Welcome to Delicious or Distressing, where we rate recent food memes, videos, and other entertainment news. Last week we discussed the giant Doritos pyramid on the Vegas Strip.
It was only a matter of time. Ben Affleck—actor, husband of Jennifer Lopez, Bostonian, intrepid Dunkin’ loyalist—finally has a drink to his name at his favorite New England coffee chain. Ben’s “DunKings Coffee” is, according to Dunkin’, a “classic iced coffee with notes of vanilla combined with cream, topped with Sweet Cold Foam and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.”
Also this week, a TikToker was so taken by Pizza Hut’s melodic hold music that she called a second time, just so she could request to be put on hold once more. A version of the Choco Taco is back, thanks to Taco Bell and ice cream purveyor Salt & Straw. Lastly, a woman ordered a pricey ash tray from Saks Fifth Avenue, only to receive in the mail a can of albacore tuna.
Read more below on this week’s food news around the internet.
At long last, Ben Affleck has his own Dunkin’ drink on the menu
Ben Affleck is becoming ever more synonymous with the Dunkin' Donuts brand. In a Super Bowl commercial this year, he featured in a boy band called the DunKings, alongside pals Matt Damon and Tom Brady. Affleck was apparently paid close to $10 million dollars for last year’s Dunkin’ commercial, so one can only assume he pocketed a similarly exorbitant payment this year. The biggest boon for someone of Affleck’s financial standing, however, might be that his favorite bev is now a whole lot easier to order. The DunKings Iced Coffee—with “vanilla vibes,” cream, Sweet Cold Foam, and cinnamon sugar—now has an official, albeit limited time, spot on the menu.
Dunkin' hasn’t disclosed sales figures since the ad aired, but celebrity endorsements are a time honored tradition in the fast food space. What’s different this time? Affleck’s love affair with Dunkin’ started as a meme, and now Dunkin’ is leaning into the internet of it all more and more. Similar strategies involving celebrity-backed menus have proven successful for other fast-food brands clamoring to win over the youths. In the past few years, Burger King featured a Lil Huddy meal, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen introduced “hottie sauce” in collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, and McDonald’s has partnered with Saweetie, BTS, and Travis Scott to create signature meals. I guess I’d probably do just about anything for $10 million. But already-rich celebs donning neon-colored sweatsuits to sell fast food to children feels just a tad out of touch. —Ali Francis, staff writer
Pizza Hut's hold music is a soulful ballad about chicken wings
Imagine: You’re angrily calling Pizza Hut about a pizza emergency. The beleaguered customer service rep puts you on hold, and you’re ready to fume. Suddenly you hear: “Chicken wings, chicken wiiiiings…it’s the best thing that’s not pizza.” This is presumably what happened to TikTok user @noraeinhellll, who became so dumbfounded and delighted that they called the pizza chain again just so they could hear the hold music again. In a video with nearly two million views, they tell someone through their phone, presumably a rep for Pizza Hut, “When you put me on hold, I heard genuinely the best song ever.” A tinny, baffled voice replies on speaker: “Okay?! I mean I hope it plays the song for you?!” Shortly after, a smooth baritone voice passionately belts out about chicken wings from the phone. “Chicken WIIIIIIINGS!” It screams in a final crescendo. (Commenters suggest it belongs to the actor and comedian Craig Robinson, who has featured in several Pizza Hut commercials.) Pizza Hut’s hold music is one of many moving examples of how humanity can come together through song and music, even in the darkest, hangriest of times. Thank you, Pizza Hut, for taking advantage of customer distress to upsell them an additional menu item so successfully that they make a viral video about it. —Karen Yuan, culture editor
TikTok content
Taco Bell and Salt and Straw are bringing back a fancy Choco Taco
In 2022, Klondike announced it was discontinuing the beloved ice cream truck staple Choco Taco, disheartening thousands of loyal fans—us included. However, in January 2024, Taco Bell announced at a ‘Live Más Live’ conference (which very much had Apple Release meets E3 conference vibes), that it was resurrecting and even elevating the treat in partnership with Salt & Straw, a Portland-based ice cream company.
I tried the reimagined treat just this week—which will be available this summer for online ordering, and at all Salt & Straw shops—and it was, dare I say, even better than the original. The new version tastes like the original Choco Taco had a major glow up. The dessert itself is larger, the waffle cone shell is sturdier, and it tastes more fresh than the ones I used to pull from bodega freezers. The ice cream is much richer, thanks to extra butterfat, and it’s topped with toasted brown rice, amping up the texture quotient.
The surprise stars of the show were the accompanying sweet and spicy sauces. You heard that right: dessert hot sauces. There’s three flavors: mango jalapeño, cinnamon wild berry and chocolate chili that bring a warm, lingering heat that sticks to your palate. The Mango Jalapeño reminded me of yellow sriracha, while Cinnamon Wild Berry was by far the sweetest and mildest. Last but not least, the Chocolate Chili sauce lent a spicy kick to the taco. I was tempted to hoard some for later. —Julia Duarte, designer
This woman ordered a $275 ashtray from Saks and opened the box to find a can of tuna
Receiving something other than what you ordered online is a special kind of disappointment. For Bailey Cormier, it wasn’t shoes in the wrong size or a sweater in the wrong hue, but a can of albacore tuna instead of a $275 Dolce & Gabbana ashtray. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against canned tuna, but for all its great qualities, it simply isn't a one-for-one substitute for a designer ashtray from Saks. Representatives from Saks say the mixup was likely due to a fraudulent return, but the real takeaway here is that Saks apparently sells all sorts of unexpected luxury home goods—can I interest you in a giant acrylic snail for $1,200? What about a set of dominoes that costs $10,000? No? Okay, surely you're interested in something called a "table clock" that's $120,000. Well either way, I have some wishlist updating to do. —Sam Stone, staff writer