The 35 Funniest Food Moments from Friends
Just a few weekends ago,my best friend was in town and, naturally, we each had a glass of rosé in one hand, air-popped popcorn in between us, and re-runs of Friends on the TV. The One with Phoebe's Cookies was on, and while it stirred an intense need for Nestle Tollhouse cookies right then and there, it also made me realize there are a lot of food moments on Friends. Funny food moments. Hilarious ones, actually. So, I took a trip down memory lane—and if you're a Friends fan like me, you'll love this little journey, too. These are the best foodie moments sprinkled between Joey, Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel, and Phoebe—with a few guest stars mixed in for good measure. Check 'em out and see which ones you recognize the next time you kick back on the couch (with one of these 40 Healthy Snack Ideas to Keep You Slim, right?).
Chandler and Rachel Keep Stealing Someone's Cheesecake
Episode: The One With All the Cheesecakes, season 7
We get it: When cheesecake is done right, it's good. Not only do Chandler and Rachel repeatedly steal their neighbor's cheesecake delivery (okay, the first two were accidentally delivered to them), but eventually they succumb to eating one straight off the hallway floor. Now that's how you know it's good. Well done, Mama's Little Bakery in Chicago, Illinois. Well done.
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The Neighbors Go Nuts For Monica's Christmas Candy
Episode: The One With All the Candy, season 7
If you're a foodie like Monica, you show your holiday spirit through baking. But if you're too good at it, well, you've got yourself a recipe for disaster. Which is exactly what happened to Monica when—although she made the Christmas candy in an effort to get to know the neighbors better—she was dubbed "candy lady," was on the brink of a nervous breakdown, and even got a death threat slipped under the door (thanks for that one, Joey). Maybe next time she'll stick to generic holiday cards.
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Rachel Wasn't Supposed to Put Beef in the Trifle
Episode: The One Where Ross Got High, season 6
Hey, not everyone's meant to be a star in the kitchen. Some are made for it, like Monica. Others, like Rachel, should stick to their own strengths. She quickly realized that when—in what's one of the most iconic lines in the show's history and one of the few times she did help in the kitchen—she discovered that no, beef sautéed with peas and onions do not belong in an English trifle. That makes it taste like feet. No worries, though, Rach; Joey will still eat it. ("What's not to like? Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Meat? Good.")
DON'T MISS: 15 Healthy Cooking Tips from a MasterChef Anyone Can Do
Monica Goes On A Jam-Making Spree
Episode: The One With the Jam, season 3
Because clearly, that is the way to get over a guy (looking at you, Richard). "I need a plan. A plan to get over my man. What's the opposite of man? JAM."
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Joey Realizes It Smells Really Bad Inside A Turkey's Ass
Episode: The One With All the Thanksgivings, season 5
Common sense, we know. But sometimes Joey lacks it. Consider his lesson learned when he willingly "shoves his head up a dead animal's ass" (thanks for that line, Phoebes) in an effort to scare Chandler. Which, surprisingly, Monica then does the same thing at the end of the episode—and Chandler says "I love you" for the first time. Aww.
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Chandler Hates Thanksgiving
Episode: The One With All the Thanksgivings, season 5
Why? That's when his parents told him of their impending divorce…and the fact that his father was a gay cross-dresser who would "rather sleep with the houseboy than with me." The iconic moment comes right after this confession, though. Perfectly timed, the houseboy walks in with a tray of turkey and says, "More turkey, Mr. Chandler?" Thus scarring Chandler for life.
Seriously, Chandler Really Hates Thanksgiving
Episode: The One With All the Thanksgivings, season 5
Not only was his childhood forever changed on Thanksgiving, but he also lost his big toe…thanks to Monica. In an effort to get back at Chandler for calling her fat when he first met her, she tries to seduce him the following year–and accidentally ends up dropping a knife directly on his toe. Ouch.
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The Moist-Maker Changes Thanksgivings Everywhere
Episode: The One With Ross' Sandwich, season 5
Season five has Ross going through a tough time, what with his divorce from Emily and subsequent eviction from his apartment. So when Monica makes him his favorite sandwich—leftover Thanksgiving turkey with a gravy-soaked piece of bread in the middle (aka the moist-maker)—it's really the highlight of his day. (In his defense, who wouldn't be excited to dig into that?) So when someone in the office eats his sandwich…and then throws half of it away…the "my sandwich!" meltdown really is his breaking point.
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ICYMI: What Your Cravings Say About You
Phoebe Gets Attacked By Hummus
Episode: The One Where No One's Ready, season 3
Sure, there are bigger highlights from this episode—Joey wearing all of Chandler's clothes, Rachel being indecisive about what to wear, and Monica leaving an inappropriate message on Richard's voicemail, for example. But Phoebe—the only one who is actually ready, btw—stands out all her own when she becomes a victim in Joey and Chandler's fight and gets attacked by hummus. "Hummus, I got the hummus," she says of her poor dress being ruined. Oh, Phoebes. (Psst! Speaking of hummus, don't miss our exclusive report on the 22 Best & Worst Popular Hummus Choices!)
