"Fine" Dining
"Fine" Dining

"Fine" Dining

Michael Ornelas

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Episodes

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Comedian Michael Ornelas dives deep into the stories behind your favorite chain restaurants like Domino's, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, and Long John Silver's before determining if they are better or worse than Chili's: the most mediocre restaurant in America.

Recent Episodes

MOOYAH: Eat Here ASAP
JUN 3, 2026
MOOYAH: Eat Here ASAP
πŸ”πŸ₯” MOOYAH Review: They Sure Know Their Way Around a Potato...and Beef πŸ₯”πŸ” This week, Sandy Rose and I put MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes to the Chili's Test. I'm not lying when I say that all of their potato things are top notch. The fries taste fresh, the chips are just as good as the fries, and the BUNS! Potato buns have rented space in my daydreams (did that make sense...?) because they're all I can think about. πŸ” The MDC Shows Why MOOYAH Should Be Huge πŸ§… The Well D'Onion Divides Sandy and I (We'll be okay tho...) 🌭 The Hamburdog is as Fun to Say As It Is to Consume 🍟 French Fries That You Can Taste the Skin πŸ₯” House-Made Potato Chips Somehow Aren't a Downgrade πŸ₯€ Reese's vs. OREO Milkshakes πŸ—£οΈ A Sweet Employee Who Sounds Like She Was Trained by the Brand Itself 😬 The Manager Gives Off "Nobody Wants to Work Anymore" Vibes πŸ’¬ COMMENT BELOW: Would you order a Hamburdog, or are you higher class than that? πŸ“’ SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY: πŸŽ‰ Patreon (Bonus episodes, extended Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast πŸ’¬ Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4 πŸŽ₯ Watch full episodes: youtube.com/channel/UCLbraNhL6KhDPkdSWt2yiuw πŸ”— All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast 🎀 Guest: Sandy Rose Patreon Producers:Sue Ornelas, Joyce Van, & Robert McLaughlin Patreon Subscribers:David Ornelas, Kellie Baldwin, Jeremy Horwitz, Herbert Amaya, Simone Davalos, Scott Bennett, Amy Reinhart, Josef Castaneda-Liles, & Travis Langley Free Patreon Followers:Joe Warszalek, Lauren Cummings, Grace Krainak, Keri Estes, Robert Duran, Patrick Elliott, Michelle Elmer, Dave Plummer, Nicholas Volney, Michael Gerard, Tracy Molino, Phuong Duong, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Gully, Mason Cruz, Michael Milito, Mez, Aaron Hubbard, Steff, Jewell Hermann, Renae Michael, Crystal C., NiZ πŸ‘‰ NEXT WEEK: The history of fast food Italian chain Fazoli's.
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41 MIN
MOOYAH: A Funny Burger That's Expensive But Delicious
MAY 27, 2026
MOOYAH: A Funny Burger That's Expensive But Delicious
πŸ”πŸ”₯ MOOYAH: Better Burger Boom, Secret Menus, and Bird Poop πŸ”₯πŸ” This week, Sandy Rose joins me to break down the history of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a burger chain that emerged from the "better burger" gold rush and somehow managed to stay decent even after private equity got involved. Along the way, Sandy and I debate whether being pooped on by a bird is actually good luck, unpack MOOYAH's aggressively goofy brand voice, and discover that apparently every restaurant chain on Earth is trying to expand into Dubai. πŸ” Founded by Veterans During the "Better Burger" Wave 🀣 The Chain's Extremely Silly Brand Voice πŸ“œ The Hall of Dang and the Magic of Secret Menus 🌍 Dubai Expansion Because EVERYONE'S Doing It πŸ’° Surviving Private Equity Ownership Without Losing the Plot πŸ”₯ The Heat Lamp: Sandy Claims You Shouldn't Need a Drink with Dinner πŸ’˜ Yelp from Strangers: A Cashier Accidentally Helps a Customer Get Laid πŸ’¬ COMMENT BELOW: What's the greatest secret menu item of all time? πŸ“’ SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY: πŸŽ‰ Patreon (Bonus episodes, extended Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast