Septemburger rolls on! Formerly of Tastemade, producer Raj Rawal joins me to talk about a restaurant he's very passionate about: In-N-Out Burger The Eat Deets tackle everything from the founder's untimely passing in a plane crash and the struggles with substance abuse of the sons, to In-N-Out's brand loyalty with 7-Up surviving a rift with Pepsi Th…

Joel Madden is a musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the lead vocalist for the pop-punk band Good Charlotte. Born in Maryland, Madden co-founded Good Charlotte in the mid-1990s with his twin brother, Benji Madden. The band rose to fame in the early 2000s with hits like "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" and "The Anthem," …

Your chance at $500 is here! Septemburger is once again upon us, and this time I've scoured the nation for 8 fast food burger chains to compete in the annual contest I'm joined by a slew of guests: my own Dad, I Think You Should Leave's Steve Moulton, and my friends Kellie Baldwin, Herbert Amaya, and Ashley Robinson Click here for a direct link to …

Troy Arntsen, co-founder and president of Voluspa, transformed a simple idea into a global luxury candle brand renowned for its exquisite scents and impeccable quality. Hailing from Minnesota, Troy was a self-described "daydreamer" who defied expectations when he traded a promising engineering career for the world of essential oils. His decision, m…

Even the name sounds mediocre! I'm joined once again by Two in the Cooler podcast host Andrew Canada to hit up a chain that was a staple of his childhood: Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Perkins has a dingy atmosphere that acknowledges you'd rather be elsewhere What's Going on Over There with advertising the arrival of Dr. Pepper to your menu, and then…

Taylor Hill's life took an unexpected turn at the age of 14 when she was discovered at a dude ranch in Colorado. Born in Illinois but raised in the mountains of Colorado, Taylor grew up snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors with her family. Her mother, a former hairdresser turned stay-at-home mom, instilled in her a sense of creativity and diligen…

I traveled to New York, New York for this one! From the Two in the Cooler podcast, host Andrew Canada joins me this week to check out Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, a chain that I flew across the country to New York City to try, and he flew down from Buffalo to meet me there Originally "Smithy's Pancake House" before changing their name and expanding…

Joe Gebbia's journey began in Georgia, where his early interest in sports led him to work as a ball boy for the Atlanta Hawks. However, his true passion lay in art, earning him the nickname "art guy" in school as he spent countless hours drawing from comic books. This passion led him to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he discovered …

The sushi at Houston's is an unexpected masterpiece! Houston's Restaurant aka Hillstone is one of the higher-end experiences I've had for the podcast, and That Was Wild podcast's Adam Macias joined me on his own birthday to dine there with me The art choices in here were bold (arguably Way Too Much) and their light fixtures straight up looked like …

Michelle Wahler is an entrepreneur, business leader and mother. In 2005, she co-founded the active lifestyle company Beyond Yoga, where as CEO, she built the product and brand from the ground up. What started as a mere concept led to a global wholesale business, e-commerce site and opening of six retail stores, selling tens of millions of units aro…

A chain with 15 different names! Houston's Restaurant aka Hillstone aka 13 other things is one of the more upscale chains, and Adam Macias from the That Was Wild podcast joins me to learn interesting facts about this restaurant Houston's will let you BYOB without charging a corkage fee, and they are very proud of this The Secret Menu: Bougier Resta…

In this episode of The Founder Hour, we have an insightful conversation with Max Levchin, a true trailblazer in the tech world. Max’s journey began in Ukraine, where he grew up in a family of scientists who instilled in him a deep respect for knowledge and discovery. After his family relocated to Crimea to escape the fallout from the Chernobyl disa…

We eat the chicken sandwich that caused chaos upon launch! Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen makes it clear that you're not supposed eat it there. But I powered through with my guest, stand-up comedian Sierra Katow Popeyes goes overboard on the signage in the store, outside the restaurant, and on the door What's Going On Over There with the complete silenc…

Joe Kudla is the visionary founder and CEO of Vuori (pronounced VEE-YOUR-EE), a brand that's redefining activewear. Joe's path to success is anything but ordinary, including a career in fashion and modeling that took him to the fashion capitals of Italy and also, accounting. However, his entrepreneurial spirit led him back to the U.S., where he fac…

The stories from the sandwich launch are wild! I went to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen with stand-up comedian Sierra Katow, but before reviewing the place we have to go over the franchise history The Eat Deets unveil founder Al Copeland's master plan to charge the company a "spice royalty" after he was ousted from leadership The Secret Menu: Villainous…

Niki Nakayama’s cooking is driven by intuition. At her two-Michelin-starred restaurant, n/naka in West Los Angeles, she masters modern kaiseki, a Japanese dining discipline focused on taste, texture, and presentation. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nakayama began her culinary career at Takao restaurant in Brentwood and refined her skills in Japan.…

A new Worst Restaurant in America is crowned! A restaurant so bad, I don't think my Dad (my guest this week) will ever let me live it down: Shoney's Buffet soups shouldn't have such a thick skin over them that the ladle rests on top...right?? What's Going On Over There with Shoney's thinking they deserve their own food truck? The service team surpr…

