1

Texas barbecue

Image: Andrik Langfield

Texas barbecue is heavily influenced by central European traditions . German and Czech immigrants settled in the state in the mid-nineteenth century introducing new ingredients. That is the main reason we find pork products like sausages in Texas-style barbecue, in addition to the classic beef brisket. In order to preserve fresh meat longer, they used to smoke it and cook it for a very long time. Over the years, this traditional barbecued meat, which originated in central Texas, spread throughout the state, so today we can enjoy not one but four different styles !

Central Texas BBQ is generally very straightforward, the meat is smoked over pecan, mesquite, or oak wood with just a salt and pepper dry rub. South Texas BBQ has Mexican influences and uses a molasses-based sweet sauce. East Texas BBQ is marinated in a sweet tomato-based sauce and slowly cooked via indirect heat. Finally, West Texas BBQ is prepared over an open flame using mesquite wood.

2

Memphis barbecue

Image: Philipp Kämmerer

No doubt about it, Memphis is one of the BBQ capitals of America . Unlike barbecue styles in other states, in Memphis, the meat is cooked using charcoal instead of hardwood logs. Pork ribs and pork shoulder are the signature cuts prepared with a tangy and sweet sauce based on molasses and tomato. Classic sides for the Memphis barbecue are sweet baked beans and slaw.

Barbecue originated in Memphis at the beginning of the 20th century , when African Americans began to populate the state. Often found in lunchtime pork sandwiches and late-night treats in nightclubs, Memphis BBQ style soon became a staple in the area. Many entrepreneurs opened new restaurants during this time, including John H. Mills, considered Memphis’s First Barbecue King. Rumor has it that even the great Bing Crosby was a regular at Mills’s place whenever he was in town.

3

Kansas City barbecue

Image: fstop314.com

According to the Visit KC website, "Barbecue in Kansas City is more than a menu item or a method of preparation. It’s an institution." The fact is that Kansas barbecue has a long history and is central to the city's culinary culture . Not for nothing is it called the "BBQ Capital of the World". With more than 100 restaurants, there’s even a Kansas City Barbeque Society in charge of promoting this style of cooking around the world.

Kansas City’s love for barbecue started in the early 1900s when a man called Henry Perry began selling slices of hickory smoked meat wrapped in newspaper. Soon after, others followed and started developing their own barbecue recipes. Nowadays, the Kansas City barbecue style involves grilling or smoking different kinds of meat seasoned with a dry rub, then finished with a tomato-based barbeque sauce. Sides include bread, pickles, baked beans, and slaw.

4

North Carolina barbecue

Image: Peter Bravo de los Rios

Whether at a backyard grill, or a traditional wood fire pit at a local restaurant, North Carolina has a proud barbecue tradition. This particular method of smoking and cooking meat has its roots in the emergence of hog cultivation . In the 1500s, Spanish settlers brought pigs to the region and natives on Roanoke Island contributed with their wood-fired slow-cooking method. Over the years, barbecue in North Carolina became a special feature in every celebration and special occasion.

Although recipes may vary between different regions in the state, pork is always the main ingredient . While in the East people cook the whole hog, western Carolinians prioritize the pork shoulder. The sauce is a matter of controversy too. The Eastern tradition calls for a thin vinegar and pepper sauce, whereas Western recipes add tomato or ketchup. Geographical customs aside, if you happen to visit North Carolina, order a local barbecue in one of the many great restaurants and you won’t be disappointed!

5

South Carolina barbecue

Image: @felipepelaquim

Some argue that South Carolina is "The Birthplace of Barbecue" . We won’t be able to settle this debate here and now, but what is certain is that the Palmetto State's barbecue tradition goes back at least five centuries. As with North Carolina, South Carolina barbecue also has its origins in the cultural exchange between Spanish settlers and American Indians . Europeans brought and raised pigs on the islands off the Atlantic coast and the natives knew exactly how to cook them.

The South Carolina barbecue style means cooking and smoking meat —preferably pork— low and slow over hardwood coals. Sometimes pulled from a whole hog, sometimes chopped from a shoulder or ham, South Carolina barbecue comes with a signature sauce depending on the region . You can find a blend of vinegar, salt, and some red pepper to spice things up or a yellow sauce made of cider vinegar, brown sugar or honey, and mustard. No matter which one you get, be prepared for an exceptionally tender and flavorful dish!

