"Fine" Dining

Author: Michael Ornelas

Comedian Michael Ornelas dives deep into the stories behind your favorite chain restaurants like Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, and Dunkin' before determining if they are better or worse than Chili's: the most mediocre restaurant in America.
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Language: en

Genres: Arts, Comedy, Food

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Is Islands the Best Casual Burger Chain?
Episode 28
Wednesday, 10 December, 2025

🍔🏄‍♂️🍟 Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks: The Best Casual Burger Chain? 🍟🏄‍♂️🍔 This week, VyVy Nguyen (@cest_la_vyvy) returns for another round of Eat Deets as we surf the waves of flavor offered by Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks. From their golden fries and proprietary fry salt to surf videos looping endlessly on the walls, Islands is a California chain that perfectly captures chill beach energy. We explore its expansion beyond the West Coast, the founder's wild journey from selling to buying the company back, and why seasoning > sauce every single time. 🍔 Burgers So Good 🧅 Island Reds (Crispy Onion Strings) Make Burger So Better 🍟 The Legendary Fry Salt That Outshines Any Sauce 🌊 Surf Videos and Tropical Vibes at Every Location 🗺️ From California to Hawaii and Back Again ⚓ The Founder Sold, Bought It Back, and Righted the Ship (Literally, He's a Navy Vet) 🪨 Yelp Reviewer Claims She Found Rocks in Her Food 💬 COMMENT BELOW: What's the best beachside burger you've ever had? 📢 SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY: 🎉 Patreon (Bonus episodes, full Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast 💬 Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4 🎥 Watch full episodes: youtube.com/@finediningpodcast 🔗 All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast 🎤 Guest: VyVy Nguyen | IG: @cest_la_vyvy Patreon Producers: Sue Ornelas & Joyce Van 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 👉 NEXT WEEK: VyVy returns for a Yelp from Strangers special covering some hilarious Yelp reviews I discovered when looking at the restaurants I reviewed during season 1!