOES NOT taste like beef or any animal. It tastes like its ingredients, which include coconut, beans, and fruit juices. And it’s not that tasty, but I guess it’s not completely terrible either. While we’re not knocking innovation, the obsession to try and recreate natural flavors, specifically those found in animals, is something that hasn’t been healthy for people. Even Beyond Meat is feeling the burn from those that are upset its employees taste meat in order to determine if Beyond Meat products are up to par. While science and innovation most definitely need to be a part of the kitchen, we hope the next decade will be a little more relaxed when it comes to promoting agendas.

Collaborations seem fun, but are they even memorable bro? Photo: Black Seed/Facebook

But if Not Plant-Based Meat or Viral Milkshakes, what is this decade’s dumbest food trend?

This decade beyond a doubt featured many annoying things in food, but if there’s one thing that made us shake our head in despair, it was the never ending announcement of trendy fast casual restaurant collaborations. From bagel sandwiches that went way beyond lox and cream cheese to dumplings stuffed with fancy fillings , this decade’s idea of creativity meant taking bits and pieces of what made their places unique and turning them into a food Frankenstein. And like Frankenstein, these dishes just wanted someone to love them, yet all we could think of after eating them was, “I wonder what the next one is gonna be so I can be the first to take a photo of it.” Some were good, some were creative, but none were memorable. And part of the reason we like dining at a unique restaurant is that we can’t find that food anywhere else. We like exclusivity and celebrating places because that is where the chef cooks, so that is where you must go. But this decade’s food collaborations feel like a club where only a few trendy, media friendly spots seem to be allowed in. The prices never justify the taste, and we never get a full sense of a guest chef’s creativity when it’s packaged into something they must share with another business. So yes, trendy fast casual restaurant collaborations would be our pick for 2010’s dumbest trend. Now, all that’s left to wonder is, what might the next decade bring?