Larry Fitzgibbon is the co-founder and CEO of Tastemade, a global video platform with hundreds of millions of monthly viewers. Under his leadership, Tastemade has created a vibrant community around its Food, Travel, and Home & Design programming, available across digital, mobile, streaming, and TV platforms. Larry helped raise over $130 million in …

Traveled across the country for this! Coming to you from the mountains of North Carolina, I bring you the Eat Deets for Shoney's with my very own Dad Shoney's has undergone a few name changes, including being a part of the Big Boy franchise A brand that once grew to over 1,800 restaurants is dwindling in the post-pandemic restaurant landscape, now …

Jennifer Hyman is the co-founder and CEO of Rent The Runway, a pioneering fashion technology company that has revolutionized the way women get dressed. Under her leadership, Rent The Runway has grown into a multi-million dollar business, offering clothing and accessory rentals from over 700 designer brands. Jennifer’s vision for a more sustainable …

Edible straws? Actress, foodie, and comedian Katie Molinaro joined me for maybe the weirdest meal yet, as we were total fish out of water at the American Girl Cafe I made an impulse buy and got a doll chihuahua named Barker Posey The stalls in the bathrooms have hooks so you can take your doll with you, and that's Way Too Much... The service team h…

Aaron Levie is the co-founder and CEO of Box, a trailblazing enterprise content management and collaboration platform. Since starting Box in 2005, Aaron has led the company to become a global leader in cloud computing, transforming how businesses manage and share information. He is a prominent voice in the tech industry, frequently discussing the f…

Lunch at a restaurant for dolls!! Comedian and food influencer Katie Molinaro doesn't hesitate to join for a silly dining experience, so we hit up the American Girl Doll Store Boutique & Bistro Katie grew up with a doll she didn't vibe with This week's Secret Menu mini-game: Unfun Children's Toys American Girl was founded by a cancer-surviving text…

Angie Hicks is the co-founder of Angi (formerly Angie’s List). She started Angie’s List in 1995, which has grown over nearly 30 years from supporting a few cities, to the first national digital directory for home improvement, through an IPO, an acquisition and a rebrand. Hicks has worn many different hats during her time at Angi, but today, she is …

I debut a music video about the new frontrunner in Mediocrity! Coming closer to mediocrity than Applebee's (who scored 5.02/10), Cracker Barrel is the life-blood of this week's guest, stand-up comedian Jen Liv The rocking chairs aren't the only thing that swings in this Cracker Barrel Country Store... This week's Secret Menu mini-game: Kinky Restau…

Ray Dalio is an American billionaire investor, philanthropist, and author. He founded Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, in 1975 out of his two-bedroom apartment. Under his leadership, Bridgewater grew into one of the most successful investment firms globally, renowned for its innovative approaches to economics and finance. Dal…

I went to Cracker Barrel with a CB Superfan! Stand-up comedian Jen Liv LOVES Cracker Barrel so much (she's been to over 40 different ones!) that she hopped my car and road tripped with me to go there In this Eat Deets episode, the history of Cracker Barrel includes the franchise's humble beginnings as a gas station restaurant before growing into wh…

Keith Rabois is a Managing Director at Khosla Ventures and CEO of OpenStore, bringing over 20 years of experience as a founder, operator, and investor. At Khosla Ventures, he led early investments in DoorDash, Affirm, and Stripe, and co-founded Opendoor. Previously, at Founders Fund, he invested in Ramp, Trade Republic, and Aven, and personally inv…

"I've got the celebrity!" Comedian and world-class cuddler Chad Opitz is here once again to talk about dining with Shrek (me, having lost a bet) at The Original Pancake House Michael gets a looooot of attention as Shrek and makes some kids' day What's Going On Over There with OPH cooking a baby? The service staff embraced me with open arms Chad ord…

Inspired by frequent trips to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in 1980 and today it remains family-owned and operated. What started as a homebrewing hobby eventually grew into a well-honed craft, and later, one of the largest independent breweries in the U.S. Ken built the first brewhouse by hand in C…

Get in mah swamp! Stand-up comedian Chad Opitz (recurring guest on Doug Benson's podcast "Doug Loves Movies") not only tolerates, but embraces me this week (literally) as I go to The Original Pancake House in full Shrek make-up with him to make good on the bet I lost last week We cover the history of not just this week's restaurant, but the concept…

For over 15 years, Amy Liu worked as a beauty executive at some of the fastest-growing prestige companies, including Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran Cosmetics. But as a longtime eczema sufferer, she couldn’t even enjoy the best part of working in the beauty industry: trying out all the products! Even the clean alternatives were super exp…

Scale the Great Wall of Chocolate! Andres Simonian (not from Home Economics or Mythic Quest) is back to plunge into our review of P.F. Chang's Michael thinks the atmosphere in a P.F. Chang's is "sexy" Michael tells the tale of the Cumbre Tunnel Massacre shootout that almost claimed his great-grandfather's life Andres makes a high-stakes Shrek-theme…

Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof Coffee and a pioneer in the Biohacking movement, is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, CEO of Upgrade Labs and Danger Coffee, and host of the Webby award-winning podcast, The Human Upgrade. As a maverick in health science and biotechnology entrepreneurship, Dave made history by selling the first produ…