Every year, millions of Americans and tourists plan special trips around dining at famous restaurants they’ve seen on social media, in movies, or on TV. The anticipation builds, the wait can stretch for hours, and then the meal arrives. Just about everyone has tried a chain restaurant after hearing about how fantastic it was and left thinking, “What’s the big deal?” The gap between expectation and reality is a very real phenomenon in American dining culture, and with roughly 749,000 restaurants in the United States as of 2023, and food quality remaining the most crucial reason diners choose one restaurant over another according to TouchBistro’s 2024 Diner Trends Report, there’s simply no excuse for fame to paper over mediocrity. Here are five of the most overhyped U.S. restaurants that don’t quite live up to their enormous reputations.
1. Katz’s Delicatessen – New York City, NY
Katz’s Delicatessen on Manhattan’s Lower East Side has been around since 1888, and its place in pop culture was cemented by the famous “I’ll have what she’s having” scene from the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally. The deli draws enormous crowds daily, with tourists and first-timers lining up for what they expect to be the world’s greatest pastrami sandwich. Despite being a venerated NYC institution, Katz’s Delicatessen receives mixed reviews from New Yorkers over whether the pricey sandwich is worth it, sparking widespread debate over its value and quality.
The prices alone are enough to give people pause. A single sandwich sold for $27 is famous for what the restaurant describes as a generous amount of ingredients. Critics online have been blunt about the value proposition. One vocal critic called it “really overrated and a total tourist trap,” suggesting a neighborhood bodega would offer a third of the price and twice the quality. The dining system itself adds another layer of friction. Walking in, you are presented with a ticket you must protect or face a $50 fine, and you then get in line at various stations to order your food.
2. In-N-Out Burger – California and the American West
In-N-Out Burger is perhaps the most fiercely defended fast food chain in the country. Californians treat it like a regional birthright, and visitors from the East Coast often make special pilgrimages just to try the famous Double-Double. Many diners on Reddit claim that In-N-Out Burger isn’t deserving of all the hype, arguing it’s just regional bias, with those who live back East where the chain doesn’t operate seeming particularly underwhelmed. Another perspective holds that the chain’s exclusivity makes it seem more “idealized” as a restaurant from a “sun-filled land of paradise.”
The menu’s narrowness is a legitimate and recurring complaint. While diners can get a three or four-patty burger with grilled onions and a thousand island-style sauce, that’s about as far as things go creatively, with no bacon, no different style of cheese, no jalapeños or avocado, and without something additional to flavor things up, the burgers and fries are just okay. The fries draw consistent criticism from visitors who expected more. Many food critics on Reddit specifically target In-N-Out’s French fries, calling them “oily,” “gross,” and “horrendous.”
3. Serendipity 3 – New York City, NY
Few restaurants in America run as purely on nostalgia and cinematic memory as Serendipity 3 on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Made famous by the 2001 romantic film of the same name, the dessert-focused venue has become a mandatory stop for tourists seeking a picture-perfect New York experience. The reality, however, rarely matches the fantasy built up over decades of movie-induced daydreaming. Serendipity 3 trades almost entirely on nostalgia and movie magic, and is described by many as a total NYC tourist trap filled with nothing but long lines, large crowds, and frozen hot chocolates that taste more like chocolate milk than anything else.
The experience is further complicated by the restaurant’s rigid dining rules. Serendipity 3 won’t even let you make a reservation for just dessert; you have to eat a full meal first, meaning guests must sit through average entrees just to get to the dessert they actually came for. In September 2024, the situation got even more tourist-centric. A new Times Square location was opened in September 2024, doubling down on capturing visitors before they wander too far from the bright lights. Serendipity 3 feels like a place you’d celebrate your sweet sixteen – a glorified malt shop with faux Tiffany lamps, long lines, marginal service, and so-so food.
4. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. – Multiple U.S. Locations
Built entirely on the commercial legacy of the 1994 film Forrest Gump, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is a chain that has figured out how to turn brand nostalgia into a nationwide restaurant business. The company proudly states it’s “the only casual restaurant chain based on a motion picture property,” with its first location opening two years after the movie’s release in Monterey, California, and the chain since spreading to 20 restaurants across America and 10 international locations. The problem is that a movie tie-in does not automatically translate into a memorable meal. The seafood chain inspired by the classic Tom Hanks film triggers a wide range of reactions online, from overwhelming enjoyment to flat-out disdain.
Times Square is packed with chain restaurants, and Bubba Gump stands out for all the wrong reasons, with overpriced seafood and aggressive merchandise sales dominating the experience, and countless reviews warning there’s better food just a short walk away. The food itself has drawn sustained criticism from those who visit expecting a genuine seafood experience. Many customer reviews say that the restaurant is a tourist trap, prioritizing movie memorabilia and theme over the quality of what actually ends up on the plate. Critics dismiss restaurants that are “not locally owned and don’t embody the city’s culinary talents as a whole, but rather focus on turning tables for profits and promoting sub-par food,” which translates into higher prices with lower quality.
5. Nobu Malibu – Malibu, CA
Nobu Malibu is one of those restaurants that exists at the precise intersection of celebrity culture and fine dining. If you’ve ever watched a reality TV show set in Los Angeles, you’ve likely seen it name-dropped or featured prominently. You’ve undoubtedly seen everyone from the real housewives to the Kardashians frequent Nobu on television, and people often come to Nobu more for the views than the food. That’s a telling admission. When a restaurant’s primary selling point is its celebrity clientele rather than its cuisine, the food itself has already lost the argument.
The pricing at Nobu Malibu is steep by any reasonable standard. It’s on the pricey side, with dishes ranging from $20 to over $200, and some feel the cost doesn’t match the experience. The cuisine itself is a point of genuine confusion for first-time visitors expecting a traditional Japanese meal. Celebrities frequent the place, making it more about spotting stars than savoring the food for some, and don’t expect pure Japanese cuisine – Nobu blends Japanese and Peruvian flavors, giving a different twist compared to traditional Japanese restaurants. For every hidden gem tucked into a basement in Queens, there’s a “must-try” Manhattan hotspot serving mediocrity at luxury prices, with much of the city’s food scene running on hype cycles and PR budgets that revolve around a celebrity sighting or a viral TikTok dish. Nobu fits that pattern perfectly.
