22-07-2025
"No One Seems To Sell It Anymore": 27 Food Trends That Were Considered Completely Normal 30 Years Ago, But Have Since Completely Disappeared From Society
Nostalgia comes in all shapes and sizes, but one of the most intense ways to remember a time in the past is through food. And food trends change so gradually, it's hard to actually notice them in real time (that is, until it's years later and you're wondering, hey, why are there SO many weekly-menu-style cookie places around nowadays?!).
So when you're confronted with an old food trend that randomly disappeared, it's an emotional cocktail of nostalgia, mystery, and curiosity. And today we're gonna talk about some of those trends, because they're honestly fascinating whether you're a foodie or not.
1. "Diners open until at least 10 p.m. during the week. I need some late night food! I get cravings for chocolate chip pancakes."
— Royal_T95
2. "Philadelphia cheesecake bars."
— Sandwidge_Broom
"Those could instantly fix a bad day at school when one was in my lunchbox."
— Stripeb49
3. "A lot of salad bars in Wisconsin went down during COVID. I understand the sanitation thing, so you can save the grandstanding. I miss the 15 various pastas, potato salads, and slaws; plus the soups that were all-you-can-eat and included in the entree. They were so good."
— Upbeat-Stage2107
4. "24-hour grocery stores. Sometimes my hours suck, and I loved the peace and quiet. They're also great for sleeping in your car in their parking lot, or on long drives so you can get food and use a washroom."
— Apprehensive_North49
5. "Frozen yogurt shops — all but one has disappeared from my area."
— live_that_life
NBC
6. "Choco Taco for the win!!"
— rileyjamesdoggo
7. "I wish cupcake shops were popular again. I hate that most of my options for a slice of cake are at grocery stores now. Some local bakeries will sell cake slices or mini cakes, but sometimes I just want a simple cupcake without having to bake my own batch."
— littleclaww
8. "Hot dog places. I would love a really good gourmet hot dog place that served top-quality meat and super fresh and different toppings. Amazing sides, but only hot dogs!"
— OwlPrestigious543
11. "Millionaire shortbread. And casseroles in general — especially cream/soup-based ones."
— Wide_Breadfruit_2217
12. "Frogeye salad. Used to be a staple at deli counters in grocery stores. I haven't seen it in forever, and I cannot bring myself to attempt to make it."
— AtheneSchmidt
13. "Warm bacon salad dressings."
— ennuiacres
14. "Lobster being cheaper than dirt. There is essentially infinite lobster, and there's no reason for it to be expensive."
— Rare-Newspaper8530
15. "Good, affordable sandwich places. Not everyone wants fried chicken or a burger every time they eat out. What's cool about sandwich and salad places is you can kind of customize them to your liking. And sub places have become expensive as heck in my area."
— Working_Cloud_909
112233 / Getty Images
18. "Jell-O 1-2-3 from the '70s. So good!!"
— GracieLou540
"Oh man, that and Pudding Pops."
— Spirited_Bill_8947
20. "I wish orange chiffon cakes came back. They're so nice in summer!"
— mbw70
"My partner has a thing for chiffon cakes and no bakery will even make them, so I've had to (ugh!) bake them myself. The texture reminds me of a cellulose kitchen sponge.
There's a good reason we went back to cakes with butter."
— Genny415
22. "Can we please get restaurants back that give more options for veggies? I hate hearing 'Do you want fries or a baked potato with that?' Unless it's a buffet, you're limited, and that's usually the only reason I'll go to a buffet."
— Fabulous-Reporter-21
25. "Nachos made correctly. Piled high with chips, with all the cheese and toppings intermixed in with the chips. Now all the toppings are just dumped on top of a plate of chips."
— Sparkly_Polished_62
27. "Banana ice cream. It was sporadic and hard to find in the '70s, but at least it was available sometimes."
— Weird-Response-1722
Mizina / Getty Images
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Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
