Jack in the Box: See-Through Tacos, Clown Mascot, and Legendary Curly Fries
Release Date: 09/17/2025
"Fine" Dining
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๐๐๐ฏ๏ธ The Old Spaghetti Factory: Trolleys, Mizithra, and Guss Dussinโs Dream ๐ฏ๏ธ๐๐ This week, VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) joins me for a deep dive into the charming, old-world history of The Old Spaghetti Factory. We uncover how a humble warehouse filled with antiques became one of Americaโs most distinctive restaurant chains, complete with a refurbished trolley car centerpiece and chandeliers that make every meal feel like a special occasion. From its signature mizithra cheese and brown butter pasta to a story of explosive disaster, this chain has us asking the...
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info_outline๐ฎ๐คก Jack in the Box: See-Through Tacos, Clown Mascot, and Legendary Curly Fries ๐คก๐ฎ
This week, we went to Jack in the Box to try some burgers, and got so much more than we bargained for. I'm joined by Honey Butter Popcorn from the Ragmop & Goose Puppet Adoption Agency and we went deep on the Jack in the Box menu. From a wild history including a name change and blowing up their old mascot, to Yelp reviews that find one specific employee very funny, you're not going to want to miss this one!
๐ฅค We Describe the Taste of the Worst Drink Iโve Ever Had
โฑ๏ธ "Cheap and Quick" Is the Appeal - Notice "Tasty" Isnโt Necessary
๐ The Sour Patch Kids Watermelon Lemonade Is Surprisingly Incredible
๐ฅ The Egg Roll Isnโt Fit for Humans
๐ถ Jack in the Box (Fittingly) Used to Be Owned by a Dog Food Company
๐ง Changing Their Name to Monterey Jack??
๐ Priming the Sourdough Jack, Buttery Bacon Smashed Jack, and the Jumbo Jack for Septemburger
๐ฅ Churros More Delicious Than Ones from Schmisneyland
๐ช How Do Puppets Eat?
๐ Discovering the Worst Restaurant of All-Time in the Calibration Station
You can still fill out your Septemburger bracket! You can update it to include the winners below, and continue to do so until 11:59 PM PST on September 24th!

๐ฌ COMMENT BELOW: Do you actually like Jack in the Box, or is it more the "open late" and "good value" of it all?
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๐ NEXT WEEK: We're going to Wendy's, the top seed in the tournament, with my guest Ali Gordon!