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The Gang Stoops to Eating Wax
Episode: The One the Morning After
Oh, the infamous "we were on a break" moment. While Ross tries to convince Rachel to give him a second chance, the rest of the gang is stuck in Monica's room. With nothing else to eat, they succumb to eating a container of leg wax. Yum.
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Joey Doesn't Share Food
Episode: The One With the Birth Mother, season 10
This isn't just Joey—he's only vocalizing what every single guy thinks when a woman reaches over to steal some fries when she ordered a salad for dinner. Guys, make like Joey next time and order an appetizer to share. Just don't eat her dessert—and avoid these 20 Things You Should Never Eat at a Chain Restaurant while you're at it, okay?
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Monica Steals Five Steaks and An Eggplant
Episode: The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant, season 2
Sort of. This is the episode where Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey realize they don't make as much money as the other three, and their purse-strings are starting to feel the pull. At a celebratory dinner for Ross' birthday, Rachel orders the side salad. And of course, the snooty waiter makes it painfully awkward, replying with, "And what would that be on the side of?" Come on, man…
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Ross Makes the Most Out of Being Stood Up
Episode: The One With the Blind Dates, season 9
And Joey gets in on the action, even though he's the reason Ross got stood up in the first place. But hey, all bets are off when it comes to free crab cakes.
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Phoebe's Cookies Aren't Quite As French As We Thought
Episode: The One With Phoebe's Cookies, season 7
Because Monica is hellbent on one day being the mom who bakes the best chocolate chip cookies, she's desperate to crack Phoebe's late grandmother's secret recipe. After 22 different batches—and a rather unfortunate experience for Ross with batch number 16—Monica discovers that the recipe is actually just the one printed on the bag of Nestle Tollhouse's bag of chocolate chips. Oy vey. If you love to bake, then don't miss our Baking Mixes: Eat This, Not That! guide.
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Rachel Finds Her Daughter's Face on A Penis
Episode: The One With the Cake, season 10
Imagine having the birthday cake for your one-year-old's party delivered, only to discover it's not on a cake shaped like a bunny, but instead on one that looks a bit more, er, phallic. Cue the meltdown—but props to Ross for saving the day and turning the cake into the woodland creature it should be.
Monica Finally Lets Chandler Help With Thanksgiving Dinner
Episode: The One With the Late Thanksgiving, season 10
This is a big step, given that a.) Monica is a control freak and b.) Chandler hates Thanksgiving. But she should have known right off the bat that he'd need adult supervision. Otherwise, those "Chanberries" would have tasted a bit, er, soapy.
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Brad Pitt Admits His Hatred for Complex Carbs
Episode: The One With the Rumor, season 8
Back in the glory days of the '90s, Brad Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. So, naturally, they'd bring the hottie on as a guest star. Enter Will Colbert, a high school friend of Ross and Monica's who formed the "I Hate Rachel Green Club" while Will was overweight and Ross was a nerdy science geek. Ross may have joined because he was secretly in love with Rachel, but Will—well, he really hated her. When he shows up for Thanksgiving dinner (no longer overweight and looking fine AF) and realizes Rachel will be there, he says, "My two greatest enemies, Ross: Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates." Someone get this guy some yams because nobody can resist Rachel Green.
DON'T MISS: 50 Questions About Carbs—Answered in 5 Words or Less!
Monica Learns A Valuable Lesson About Manicures
Episode: The One With the 'Cuffs, season 4
That lesson: Fake nails and a culinary career simply don't mix. Monica makes the quiche for her mom's party but loses a blue fingernail in one of them. Sadly, her mom was ready for her to "pull a Monica" and had frozen lasagnas at the ready. Womp, womp.
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Joey Really, Really Loves Sandwiches
Episode: The One With the Ride-Along, season 5
There are many, many examples of this. But the one that's arguably the best involves Joey, Ross, and Chandler doing a ride-along with Phoebe's then-boyfriend Gary-the-cop (oh hey, Michael Rapaport). A car backfires and, while everyone thinks it's a gunshot and Joey dives to protect Ross (upsetting Chandler just a smidge), it's later revealed that Joey really only dove in that direction because he needed to get his sandwich. Damn, that must be one helluva meatball sub.
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Ross Doesn't Know How to Hit on Women
Episode: The One Where Ross Can't Flirt, season 5
For a geeky paleontologist, Ross dated a lot of seriously fine women—Jennifer Aniston, Bonnie Somerville, Aisha Tyler—but in this episode, he proved he has zero flirting game. Between talking about the smell of gas and telling the pizza delivery girl he likes 8-year-old boys, well, he needed a little help from Rachel to land a phone number.
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Monica Discovers A Salad Can Be Sexual…ly Awkward
Episode: The One With the Prom Video, season 2
That moment when Monica goes in to interview for a chef's job, and it quickly becomes uncomfortable when the interviewer tells her he likes his lettuce dirty. Add firm tomatoes that haven't gone very, very bad—ones that Monica will slice up real nice–and, well, you can see why she made a quick exit after that. While you have salad on the brain, check out these 30 Salad Recipes for Weight Loss.
