‘In-N-Out Causes Profound Disappointment’: Reddit Users Named the Foods They Think Are the Most Overhyped in the Country

A thread posted to Reddit's r/AskReddit asked users to identify the most overhyped food in the country, drawing responses that named specific chains, dishes, and regional specialties.

One commenter mentioned Crumbl Cookies, writing, "Crumbl is such a disappointment. Paying that much for 1,000 calories of raw sugar dough is wild. I really don't get the hype, lol."

They weren't the only ones who criticized the cookies. A review published by the high school newspaper The Lobby Observer, described one cookie as leaving "a tingly feeling in the back of my mouth" from excess sweetness, and quoted a high school student who called the chain overrated due to its "high pricing and overwhelming taste."

A separate review from a student publication The Captain's Log reported that recent customer feedback increasingly describes the cookies as "raw, overpriced and too sweet."

One commenter, describing themselves as a Southern California native, wrote, "As a SoCal native I think we should only praise In-N-Out with the caveat that it's 'not the best burger ever but good for its price,'" the commenter wrote, adding that "the amount of people from other states and countries who hear about In-N-Out only to come try it and be extremely disappointed is staggering."

The sentiment has appeared in published reviews as well. One reviewer writing for Laptop Travel Style described "profound disappointment" after finally trying the chain following years of hype, adding that the milkshake in particular "tastes like syrupy liquid" once it begins to melt.

Another commenter focused on a regional trend rather than a national chain, describing long lines at Utah's specialty soda shops. "Native Utahn here. Dirty Soda Shops still blow my mind. They will have 10-20 cars in a line just so they can get a specialty soda made," the commenter wrote adding that the drinks originated in Utah's largely Mormon community, where alcohol is discouraged, but said they work well as mixers.

One Reddit user argued that truffle oil, rather than truffles themselves, deserves the criticism often aimed at the ingredient. "I thought I hated truffles because my first experience was something with truffle oil... it was disgusting. Then I had a pasta dish with shaved truffle and it was amazing. Turns out it's just truffle oil that's disgusting, actual truffle is pretty damn good," the commenter wrote.

Another commenter, calling themselves a Maine resident, argued that lobster's reputation as a luxury food overstates its actual rarity or quality relative to price, particularly for lobster tail. "The best meat is in the knuckles and claw. People pay a premium for the less than best part of the bottom feeding ocean bug," the commenter wrote.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the personal experiences described in this Reddit thread. The details above reflect the original comments as shared on r/AskReddit, supplemented by separate published reviews of In-N-Out and Crumbl Cookies. Reviews cited from The Lobby Observer and The Captain's Log are student publications. The Daily Dot included them as additional perspectives, not as professional food criticism.