6

St. Louis barbecue

Image: Rachel Bramlett

Did you know St. Louis is said to consume more BBQ sauce per person than anywhere else in the country? St. Louisans are big on spare ribs, which may have been introduced in the local culinary tradition more than a century ago. As the legend goes, a steamboat cook named Henry Perry used to slow smoke discarded slabs of ribs from the Kansas City stockyards using locally harvested hardwood trees.

Nowadays, the St. Louis barbecue style includes a variety of seasonings and cooking methods . From grilling to slow smoking, ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, and pork steaks are smeared with a sauce made from ingredients such as salt, vinegar, black pepper, brown sugar, tomato, and even apricots. Unlike other types of barbecue, St Louis style does not require a dry rub and it cooks a lot faster. White bread is the side of choice, especially if you want to make the most out of all that BBQ sauce!

7

Hawaiian barbecue

Image: Tirza van Dijk

Yes, they have barbecues in Hawaii. Although you won’t get the traditional ribs, pulled pork, and brisket, the Aloha State is home to a delicious kind of barbecue. Influenced by its many immigration waves —primarily from China, Korea, Japan, Portugal, and the Philippines—, it has labor origins dating back to the late 19th century . While modern Hawaiian barbecue includes various cooking techniques, such as roasting, smoking, and grilling, the traditional way requires an imu , an underground oven lined with hot rocks, and banana and ti leaves.

Barbecues from the Paradise of the Pacific are often sweet, tangy, and tropical . You can find chicken, beef, pork, and even seafood. Marinades and sauces incorporate Asian flavors and ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. Side dishes range from sticky rice to macaroni salad, complementing and balancing the bold flavors of the meats.

8

Alabama barbecue

Image: Rachel Bramlett

In the South, barbecue is synonymous with any meat that's cooked over the fire. Although pork is often the protein of choice, some restaurants in Alabama also feature brisket, chicken, and beef ribs. Barbecue became popular in Alabama during the early 19th century when difficult economic times required a clever way for the working class to bring flavor and tenderness to cheap cuts of meat.

Sauces involved in the Alabama barbecue style are as diverse as they come . Influenced by the neighboring states of the so-called "barbecue belt", you can find variations of tomato-based sauces, spicy marinades, mustard dressings, and even a white sauce made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Across Alabama, these mouth-watering smoked meats are often served on hamburger buns filled with dill pickles and topped with coleslaw.

9

Kentucky barbecue

Image: Luis Santoyo

Barbecues in Kentucky have been popular for a long time. In the Bluegrass State pork shoulders are a popular cut cooked on concrete block masonry pits for at least half a day. However, Kentucky is most famous for smoking mutton over hickory coals . Kentuckians also barbecue other meats like chicken, pork tenderloins, cured hams, and turkey breasts for sandwiches.

Kentucky is home to a diverse array of barbecue sauces with almost every county having its own take. For example, Hickman County uses mostly vinegar and cayenne pepper, while McCracken County sauces taste strongly of vinegar and chili powder. Others prefer an allspice Worcestershire-based dip. The signature sides for Kentucky barbecue are toast, vinegar slaw, and pickled eggs.

10

Florida barbecue

Image: Dim Hou

Florida may be best known for its fresh seafood but the Sunshine State also has its own barbecue style . And a soft spot for pork too! A testament to the important place pig meat has in Floridian cuisine is the Cuban twist on the classic BBQ sandwich found at many local joints.

What sets Florida barbecue apart from others is its Caribbean and Latin American influences. Florida BBQ often blends techniques of the Southern United States style barbecues —like the use of sweet tomato sauce or mustard sauce— with Caribbean flavors such as vinegar, fruits, peppers, and spices. It may not be the most traditional barbecue in the country but it is certainly worth a try!

1

Blockbuster

Image: Blockbuster LLC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

During the ’80s and ’90s, Friday nights had an almost mandatory stop: Blockbuster. Founded in Dallas, Texas, the blue-and-yellow giant brought Hollywood into Americans’ living rooms with its VHS. At its peak, it had nearly 10,000 stores worldwide.