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Jon Lovitz Shows the True Value of Sugar-O's
Episodes: The One With the Stoned Guy, season 1
Monica cooks a gourmet meal in her apartment, ready to impress restaurateur Jon Lovitz (who's looking to hire a new chef). The only problem? He shows up stoned. Watch the scene in its entirety to see Jon Lovitz and a case of the munchies in full effect. You just might realize how important taco shells are and what Sugar-O's can do to save a drowning gummy bear.
Joey Proves That Maternity Pants Are Good for Something
Episode: The One with the Rumor, season 8
Monica doesn't want to make a turkey for just three people, but Joey protests: "Thanksgiving without turkey is like Fourth of July with no apple pie or Friday with no two pizzas." Monica agrees after he says he'll eat the whole turkey, and to do so, he dons his Thanksgiving pants. Or what the rest of the world likes to call maternity pants. To each his own.
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Joey Only Understands Pizza If It's the Joey Special
Episode: The One With Ross' Wedding: Part One, season 4
One pizza just won't do. It's always two pizzas. Usually on a Friday night. Just make sure one is vegetarian for Phoebe, just to be nice. Making pizza from the freezer? Then be sure it falls into the 'best' category in our guide to 25 Best and Worst Frozen Pizzas.
Monica Makes Mockolate
Episode: The One With the List, season 2
The lesson here: You can never replace chocolate, especially not with a disgusting synthetic substitute. Nice try, Michael McKean.
Ross Can't Eat Tacos
Episode: The One With Rachel's Assistant, season 7
It's junior year of college and Chandler and Ross are at Disneyland. After eating about 10 tacos at a more-than-questionable restaurant, Ross "feels iffy" while on Space Mountain, visiting a land south of throw-up. After hearing this story, Monica, of course, decides to make tacos. All hell breaks loose between Ross, Chandler, and Monica, resulting in the realization that couples should never share all of their secrets.
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Joey Teaches Monica How to Serve A Slice of Pie
Episode: The One With the Rumor, season 8
"Just cut me a little sliver. A little bigger. Little bigger. What, are you afraid you're going to run out, cut me a real piece!"
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Phoebe Realizes She's a Vegetarian…But Not While Pregnant
Episode: The One With the Fake Party, season 4
While pregnant with her brother's triplets (yes, this is an actual storyline, and yes, it is awesome), Phoebe develops intense cravings for meat. Proving just how deep their friendship runs, Joey sacrifices eating meat for the last six months of Phoebe's pregnancy so that "no extra animals would have to die." Whattaguy. (Psst! Are you or someone you know expecting a baby? Our new book Eat This, Not That! When You're Expecting, authored by America's leading OB/GYN Dr. Jennifer Ashton, is now available. Get the doctor-recommended, trimester-by-trimester eating plan for baby and you!)
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Phoebe Knows How to Kickstart a Vacation
Episode: The One After Vegas, season 6
"What, I can't have a mimosa with breakfast? I'm on vacation!" Girl after our own hearts.
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Everyone Realizes There's Such A Thing As Too Many Lasagnas
Episode: The One With the Dozen Lasagnas, season 1
The big lesson here: When you're tasked with cooking a dozen vegetarian lasagnas, make sure they're actually vegetarian. Otherwise, you will be stuck with them—and find yourself seriously short on cash.
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Joey Tries to Get Over Rachel During His Breakfast Cereal
Episode: The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath, season 8
Both Sonny the Cuckoo Bird and Tony the Tiger try to convince Joey that his feelings for Rachel are NBD and that it really is just a crush.
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Joey Really Can Drink A Gallon of Milk in 10 Seconds
Episode: The One Where Joey Speaks French, season 10
Just because he can't speak French, tap dance, or ride horses, doesn't mean he can't dominate a gallon of milk like a boss. If Friends was filmed today, would he instead have chugged a carton of almond milk? It's very possible! Find out the Best and Worst Milks and Milk Alternatives.
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Ross Handles His Problems with Fajitas
Episode: The One Where Ross is Fine, season 10
When you can't handle the idea of your best friend and soulmate getting together, you make Mexican food. Because fajitas and margaritas are really the only things to properly get you through life's problems.
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Rachel Sticks Marshmallows Up Monica's Nose
Episode: The One With the Football, season 3
Monica: "Hey Rachel, you wanna put the marshmallows in concentric circles."
Rachel: "No, Mon, you want to put them in concentric circles. I want to do this."
And that's how you put a Type-A chef in her place.
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And Of Course, All the Friends Know the Value of A Good Cup of Coffee
Because nobody told us life was gonna be this way. And a hefty dose of caffeine is the real way to get us through.
For a heap of advice from Hollywood stars on staying slim and eating right, don't miss these 40 Best and Worst Celebrity Weight Loss Tips!
