Famous Food

Starbucks baristas are preparing to go on strike at more than 150 stores in protest over allegations the coffee giant banned Pride decorations in some locations.

Union leaders for Starbucks workers announced the strike plan Friday, saying 3,500 workers will walk off the job next week all across the country.

The union is demanding all Starbucks locations allow workers to use Pride decorations to show support for the LGBTQ+ community ... and there's a new union contract they want Starbucks to recognize.

While the union claims Starbucks banned some stores from putting up Pride decorations and asked other locations to take down existing decor, the coffee company denies that, and is accusing the union of spreading a false narrative.

One hotbed for controversy is Oklahoma City ... where one store manager reportedly told union workers to trash Pride decorations as a result of a decision made at the regional level.

Bronny James might be a college guy now, but the Lakers superstar's son isn't going to the dining hall anytime soon -- 'cause he grabbed dinner at an L.A. hot spot with USC head coach Andy Enfield and top recruit Isaiah Collier!!

The Trojans commit showed up at Catch Steak in West Hollywood in his Porsche 911 on Thursday ... where the group broke bread and, we're assuming, chopped it up about the upcoming season.

Bronny -- a four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon -- recently announced he would suit up for the Trojans for college ball ... where he'll be joined by Collier, widely regarded as the top player in the class of 2023.

James also announced Thursday he will don #6 for USC ... the same number LeBron currently wears for the Purple and Gold.

Of course, 18-year-old Bronny's been used to living in L.A. for a few years now ... but it's gotta be a bit different now that he's the big man on campus.

Aaron Rodgers made a huge push for the legalization of magical mushrooms and more on Wednesday night, insisting they have changed his life ... and could help alter many others too.

The New York Jets quarterback stumped for the hallucinogens for nearly an hour ... while giving a passionate speech on a stage at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver.

He and his good pal Aubrey Marcus, who sat alongside the NFL star at the podium, glowed about their uses of psychedelics while addressing a big crowd ... and Rodgers repeated over and over again that everyone should have an open mind to the drugs.

"I know in Colorado that psilocybin has been decriminalized," Rodgers said. "Is it not ironic that the things that actually expand your mind are illegal and the things that keep you in the lower chakras and dumb you down have been legal for centuries?"

The 39-year-old -- who's been vocal in the past about his use of ayahuasca -- said, yet again, his trip on the psychedelic tea helped transform him from one of the league's best signal-callers back into an NFL MVP.

"It's going to be hard to cancel me," he said, "because, you know, the previous year, 26 touchdowns, four interceptions. We had a good season. Ayahuasca, 48 touchdowns five, interceptions, MVP. What are you going to say?"

Rodgers also ribbed his critics -- whom he referred to as "bums" -- saying they're the ones who need to try psychedelics the most.

As part of his speech, Rodgers also said he's heard from all kinds of athletes since he initially opened up about his ayahuasca use ... claiming everyone from basketball players to baseball players to surfers and entertainers have reached out to him to share their similar experiences.

Officials at the conference, meanwhile, praised Rodgers for showing up and speaking his mind ... with Rick Doblin, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies' founder, telling the New York Post he expects it to all have a "massive impact" on relieving the stigma surrounding the drugs.

The writers' strike has no sign of slowing down, as a massive swarm of folks turned out for a rally more than a month and a half after members of the WGA decided enough was enough.

Thousands of writers gathered at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles Wednesday ... with a ton of them carrying their picket signs and donning their blue WGA strike shirts.

In case ya forgot, the big strike started back on May 2 -- and while the bigwigs in Hollywood are holding their ground as projects are now missing a writing staff, it seems the creatives aren't backing down either.

As we reported, there have been a ton of good times being had at picket lines throughout Los Angeles ... accompanied by a bunch of food donated by celebs like Jimmy Fallon, Snoop Dogg, and even Flavor Flav!

Speaking of celebs, a lot of A-listers have been spotted carrying picket signs left and right during the strike -- folks like Tina Fey, Bob Odenkirk, Susan Sarandon, and Pete Davidson.

We've even seen musical performances popping up at the various studios, including ones from Weezer and Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds!

Drake’s glowing review of Bun B’s Trill Burgers isn’t impressing Foodgod … all because he thinks Drake’s Canadian taste buds have no clue what a great beef patty is!!!