But something happened in 1997: Netflix. First a DVD-by-mail competitor, Netflix became a streaming service in 2007, and that was one of the main events that helped bring Blockbuster down. By 2010, the iconic brand had filed for bankruptcy. There is only one remaining store located in Bend, Oregon.

2

Sears

Image: Mike Kalasnik from Jersey City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

We’ve all spent an afternoon at Sears. From clothes and accessories to home goods and tools, Sears simply had it all. Founded in 1892 as a mail-order company, it grew throughout the 20th century into a retail powerhouse with hundreds of stores, becoming the shopping stop for many American families.

But as shopping habits changed and competition from giants like Walmart intensified, Sears failed to reinvent itself. After years of decline, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2018. Today, only a handful of stores remain.

3

Pontiac

Image: Ali Moharami

If we say GTO, Firebird, or Trans Am, you know exactly what we’re talking about, right? Of course you do! Pontiac was once one of America’s most iconic car brands, reaching its peak of fame between the 1950s and 1970s.

But after a financial crisis, General Motors decided to discontinue Pontiac in 2010 as it struggled to keep pace with other divisions like Chevrolet and Cadillac.

4

Oldsmobile

Image: Hombre

Pontiac wasn’t the only big name General Motors said goodbye to. Many of us still remember Oldsmobile, founded in 1897 and once a symbol of American innovation. But as sales began to decline through the 1990s and early 2000s, the brand slowly faded and was discontinued in 2004.

5

Woolworth’s

Image: Mike Petrucci

Do you remember Woolworth’s? Founded in New York in 1879, it introduced a revolutionary idea for its time: everyday items at low, fixed prices.

As a pioneer of the five-and-dime store, it grew into one of the largest retail chains in the world. But, much like what happened with Sears, fierce competition had a huge impact, and the brand eventually closed its last American stores in 1997.

6

Compaq

Image: Brian R. Lueck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Many of us had a Compaq at some point. Founded in 1982 in Houston, Texas, this personal computer brand quickly became one of the biggest names in the tech world. However, as new competitors filled the market in the 1990s, sales began to decline. Over time, the brand faded away, and by the early 2010s, Compaq was gone.

7

Pan Am

Image: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Whether you loved flying or not, everyone knew Pan Am. Founded in 1927 as a small mail carrier, it grew into one of America’s most famous airlines, serving millions of passengers around the world.

Until the 1970s, it was practically synonymous with air travel. But the 80s arrived with a mix of rising fuel costs, competition, and financial troubles that led to its bankruptcy in 1991. Did you ever fly with them?

8

TaB

Image: luthfi alfarizi

In the 1960s, the concept of "diet soda" gained popularity, and that’s when Coca-Cola introduced TaB, which claimed to be "sugar-free!" on its famous pink can. But when Diet Coke arrived, TaB’s sales collapsed, and the competition was over. Still, during the ’70s and ’80s, TaB had its big moment in the spotlight: You either loved it or hated it, no in-between. Which side were you on?

9

Borders

Image: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

In recent decades, digital technology has become a major part of our lives. And while it has brought many benefits, it has also hurt certain industries. Borders was one of them.

The rise of online retailers, the emergence of e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle, and the growing popularity of digital books caused the bookstore chain to lose ground. Unable to keep up with the competition, sales declined so badly that the company declared bankruptcy in 2011.

10

Burger Chef

Image: John Margolies, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Some may say that McDonald’s has no competition. But it did: Burger Chef. Founded in 1954 in Indianapolis, it was one of the first fast-food restaurants and quickly gained a huge customer base.

By the 1970s, it had become one of the Golden Arches’ biggest competitors, reaching more than 1,200 locations nationwide. It was even the first to introduce the "kids’ meal." However, everything changed in the 1980s, when the company was bought out, and many of its restaurants were converted to other brands. Its last remaining store closed in 1996.

1

The Gerber Baby - Gerber Baby Food

For decades, parents opening a jar of Gerber baby food saw the same sweet, sketched baby face staring back. But almost nobody knew who that baby was.

