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Jim Gaffigan loves food. This isn’t a secret. The man has built an entire comedy career on worshiping bacon, fearing kale, and treating Hot Pockets like a beloved yet deeply untrustworthy friend. Food: A Love Story is basically Gaffigan’s stand-up routine in book form. If you’ve ever looked at a salad with suspicion or felt personally attacked by quinoa, this book will speak to you.
Food: A Love Story book review:
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Food: A Love Story Summary
Food: A Love Story is exactly what it sounds like—a deep, passionate, and slightly unhinged appreciation for all things edible.
Gaffigan breaks down America’s eating habits, mocking regional specialties like New York bagels, Chicago deep dish, and the South’s commitment to deep-frying everything. He has strong feelings about bacon (pure perfection), vegetables (an unfortunate necessity), and seafood (“bug meat”). Along the way, he covers buffets, portion sizes, dieting failures, and the universal shame of loving fast food while pretending not to.
Written in his signature stand-up style, the book is a collection of food-related observations that are both ridiculous and weirdly accurate.
Who is Jim Gaffigan?
Seriously? Who is Jim Gaffigan? If you don’t know who Jim Gaffigan is, you probably aren’t meant to hang around my blog. But I will tell you anyway:
Jim Gaffigan is a comedian, actor, and writer known for his self-deprecating humor, observational comedy, and relatable take on everyday life. He’s particularly famous for his bit about food (bacon, Hot Pockets, etc.) His clean, family-friendly comedy often centers around parenting of his 5 children with his wife and comedy writing partner, Jeannie. Gaffigan’s humor is characterized by his unique delivery, which includes humorous inner monologues and sarcastic commentary.
He’s also known for his successful stand-up specials, appearances on television shows and movies, and as the voice of various animated characters. Some of his popular comedy specials include Mr. Universe, King Baby, and Obsessed. He’s a go-to for anyone looking for laughs without the need for edgy or explicit content.
Find Jim Gaffigan here:
Now onto the rating! Food: A Love Story Book Review:
My innovative system for rating humor books is explained here
Wholesomeness Score: 4.5/5
In true Jim Gaffigan fashion, Food is refreshingly free of explicit content. While there are a few PG-level swears and some mildly inappropriate moments, it’s nothing that crosses the line. Compared to much of today’s entertainment, Gaffigan’s humor remains squeaky clean and accessible to a wide audience.
Hilarity Score: 5/5
Jim Gaffigan is hilarious. I’m sorry if you and your wrong opinion believe otherwise. Here are a few reasons why this particular book about food is deliciously humorous:
1. Gaffigan’s Brutally Honest Food Preferences
Gaffigan isn’t here for fancy dining—he calls seafood “bug meat,” considers vegetables a personal insult, and thinks Diet Coke cancels out fast food.
2. The “Fat Guy” Persona
His buffet strategy? Stack plates like a Jenga tower. His fitness routine? Nonexistent.
3. Regional Food Roasts
New Yorkers treat bagels like a religion, Chicagoans worship deep dish, and the South deep-fries everything. He says what we’re all thinking.
4. Bacon Worship
Bacon isn’t just food—it’s a miracle. He swears you could wrap a pinecone in bacon, and people would rave about it. Hard to argue.
5. Seafood = Suspicious
Lobsters are “giant insects,” sushi is just bait, and seafood in general is a prank on people who don’t know better. He’s not wrong.
6. Fast Food Shame Cycle
McDonald’s? “No one eats there,” yet it’s always packed. We all pretend to be better than fast food, but we’re not.
Overall Book Awesomeness Score: 5/5
Food: A Love Story has the reading nutritional value equivalent of a bag of Doritos. Doritos are awesome. This book didn’t try to be anything else but funny. And it succeeded. Yes, it is essentially the foot bits of his comedy routine re-hashed. But those food bits are also awesome.
Things I liked:
- stand up in book form
- perfect for snacking (Short, punchy chapters make it a fun, light read.)
Things I didn’t like:
- Not much for “new” content. I know all of Gaffigan’s routines by heart. Would have been extra awesome if there were new funny food bits.
Conclusion: Food: A Love Story Book Review
If you enjoy Jim Gaffigan’s stand-up, you’ll love this book. If you enjoy food, you’ll love this book. If you enjoy both, well, congratulations—you’re the target audience. Sure, some of the jokes get a little repetitive, but honestly, so do our eating habits. (How many times have you told yourself you’ll “eat healthier” only to end up at a drive-thru? Exactly.)
Bottom line: Food: A Love Story is a hilarious, easy read that won’t change your life but might make you feel slightly better about your own eating choices. Or at least less alone in them.
Scott Johnson is a Midwestern humorist, author of Essays Out of Left Field, and the mind behind scottjohnsonauthor.com. He’s also a husband, dad of three, and Data Systems Administrator (whatever that is). Scott is on a mission to find and read all the funny books. He shares his thoughts on those books, author life, and other delightful randomness with his readers on his website.
