Making fun of millennials has become a sort of trademark for Gen Z. Between being Harry Potter or Disney adults, calling dogs “doggos” or being really, really into coffee, there’s a huge range of millennial sayings or interests that Gen Z has picked at over the years. But the most recent millennial favorite that’s come under attack? Beloved millennial burger spots.
If you’re unfamiliar with the vibe, it’s kind of something like this. Think back to some of the popular spots around 2015-2018 — they all have a distressed wood or brick interior accompanied by other wood fixtures or details, tiny hanging lights, uncomfortable metal chairs or high tops and the menus are either in some bubbly, cartoonish font or are black and white and resemble a small chalkboard. They’re also categorized by “handhelds,” “sharables” or “sweet treats.”
The water is likely served in a mason jar, the burgers will all have a “special” or “secret sauce” and the fries will be served on anything but a plate — you can probably upgrade to average-tasting truffle fries with their garlic or chipotle aioli — and they probably have some kind of decadent milkshake option on the menu. The entire meal will also probably be an overpriced $30 for the most average burger you’ve ever had.
A lot of these TikTok videos have the same song playing in the background. It’s the song in the two videos above, which is actually where this trend came from. Internet personality Kyle Gordon recently released a parody song “We Will Never Die,” akin to the song “We Are Young” by Fun. It has the same Imagine Dragons, “Renegades” by X Ambassadors, “Pompeii” by Bastille or “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors kind of vibe that had everyone hooked back in the mid-2010s.
And the comments agree, with some users continuing the fun by circulating other messages that were relevant during that time: “Keep calm and drink coffee #yolo,” “Why am I looking for a mason jar to drink from?” “This is so millennial core coded,” and, of course, “Sounds like 50 $ burgers.”
Alas, a trend was born.
It’s hilarious that establishments like these are as universal as they are when most of the owners probably really thought they “did a thing,” as they say. But you know what? They were. As someone who is Gen Z myself, you already know I was asking my mom if I could upgrade to the truffle fries because as bland or drenched as they may have been, nothing beats the combo of a crispy french fry bite with fluffy parmesan cheese and spicy aioli. And I’ll happily go back. We all will.
More Like This
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