In 1928, the Fremont Canning Company, later Gerber, held a contest for a new advertising image. While most artists submitted elaborate paintings, Dorothy Hope Smith entered a simple charcoal sketch of her four-month-old neighbor, Ann Turner Cook. The judges loved the sketch exactly as it was and told Smith not to finish it. Because model releases weren’t standard at the time, rumors about the baby’s identity spread for years, with names ranging from Elizabeth Taylor to Humphrey Bogart. Cook stayed quiet for decades, partly to avoid attention, before revealing the truth around the sketch’s 50th anniversary in 1978. She later became a teacher and a mystery novelist. She remained remarkably private despite being one of America’s most recognizable advertising (baby) faces.

2

The Trix Rabbit - Trix Cereal

Every Saturday-morning kid knew the routine: the Trix Rabbit would create some ridiculous disguise, get dangerously close to the cereal, and then hear those four familiar words: "Silly rabbit, Trix is for kids." But the rabbit wasn’t even Trix’s first mascot.

When the cereal launched in 1954, a flamingo appeared on the box. The rabbit arrived five years later as a hand puppet created by writer Joe Harris, who also came up with the famous slogan. For years, General Mills deliberately kept the rabbit from eating Trix, believing it sent the wrong message about instant gratification. An astonishing 99 percent said the rabbit deserved a bowl, so he finally got his taste in 1980, although it has remained a rare event. In 2016, the company held a nationwide search for a real rabbit to appear on limited edition boxes. A two-pound Holland Lop bunny from Houston named Cinnabun won the honor.

3

Chuck E. Cheese - Chuck E. Cheese

The next time a Chuck E. Cheese birthday brings back memories of flashing arcade lights and tokens, remember that the restaurant almost had a much stranger name.

Nolan Bushnell, who co-founded Atari, wanted a family restaurant where people could eat pizza and play arcade games. For his mascot, he thought he had ordered a coyote costume — but got a rat costume instead. Bushnell embraced the mix-up and initially planned to call the chain "Rick Rat’s Pizza." Fortunately, his business partners stepped in and vetoed the idea, pointing out that marketing a rat-themed restaurant wasn't the best way to sell pizza to families. He settled on Chuck E. Cheese, partly because the alliteration reminded him of names like Mickey Mouse. The first Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre opened in San Jose, California, on May 17, 1977. After filing for bankruptcy in 1984, the company merged with rival ShowBiz Pizza Place, creating the chain that is beloved today.

4

Cap’n Crunch (a.k.a. Horatio Magellan Crunch) - Quaker Oats

Back in the 1960s, a TV commercial showed a bowl of cereal waiting, and a cartoon ship called S. S. Guppy sailing across the screen, commanded by a captain with a giant jaw. That’s Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch.

Quaker Oats hired the animation studio behind Rocky and Bullwinkle to draw a mascot in 1963, and writer Allan Burns, who later went on to co-create The Mary Tyler Moore Show , based the captain on the fictional British naval hero Horatio Hornblower. But the name came from a much simpler place: Quaker wanted a cereal that stayed crunchy even in milk. More interestingly, the Cap’n’s crew, young sailors named Alfie, Brunhilde, Carlyle, and Dave, were named using the first four letters of the alphabet so kids could remember them easily. And here’s the twist: even though he’s a Captain, his uniform only has three stripes, which technically makes him a Commander. In any case, 60 years later, he hasn’t earned a fourth stripe, but has gained America’s love.

5

Charlie the Tuna - StarKist

If you hear "Sorry, Charlie" and think of a cartoon tuna desperately trying to get canned, you’re not alone.

In 1961, copywriter Tom Rogers created Charlie for StarKist, basing the character’s beatnik personality, beret, and thick glasses on his real-life friend Henry Nemo, a musician known for his hip style and slang. In TV commercials, Charly was always trying to prove he had "good taste." He painted pictures, dressed like an intellectual, and offered cultured opinions to get StarKist’s attention. Instead, a hook would appear with a sign saying "Sorry, Charlie," because StarKist wanted tuna that tasted good, not tuna with good taste. The joke became part of everyday language. Charlie’s distinctive Brooklyn voice came from actor Herschel Bernardi, who played him for more than two decades. Though the character faded from advertising in the 1980s, StarKist brought him back in 1999.

