The Food At Luke's Diner In Gilmore Girls Was Anything But Fresh
Family bonds, relationship woes, and small-town charm are all key aspects of "Gilmore Girls." However, there's another major component to the lives of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) -– food. Whether their house is filled with pizza, Chinese food, or packaged sweets, these two can usually be found munching on something...or thinking about what they're going to munch on next.
When they're not ordering takeout or spending Friday nights at the home of Lorelai's parents, Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop), for their agreed-upon weekly dinner, this mother-daughter duo can be found at Luke's Diner. Owned and operated by the no-nonsense Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), this establishment is a hot spot for not only the Gilmores but the majority of residents in Stars Hollow. The eatery, formerly a hardware store run by Luke's father, boasts a menu of classics, such as cheeseburgers, fresh toast, and, much to Lorelai's delight, an endless supply of fresh coffee.
Luke isn't the most hospitable diner owner. In fact, he's rather grumpy and often tosses guests out for talking on their cellphone. Regardless, Luke's Diner has a consistent influx of patrons, which means his cooking skills are probably better than his customer service. But despite the Gilmores devouring cheeseburgers at Luke's every few episodes, the food wasn't all that tasty in real life.
The food at Luke's Diner was used for over a week
In a behind-the-scenes tour, Melissa McCarthy, who portrays Sookie St. James, takes audiences inside Luke's Diner. She lifts the cover off a pie, gives it a whiff, and says, "All the food's always fantastically real." Scott Patterson, the man who brought Luke Danes to life for seven years, agreed with McCarthy on an episode of his "I Am All In" podcast. However, the actor revealed around the 3:20 mark of that episode that the food wasn't always fresh.
"They would cook it fresh, right? And maybe on that first day that it was coming out, it may have been edible, maybe the first 10 minutes. But after that, it was like next day same food, next day same food," said Patterson.
The food at Luke's Diner may have been quickly spoiling off-camera, but from the perspective of "Gilmore Girls" viewers, everything looks delectable. That's why the diner remains one of pop culture's most famous fictional eating establishments, alongside Central Perk from "Friends" and Vesuvio on "The Sopranos" (via Delish).
Fans have even gotten to experience Luke's Diner in-person thanks to pop-ups in New York and other cities that opened for one day (via Cosmopolitan). Lucky guests got to caffeinate their inner Lorelai and enjoy freshly-prepared coffee and treats ... not something that's been sitting around for over a week.