Even if you don’t know it, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve been to a millennial burger joint. As TikTok has recently noticed, there are numerous tell-tale signs, including, but not limited to, reclaimed wood, metal barstools, truffle fries, $25 burgers, and a menu with sections like “shareable” and “handhelds.”
The latest TikTok trend, for one reason or another, centers on poking fun at these restaurants.
It started with folks noticing this was a type of place at all.
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It just so happened that Kyle Gordon — the popular TikTokker who often makes parody songs like “Planet of the Bass” — recently released a truly insufferable faux millennial anthem that effectively rips off “We Are Young” by Fun.
The Gordon track became the background audio to lots of TikToks of folks pointing out what defines a millennial burger place and showing examples IRL. And frankly, the TikToks have nailed it.
The burgers are typically pretty expensive, sitting on a brioche bun, and often with too many options for toppings. There’s a chalkboard somewhere listing off craft beers or specials. The menu has non-threatening curses like “kick-ass.” The decor is a mix of distressed wood and unfinished metal. There are truffle fries served in one of those little fryer baskets. The menu has sections like “handhelds,” “shareables,” and “sweet treats.” The restaurant itself tells the story of how it was started by “two guys with a dream.”
The trend itself is pretty harmless fun. Because the thing is, as much as folks poke fun at these places, we’ve all been to one — and I bet we’ll be back, paying $23 for the Kickass, Fire It Up handheld.