6

Lucky the Leprechaun - Lucky Charms

If you grew up pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms, you probably remember chasing down every last marshmallow shape before the oats disappeared. That cereal, and its green top-hatted mascot, came from a fairly ordinary lunch break.

In 1963, General Mills product developer John Holahan was looking for a new use for the company’s cereal lines. Inspired by his own favorite candy, Circus Peanut, he chopped some up and mixed them into Cheerios. The result became Lucky Charms, and on St. Patrick’s Day 1964, an animated leprechaun originally called L.C. Leprechaun introduced the cereal to the country in a splashy, expensive ad campaign. But the mascot’s reign wasn't entirely uninterrupted. In 1975, General Mills tested swapping him for a gentle, absent-minded wizard named Waldo, hoping a friendlier character would appeal to kids. Although Waldo tested well with focus groups, he couldn't match the leprechaun's charisma, and General Mills scrapped the national rollout to let Lucky reclaim his pot for good.

7

Woodsy Owl - U.S. Forest Service

If an elementary school assembly in the 1970s included a lesson about littering, Woodsy Owl may have been part of the show. Created by the U.S. Forest Service with artist Harold Bell, Woodsy emerged from the environmental movement surrounding the first Earth Day in 1970.

He officially debuted on September 15, 1971, when Agriculture Secretary Clifford Hardin introduced him in Washington, D.C. His famous message, "Give a hoot, don’t pollute," became so recognizable that Congress passed the Woodsy Owl Act in 1974 to protect his name and image from misuse. Over time, Woodsy’s message expanded beyond littering to conservation and environmental responsibility, eventually becoming "Lend a hand, care for the land." Alongside Smokey Bear, he remains one of America’s best-known government-created characters, with more than five decades of classroom posters, songs, and public-service campaigns behind him.

8

The Quaker Man ("Larry") - Quaker Oats

The round-faced man wearing a wide-brimmed hat on a Quaker Oats canister has been around for generations. Many assume he is William Penn, the Quaker who founded Pennsylvania. He isn’t.

Quaker Oats registered its trademark in 1877, describing it simply as "a figure of a man in Quaker garb." The company chose the image because Quakers were associated with honesty, integrity, and purity, qualities the brand wanted attached to its oats. Officially, the man never had a name. Unofficially, people inside the company have reportedly called him Larry for years, although nobody seems to know exactly where the nickname came from. He has also had several faces over the decades.

9

Slats, Jackie and Leo the Lions - MGM Studios

Anyone who has watched a classic MGM movie knows that roar. But the famous lion mascot actually began with a college connection.

In 1916, advertising executive Howard Dietz needed a symbol for Goldwyn Pictures, a studio that would eventually become part of MGM. Dietz had attended Columbia University, whose mascot was a lion and whose fight song included the words, "Roar, Lion, Roar." He borrowed the idea. The first MGM lion, Slats, appeared in 1924, but there was a funny problem: movies were still silent. Slats never actually roared for audiences. That changed in 1928 when Jackie became the first MGM lion whose roar could be heard on film after synchronized sound arrived. Since then, seven different lions have played the role. The most familiar, simply called Leo, debuted in 1957 and remained MGM’s symbol for more than six decades, making him one of the longest-running mascots in entertainment history.

10

The Burger King - Burger King

Long before the unsettling Burger King mascot began appearing in commercials, the character was simply a cheerful drawing sitting above a restaurant sign.

The first version appeared in 1955 above Burger King's original Miami location, seated on what the company called a "burger throne." He remained mostly decorative until the early 1970s, when an animated version began appearing in children's commercials. Then came the strange version many longtime viewers remember. In 2003, an advertising agency reportedly found an oversized Burger King helium-balloon head for sale on eBay. That discovery helped inspire the silent, giant-headed King who suddenly appeared beside beds , in doorways, and even around celebrities. In 2015, he joined Floyd Mayweather’s boxing entourage in a stunt reportedly costing Burger King $1 million. The company officially retired that version of the King in March 2026, ending a bizarre chapter of the brand’s mascot.