πŸ’¬ Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4 πŸŽ₯ Watch full episodes: youtube.com/channel/UCLbraNhL6KhDPkdSWt2yiuw πŸ”— All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast 🎀 Guest: Sandy Rose Patreon Producers:Sue Ornelas, Joyce Van, & Robert McLaughlin Patreon Subscribers:David Ornelas, Kellie Baldwin, Jeremy Horwitz, Herbert Amaya, Simone Davalos, Scott Bennett, Amy Reinhart, Josef Castaneda-Liles, & Travis Langley Free Patreon Followers:Joe Warszalek, Lauren Cummings, Grace Krainak, Keri Estes, Robert Duran, Patrick Elliott, Michelle Elmer, Dave Plummer, Nicholas Volney, Michael Gerard, Tracy Molino, Phuong Duong, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Gully, Mason Cruz, Michael Milito, Mez, Aaron Hubbard, Steff, Jewell Hermann, Renae Michael, Crystal C., NiZ πŸ‘‰ NEXT WEEK: We head to MOOYAH to review the food and put it to the Chili's Test.
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38 MIN
Gen Korean BBQ House: Meat So Good We Cried
MAY 20, 2026
Gen Korean BBQ House: Meat So Good We Cried
πŸ₯©πŸ”₯ Gen Korean BBQ House Review: Incredible Meats, Stingy Napkins, and Disappointing Wagyu πŸ”₯πŸ₯© We're back at GEN Korean BBQ House with Jon Durnell (@jon024durnell), and this meal absolutely delivers. Even if we die of smoke inhalation, the genuinely fantastic cuts of meat allow Gen to put together one of the strongest overall food experiences I've had in a while...even if the service staff was "napkin stingy." πŸ₯© LA-Style Galbi Always Delivers πŸ– Premium Skirt Steak with Garlic Brings Us Close to Orgasm πŸ₯’ Banchan Parade: Pickled Onions, Radish, Kimchi, Potato Salad & More πŸ₯­ Mango Tango Bites and Hotteok Close Things Out Strong 🦐 Jon Is NOT Feeling the Shrimp πŸ„ A5 Wagyu Somehow Underwhelms 🧻 The Staff Guards Napkins Like State Secrets πŸ₯— A Sign at the Front Takes a Shot at Vegetarians πŸ† Calibration Station: Jon Names a Steak Worth Killing For While Absolutely Destroying Shoney's πŸ’¬ COMMENT BELOW: Have you ever had Korean BBQ? πŸ“’ SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY: πŸŽ‰ Patreon (Bonus episodes, extended Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast πŸ’¬ Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4 πŸŽ₯ Watch full episodes: youtube.com/channel/UCLbraNhL6KhDPkdSWt2yiuw πŸ”— All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast 🎀 Guest: Jon Durnell | IG: @jon024durnell Patreon Producers:Sue Ornelas, Joyce Van, & Robert McLaughlin Patreon Subscribers:David Ornelas, Kellie Baldwin, Jeremy Horwitz, Herbert Amaya, Simone Davalos, Scott Bennett, Amy Reinhart, Josef Castaneda-Liles, & Travis Langley Free Patreon Followers:Joe Warszalek, Lauren Cummings, Grace Krainak, Keri Estes, Robert Duran, Patrick Elliott, Michelle Elmer, Dave Plummer, Nicholas Volney, Michael Gerard, Tracy Molino, Phuong Duong, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Gully, Mason Cruz, Michael Milito, Mez, Aaron Hubbard, Steff, Jewell Hermann, Renae Michael, Crystal C. πŸ‘‰ NEXT WEEK: I dive into the history of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes with the returning Sandy Rose.
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57 MIN
Korean BBQ's Fascinating History and the Rise of Gen KBBQ House
MAY 13, 2026
Korean BBQ's Fascinating History and the Rise of Gen KBBQ House
πŸ₯©πŸ”₯ Gen Korean BBQ House: Meat Deets, Costco Gift Cards, and KBBQ History πŸ”₯πŸ₯© This week, Jon Durnell (@jon024durnell) joins me to break down the history of Gen Korean BBQ House, one of the fastest-growing Korean BBQ chains in America. From SoCal beginnings to a nationwide expansion strategy powered in part by Costco gift cards, Gen's rise is surprisingly fascinating. Plus, we debut a brand-new segment called Meat Deets, where we dig into the broader history of Korean BBQ itself. πŸ₯© Gen's California Origins and Expansion to Nearly 60 Locations πŸ›’ The Surprisingly Effective