The Food That Built America — 2019-present · 6 seasons · 74 eps

★ 8.4

The Food That Built America poster

The Food That Built America

2019-present 6 seasons 74 episodes

★ 8.4 (1,858 votes) Top 15%

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.

Episode Ratings Grid

Every episode at a glance, color-coded by rating. Rows are episode numbers within each season, columns are seasons.

Size: M

S1

S2

S3

S4

S5

S6

E1

7.9

8.0

8.2

7.7

8.1

8.4

E2

8.1

8.2

7.8

7.5

8.4

8.2

E3

8.2

8.1

8.3

7.6

8.0

8.3

E4

?

8.2

8.3

7.7

8.3

8.4

E5

?

8.5

8.3

8.0

7.9

8.7

E6

?

8.2

8.3

8.0

8.2

7.7

E7

?

8.2

8.4

7.7

8.4

8.1

E8

8.0

8.0

7.8

8.1

7.3

E9

7.8

8.3

7.9

8.2

8.3

E10

8.1

8.2

7.3

7.7

6.8

E11

7.7

8.2

8.1

7.6

E12

8.2

8.4

8.2

8.0

E13

7.9

8.1

?

E14

7.8

8.0

E15

7.6

7.8

E16

7.2

7.9

Avg

8.1

8.0

8.2

7.8

8.1

8.0

Great

Good

Mid

Episode Power Rankings

The best and worst episodes at a glance. Use this to find must-watch episodes or ones you might want to skip.

🏆 Top Episodes

#1 8.7

S6E5 Legends of the Mall

Early American malls have no food court, until a cinnamon bun, a pretzel, and a panda all move in to create three of the world's most iconic food brands and transform the American Mall.

#2

S2E5 8.5

Cola Wars

In the 1970s, one major cola brand launches a blind taste test marketing plan that takes direct aim at their biggest competitor. As a new era of competition heats up between the behemoth brands, each side selects a new leader who takes the companies to battle in a rivalry that will birth countless iconic soda products and memorable marketing stunts.

#3

S3E7 8.4

The Beef is On

When Col. Sanders sells his company to investors in 1964, the new owners identify a rising star within the organization: Dave Thomas.

4. S3E12 "Pasta Party" 8.4
5. S5E2 "Ice Cream Revolution" 8.4
6. S5E7 "Champions of Breakfast" 8.4
7. S6E1 "Tortilla Takeover" 8.4
8. S6E4 "Empire of Convenience" 8.4
9. S3E3 "Do or Donut" 8.3
10. S3E4 "A Dish Best Served... Soft" 8.3

📉 Bottom Episodes

#69

S6E10 6.8

You Don't Know Jack

Jack Daniel, known for his determination and innovative spirit, teams up with a skilled distiller to create a new recipe that could change the whiskey game.

68. S2E16 "Breakfast Barons" 7.2
67. S6E8 "Beer Necessities" 7.3
66. S4E10 "American Spirits" 7.3
65. S4E2 "Holiday Treats" 7.5

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted chronologically. The colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for upward or downward trends to see if quality improved or declined over time.

Trend

Episode Engagement

Vote count shows how many people cared enough to rate. High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

Rating threshold:

34 Standouts

1 Infamous

31 Hidden Gems

3 Forgettable

Top Standout: S2E5 Cola Wars

Most Infamous: S2E16 Breakfast Barons

Best Hidden Gem: S6E5 Legends of the Mall

Episodes plotted by rating vs. vote count. The vertical line marks the rating threshold (7.5). More votes = more engagement. Toggle above to compare against global or show-specific median.

Series Trajectory

A simplified view: one point per season. This smooths out episode-to-episode noise to show the overall arc of the series.

Trend

Season Momentum

Did each season build momentum or fizzle out? Green arrows mean the finale rated higher than the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows = bigger swings.

Season Consistency

Some seasons are reliable bangers. Others are hit-or-miss. Each dot is an episode. Tightly clustered dots mean consistent quality. Scattered dots mean a mixed bag.

Each dot is an episode. Clustered dots = consistent quality. Scattered dots = variable season. Hover for episode details.