TMZ Hip Hop checked in with the culinary critic out in Beverly Hills on Tuesday and he wasn't 100% certain Canada even has a burger culture for Drake to know the difference.

We'd bet the house they do, but even if not, Drake is a world-class artist -- who's about to go on tour, again ... so his knowledge of food is probably stronger than most!!!

FG tells us he's too had Bun’s burgers at Coachella this year and thinks it's really good but says it's disqualified from the overall "Best Burger" category because it's a Smashburger.

That honor he says would go to JG Melon but FG does think Trill Burgers could be in the running for "best Smashburger."

There was also some skepticism over Mario Carbone's Ravioli Sorrentina scented candle … which pairs the scent of Drake's Carby musk with one of MC's fancy recipes.

FG says they missed a golden opportunity not making a candle from MC's more popular dish rigatoni -- but tells us his personal dream collab would be something with Offset. Chicken and waffles maybe? The Waffle House could potentially have some competition!!!

Drake's giving his compliments to the chef -- who just happens to be UGK legend Bun B --  for serving up award-winning Trill Burgers!!!

On Monday, Drake was rocking a t-shirt honoring the late DJ Screw as he checked in with Bun inside his flagship Houston restaurant, and gave it a glowing review, calling it "the best burger he ever had."

Drake and Bun have been tight ever since the Toronto rapper broke into the game, and says he opts to refer to Bun as a "mentor" rather than an "OG."

As fate would have it, Drake's other H-Town mentor, Rap-A-Lot Records CEO J Prince, was also in the building and they dapped it up like always.

Tyler, The Creator also deemed Bun's burger exceptional when he munched on one backstage at Coachella this year.

Donde esta la carne, Señor Trump???

AKA, "Where's the beef?" ... that's what some of Donald Trump's most fervent -- and possibly hungry -- supporters are reportedly asking after his visit to Miami's famed Versailles Restaurant.

You'll recall, shortly after his court appearance Tuesday to face the 37-count federal indictment, Trump made a stop at the Cuban restaurant, where he was greeted with cheers and "Happy Birthday" wishes. During his fairly triumphant, all things considered, pit stop, Trump yelled out ... "Food for everyone."

However, according to the Miami New Times, Trump left without picking up a single tab for anyone, outside of his campaign team. Now, it's not a "chew and screw" case, he simply never gave anyone time to order ... according to the report.

A Trump spokesperson has a much different view of what went down, or didn't, that day ... telling the NY Post, "At the end of President Trump’s visit he offered to buy food for the group of attendees inside the restaurant, but when President Trump left, the attendees followed him outside and did not place orders themselves."

Translation: You snooze, you lose! Trump was reportedly only inside the restaurant for about 10 minutes.

BTW ... Trump's senior adviser Jason Miller showed off some of the grub the campaign staff got for the road, boasting on social media, "Takeout, Versailles edition!"

Trump himself reportedly ate McDonald's later. Naturally.

All in all, nothing worth a fresh Grand Jury -- just a campaign promise that allegedly came up a little short.

Ne-Yo is NOT back with his ex-wife Crystal Renay despite their recent public outing together ... we're told things are strictly professional, and the two are cordial.

Here's the deal ... Ne-Yo and Crystal raised eyebrows this week when they were both on hand for a public appearance at the opening of their restaurant chain's newest location, prompting speculation they had reconciled after an affair that wrecked their marriage.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Ne-Yo and Crystal are definitely not back together and they were both at the restaurant opening because they are co-owners and it's in their contracts.

We're told Ne-Yo and Crystal are both dating and seeing other people ... as well as co-parenting their three children.

TMZ broke the story ... Crystal divorced Ne-Yo last year after he had a child with another woman.

Our sources say Ne-Yo has a certain amount of appearances he has to make for the restaurant chain they share, Johnny's Chicken and Waffles, and Crystal is heavily involved in the business' day-to-day operations ... which is why they were both at the grand opening in midtown Atlanta.

Tom Sandoval has been in a vortex of bad press these past few months -- all over his cheating scandal, of course -- and now ... his best bud's weighing in on the galactic fail.

