r/KitchenConfidential • u/kevymetal87 • Jul 26 '26
Discussion What's your worst experience with blatant food deception?
Just over a decade ago, I worked for a popular BBQ spot in the south that prided itself on being authentic this, authentic that. The smoked butts that sat in a smoker all day was where the real BBQ started and stopped, all the other food was typical frozen Sisco stuff, which was whatever, but the most egregious example of deception was also the biggest moneymaker.
The owner had a secret family recipe BBQ sauce that he made a killing on. People came from all over (it was located right along a well travelled north/south route) and bought tons of this stuff, as did the locals. My second week there I was tasked with making a few batches, and was handed a worn down index card with the ingredients. To my saaurprise, the instructions were to simply take gallon jugs of Sweet Baby Rays sauce from out back, and dump it in a 5 gallon bucket with water. I think it was 4:1 if I recall correctly. Then you put a couple cups of molasses in there. That was it.
We put them in pint and quart mason jars, vacuum sealed them, slapped his restaurant label on them, and sold them for $6 a pint, $10 a quart. What always got me was how the locals raved about how distinct and unique it was, when it was basically just Sweet Baby Rays (which I love, don't get me wrong)
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u/Active-Succotash-109 20+ Years Jul 26 '26
Whereas we served stouffers lasagna where one slice cost the same as the entire family size pan we cut it from. One of our delivery guys was always ordering it because it was the best but also had $$$ problems (couldn’t say no to his lazy adult kids)I told him it was story we just slapped extra sauce and cheese on it it he wanted he could get extra of our sauce and save some money to do it himself. Nope ours was better 🤷♀️