The President Who Served The Worst Food In White House History

From President James Madison bringing ice cream to the forefront of American cuisine, to the tradition of pardoning a turkey at Thanksgiving, to the strange rules White House chefs follow, presidential cuisine has always had its fascinating quirks. But while most people would be curious to dine at the White House, during Franklin Roosevelt's administration, you might not have enjoyed the meals served there very much. While many U.S. Presidents have prided themselves on the quality of food served at the Executive Residence, FDR, and especially First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, whose uncle Teddy also liked simple dishes, were far from foodies, leading to many disappointing White House meals.

While the mediocre dishes served in FDR's White House were partly due to the first family simply not caring much about what they ate, there were other reasons behind the low-quality cuisine. Namely, the Great Depression and the Second World War. While the Roosevelts were wealthy people and had the resources of the White House at their command, they didn't want to appear insensitive by eating lavishly while ordinary Americans were struggling to make ends meet and to cook under wartime rationing. Moreover, they didn't want to fire their housekeeper, a longtime family friend, despite her lack of talent in the kitchen.

This reputation for lackluster dining may have already raised some eyebrows when King George VI and his wife Elizabeth made an official state visit to America — the first British monarchs to set foot on American soil. But the real controversy came when it was revealed what the Roosevelts planned for an outdoor lunch with the monarchs at their country home in upstate New York. Rather than a formal menu of gourmet delicacies, the President served a classic picnic of hot dogs (with mustard, not full Chicago-style) and beer.

While Roosevelt's mother, Sara, was appalled that her son planned to serve such informal fare to royalty, the royals themselves apparently enjoyed it. In fact, King George liked his first hot dog so much that he had seconds. American media outlets were delighted to see royals enjoying a food that most citizens regularly consumed, and it served to put the high-pressure visit on a friendlier, more human scale. In fact, it was such a hit that a subsequent visit to America from members of the Norwegian royal family also included a "Roosevelt special" hot dog lunch.