Of course, we're talking about Tom Schwartz -- Sandoval's right-hand man in business and fellow costar on "Vanderpump Rules" ... who's had a front-row seat to all the drama unfolding of late. Naturally, seeing how he's close with Tom #1 -- Schwartz caught flak too.

Now, the dude's spilling his guts about it all in the aftermath -- as seen on FOX's new reality show, "Stars on Mars," on which TS is a contestant -- and it sounds like he wants to distance himself from Sandoval/his poor decision-making ... trying to get light years away.

BTW, if you think our space references are a bit much ... wait 'til you hear how Schwartz puts it. The guy's got a ton of creative ways to explain how out of this world Scandoval has been from his POV ... and this is just a taste. He'll dish even more on Monday's episode.

Also, if you're wondering what the "Stars on Mars" show is ... we'll tell ya. The series just launched and it's very much so in the vein of "Big Brother" -- only here, celebs are living together in a manufactured Mars-like environment ... competing against each other.

The other contenders run the gamut of stardom -- folks like Lance Armstrong, Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman are on ... as are Ariel Winter, Porsha Williams, Ronda Rousey and others. It truly is a who's-who of reality TV ... also, William Shatner's hosting!

Garth Brooks says he isn't keeping any beers off his tap list when it comes to what he'll serve at his new bar -- and that apparently includes Bud Light ... despite the backlash.

In a recent interview with Billboard, the country singer alluded to having the embattled Anheuser-Busch brand featured in his soon-to-be-opened Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk in Nashville -- which is gonna be on the famed Broadway strip there in downtown.

They were talking about the kind of vibe Garth wants to foster there -- and how he'll, perhaps, differentiate himself/his establishment from other honky tonks there -- and he said one thing they'll do to stand out is by serving beer that every kind of person can enjoy.

Here's the full quote ... "I know this sounds corny, I want it to be the Chick-fil-A of honky-tonks. I want it to be a place you feel safe in, I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another."

GB goes on to add, "And yes, we're going to serve every brand of beer. We just are. It's not our decision to make. Our thing is this, if you [are let] into this house, love one another. If you're an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway."

Of course, Garth didn't mention Bud Light or Dylan Mulvaney by name ... but it's obvious what he was referring to. Bottom line here is ... the dude's gonna have Bud ready to pour.

Garth's embrace of Bud Light is getting some flak from conservatives, who are accusing him of going "woke" and capitulating to left-wing viewpoints. There are even some who are vowing to boycott his bar and take their dollar elsewhere -- including Kid Rock's place.

Shaquille O'Neal hit up an L.A. hot spot for dinner on Tuesday ... and the NBA legend was joined by none other than internet personality Brittany Renner, but we're told it was nothing more than two friends catching up.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 7'1" Hall of Famer and influencer showed up at the Beverly Hills Hotel together shortly after 6 PM ... and they appeared to enjoy each other's company as they shared a meal before leaving around 8 PM.

Sources tell us the two are NOT an item -- they have been cool for a long time and just wanted to reconnect.

Of course, the big man has been in the dating game ever since his divorce from Shaunie was finalized in 2011 ... but we're told there was nothing romantic going on.

Renner has a child with Charlotte Hornets player PJ Washington ... and has been vocal about her experiences with numerous athletes over the years.

She famously met with Deion Sanders' Jackson State football team in 2021 ... where she gave them life advice on groupies.

FYI -- Shaunie is an executive producer for "Basketball Wives," and we're told Renner recently signed on for the upcoming season ... but our sources tell us cameras were NOT rolling during the dinner.

Renner was, however, spotted filming scenes for the show earlier this month.

The dinner location is kind of ironic, considering Shaq and Shaunie got married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2002.

Just when ya thought it was over, Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid are still spending time together ... and even took their situationship to another level by hanging with his dad and stepmom!!

Here's the deal ... Leo and Gigi both ended their Tuesday nights at London's Chiltern Firehouse, but did their usual routine of arriving a few minutes apart.

She was with another model pal, and Leo was with his father George DiCaprio and stepmom Peggy Farrar. Coincidence? Maybe.

But, earlier in the evening -- after Leo took a stroll with his folks -- they'd ended up at yet another restaurant, China Tang, at about the same time. Fool us once ...

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Leo and Gigi attended a dinner party at China Tang, but it wasn't just them and his folks. We're told it was a 20-person event organized by Leo's pal British Vogue Editor Edward Enninful.