Costco Gift Card Strategy 🀝 The Founders Were in a Proverbial Commonlaw Marriage πŸ”₯ MEAT DEETS: The Centuries-Long History of Korean BBQ 🌎 Why Los Angeles Koreatown Became America's KBBQ Capital πŸ– The "LA Style" of Galbi That Korea Adopted Back πŸ₯¬ How Korea Perfected Pickling Before Mastering Meat πŸ”₯ The Heat Lamp: Jon Declares IHOP A Superior Fighting Arena Than Waffle House πŸ“ž Yelp from Strangers: A Furious Late-Night Wake-Up Call from Gen Management πŸ’¬ COMMENT BELOW: Is LA the true capital of Korean BBQ outside Korea itself? πŸ“’ SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY: πŸŽ‰ Patreon (Bonus episodes, extended Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast πŸ’¬ Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4 πŸŽ₯ Watch full episodes: youtube.com/channel/UCLbraNhL6KhDPkdSWt2yiuw πŸ”— All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast 🎀 Guest: Jon Durnell | IG: @jon024durnell Patreon Producers:Sue Ornelas, Joyce Van, & Robert McLaughlin Patreon Subscribers:David Ornelas, Kellie Baldwin, Jeremy Horwitz, Herbert Amaya, Simone Davalos, Scott Bennett, Amy Reinhart, Josef Castaneda-Liles, & Travis Langley Free Patreon Followers:Joe Warszalek, Lauren Cummings, Grace Krainak, Keri Estes, Robert Duran, Patrick Elliott, Michelle Elmer, Dave Plummer, Nicholas Volney, Michael Gerard, Tracy Molino, Phuong Duong, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Gully, Mason Cruz, Michael Milito, Mez, Aaron Hubbard, Steff, Jewell Hermann, Renae Michael, Crystal C. πŸ‘‰ NEXT WEEK: We head to Gen Korean BBQ House to review the food and put it to the Chili's Test.
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45 MIN
Tony Roma's: King of (Chain) Ribs
MAY 6, 2026
Tony Roma's: King of (Chain) Ribs
πŸ–πŸ€– Tony Roma's Review: Robot Waiters, Trying All the Ribs, and "Champion or Chumpion" πŸ€–πŸ– We're back at Tony Roma's with Gabe Legg (@gabe_legg), and this visit throws us for a loop almost immediately thanks to a ROBOT WAITER gliding through the dining room like Tony Roma's like a better Roomba. Between three different rib styles, Gabe trying lobster tail for the first time ever, and a human waiter who refused to accept me turning down his upsell, this meal was a bizarre little journey. πŸ– Ribs Ad Infinitum: Beef, St. Louis, & Baby Back 🦞 Gabe Tries Lobster Tail for the First Time Ever πŸ€– A Robot Waiter Steals the Show πŸ’Έ The Human Waiter Judges Me for Declining a Bargain πŸ“Ί We Rate the "Show Us Your Rib Face" Contest Winners 🎭 Vibes Swing Wildly Between Medieval Times and Bank Office πŸ”₯ Gabe's Worst Restaurant Experience: Bad Melting Pot Energy πŸ«• Gabe's Best Restaurant Experience: Literally The Melting Pot πŸ’¬ COMMENT BELOW: Would a robot waiter improve your dining experience, or make it weirder? πŸ“’ SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY: πŸŽ‰ Patreon (Bonus episodes, extended Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast πŸ’¬ Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4 πŸŽ₯ Watch full episodes: youtube.com/channel/UCLbraNhL6KhDPkdSWt2yiuw πŸ”— All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast 🎀 Guest: Gabe Legg | IG: @gabe_legg Patreon Producers:Sue Ornelas, Joyce Van, & Robert McLaughlin Patreon Subscribers:David Ornelas, Kellie Baldwin, Jeremy Horwitz, Herbert Amaya, Simone Davalos, Scott Bennett, Amy Reinhart, Josef Castaneda-Liles, & Travis Langley Free Patreon Followers:Joe Warszalek, Lauren Cummings, Grace Krainak, Keri Estes, Robert Duran, Patrick Elliott, Michelle Elmer, Dave Plummer, Nicholas Volney, Michael Gerard, Tracy Molino, Phuong Duong, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Gully, Mason Cruz, Michael Milito, Mez, Aaron Hubbard, Steff, Jewell Hermann, Renae Michael, Crystal C. πŸ‘‰ NEXT WEEK: I dive into the history of Gen Korean BBQ House with Jon Durnell.
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67 MIN