So, not a cozy, romantic, meet-the-parents type of deal, but they were all there -- and the night out comes after several months of Gigi and Leo "running into" each other several times in different cities around the world.

Just last month, the two were spotted leaving the same event at Cipriani SoHo in NYC ... just minutes apart. And, they pulled a similar move before that at a Met Gala after-party.

All of that has fueled dating rumors ever since they were first linked last September, but neither has confirmed anything.

We're guessing Leo's parents had a lot of the same questions -- for him and Gigi -- that you do.

Ice Spice and Latto both had the same idea when it came down to celebrating their big-time looks at this year's Hot 97 Summer Jam ... as we've learned they ended up at the same NYC hot spot to get turnt!!!

Sources close to both camps tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Ice and Latto ended up at Sei Less restaurant with their respective parties, and we're told Latto's long-rumored flame 21 Savage eventually joined her private room of 20 people to toast to the occasion!!!

Latto was still buzzing with the hysteria of her Summer Jam performance ... where Cardi B brought her out to perform their new collab, the "Put It On The Floor (Remix)" and her good mood was felt firsthand by the dining staff ... as we've learned she tipped waiters a whooping $2k tip to accompany the $6k bill.

Not to be outdone, we're told Ice also celebrated in her own separate private room ... just hours after being surprised by Rob Markman, on the Summer Jam stage with her first RIAA certification... a Gold plaque for her blowup single "Munch."

The Capitol Records signee released "Munch (Feelin' U)" in July 2022 through Worldstar Distro ... and the rest is now history on a trophy for her wall!!!

Major League Eating star James Webb will never forget this year's iteration of National Donut Day ... 'cause he just scarfed down 59.5 of the sweet treats in eight minutes -- setting a new world record!!!

Webb performed the gross unreal feat out at the National Donut Day World Donut Eating Championship on the USS Midway in San Diego minutes ago ... besting the previous world record of 55.

Webb was a machine throughout the competition ... check out some of the video from the event, he splashed donuts into a cup of water and then forked them into his mouth over and over again with ease.

Webb ultimately won the contest by five ... and afterward, he scored a championship belt to commemorate the occasion.

The event ended up doing a lot of good for those in need too ... it was all sponsored by The Salvation Army, which helped raise funds throughout the day.

Big Time Rush fans were treated to big time sugar rush thanks to their favorite band passing out doughnuts to celebrate the release of their new album!!

We got the guys out in NYC on Friday as they left "Today" to promote the drop of their fourth studio album, "Another Life" ... and, it just so happens to be National Donut Day.

Band member Kendall Schmidt seemed to totally dig his new gig as doughnut man, personally handing out free doughnuts to the screaming fans ... who obviously ate it all up.

Kendall says we can expect a whole lot more in the near future from the band -- including an upcoming tour -- also mentioning they'd love to collab with Taylor Swift.

The boy band, which also features, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos PenaVega, first formed back in 2009 after starring in Nickelodeon's, "Big Time Rush."

The employee found dead in a freezer at an Arby's restaurant got trapped inside, and beat her hands bloody trying to escape ... according to a new lawsuit from her family.

The manager was Nguyet Le and now her family members are suing Arby's and the company that owns the franchise location in Louisiana.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nguyet was temporarily managing the Arby's in New Iberia ... and it was her own son who discovered her lifeless body in the walk-in freezer.

The family claims Nguyet was dropped off for work the morning of May 11 to open the restaurant alone when she got trapped in the freezer.

The suit says the latch on the freezer door had been broken since August and the restaurant operators neglected to fix the issue even though they knew about it, leaving employees to resort to using a screwdriver to open and close the door, which was often propped open with a box of oil.

The family claims company policy called for the freezer to be kept to at least -10 degrees if not colder ... and police investigators found the inside of the freezer door bloodied, leading them to conclude Nguyet panicked once she realized she was locked inside and beat her hands bloody trying to escape or get someone's attention.

Ultimately, the suit says the widow and mother of 4 collapsed into the fetal position face down on the frozen floor and died from hypothermia.

It's tragic ... the suit says her body was discovered by her son, Nguyen, who also worked at the restaurant and was coming in to work his shift.

The family is going after Arby's and the franchise owner for damages.