Famous Food

"SpongeBob SquarePants" honchos have a major problemo with a restaurant that sounds a lot like the spot where SpongeBob works ... and they're ready to fight in court about it.

Viacom's suing the company that recently opened The Rusty Krab restaurant in downtown Houston, claiming it's a blatant rip-off of the The Krusty Krab featured in the cartoon ... according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ.

Rusty Krab's accused of infringing on Viacom's 'SpongeBob' trademarks by using names, images, characters and re-creations from the show throughout its restaurant and on its menu, and according to the suit ... even advertises the place as "Houston’s VERY FIRST Spongebob Squarepants Inspired Pop Up Restaurant and Bar!"

Viacom claims all of Rusty Krab's marketing is geared toward kids and SpongeBob fans to deceive the public into thinking it's officially affiliated with the show ... only to leave parents who paid high ticket prices disappointed with the inauthentic experience and "purportedly unsanitary conditions and unsafe food."

Among the many alleged infringements, Viacom says Rusty Krab's drink menu uses numerous well-known hallmarks of 'SBSP' -- like "Pineapple Under the Sea," "Bikini Bottom," "Secret Formula" and "I’m Ready" -- to sell alcohol, which Viacom claims would violate its licensing policy for the trademarks on its kid’s show.

Viacom's wants the restaurant to hand over any profits it’s made, so far, and is also suing to block it from doing further business.

You can't love dessert as much as Britney Spears does -- at least not based on the sounds she was putting down when her BF was tempted ... by an ice cream sundae.

So, outwardly this is a video of chiseled Sam Asghari fighting off his desire to suck down some ice cream -- but Brit steals the show with her reaction to the delicious treat. You know the ol' saying -- you scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.

Well, Britney's blown that outta the water. Instead of screaming, she's just moaning in a way that's orgasmically reminiscent of Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally."

The most frustrating part -- it's not clear if Sam actually ate the sundae or let it go to waste because he suggests it doesn't fit into his diet and fitness plan. In other words: Where's the climax???

Later in his IG Story, Sam also whipped up some sort of cake dessert for "someone else that can eat this at the moment" ... and again, all signs point to his GF.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez hit up a restaurant known for its star-studded guests ... and ya gotta wonder if there was something to celebrate.

Bennifer 2.0 held hands as they headed into Craig's in WeHo Wednesday night for a dinner date, but unlike their Beverly Hills outing last weekend ... this was a more family affair.

J Lo's 13-year-old daughter, Emme, tagged along for the occasion, which is interesting because as we reported ... signs are pointing to Ben and Jen looking to buy a massive home together.

On Tuesday, the couple was out house hunting all over the L.A. area ... and one of the places they checked out is a jaw-dropping $85 million Beverly Hills estate with a 38,000-sq-ft main house with 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms.

So yeah, plenty of room for them and all their kids.

Of course, they've been doing a lot of house hunting lately -- together and solo -- along with an increasing amount of public appearances ... so it's hard to tell if this was a special date at Craig's or just par for the course.

Peloton, the fitness co., is trying to bigfoot another company with the same name -- but in a much different biz -- at least according to a new lawsuit.

Peloton Cold Brew, LLC filed suit against Peloton, Interactive -- the indoor exercise bike maker -- and says it got its trademark to use the P word for coffee drinks back in 2017, but Peloton didn’t get around to officially opposing it until 3 years later.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Peloton Cold Brew claims the bike maker didn't make a peep, failing to file any objection when PCB filed for its trademark.

PCB claims the bike company finally filed a complaint in October 2020 -- but the coffee crew says their founders are avid cyclists, and they have every right to use "Peloton" for beverages made of coffee ... which has nothing to do with the exercise bike biz.

According to the docs, PCB says Peloton the bike maker's trademarks -- which cover things like "computers and downloadable software" -- don't come close to coffee.

Peloton Cold Brew's asking the court to declare it has the right to the trademark in the coffee space, even if Peloton the bike company has rights in the bike space.

Klay Thompson's sweet tooth was working overtime late Wednesday night ... 'cause the Golden State Warriors star couldn't pass up on buying a bunch of candy from kids outside an L.A. hot spot!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 3-time NBA champ as he was leaving the Highlight Room in Hollywood ... and while the guy seemed to be in great spirits, he was even happier when he saw a basket full of sugary sweets waiting for him.

Naturally, Klay whipped out his wallet and started passing out bills to the young businessmen ... sifting through bags of chocolates and gummies before settling on some Kit Kat bars and Snickers.

No word on the value of the bills Klay gave the kids ... but we're pretty sure the guy overpaid for the treats.

FYI -- Klay has made $182 million in his career so far and is in the middle of a 5-year, $190 million deal ... so yeah, some candy bars are def in the budget.

There's more for Dubs fans to enjoy -- Klay looks completely fine as he walks up to his SUV ... which is great to see as he comes off that devastating Achilles injury.

NY Jets receiver Denzel Mims says he had a MISERABLE offseason ... spending a large portion of it vomiting and losing weight amid a violent battle with food poisoning.

The 23-year-old -- a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- explained the struggle to reporters on Wednesday ... saying he believes it all started after he ate some bad salmon.

Mims says once the tainted fish got into his system ... it wreaked havoc on his body -- with the wideout claiming he threw up for two straight weeks.

Mims says things got so bad ... he needed antibiotics -- and ultimately saw his weight drop from 217 pounds to 197 in a matter of days.

"It took a big toll on me," said Mims, who added he plans on never eating salmon again.

But, Mims did say his body is finally starting to come back around ... telling media members he's put back on 11 pounds, and is getting closer and closer to full strength.

"I feel like I'm catching up," Mims said, "and I'm almost there."

Kylie Jenner really knows how to throw a birthday party ... and have it last the entire day.

The beauty mogul just turned 24, so she hosted an at-home celebration at her Hollywood mansion with her family and close friends that kicked off with a breathtaking breakfast buffet featuring all of the favorites ... and then some.

From there, her guests -- who included Kim, Khloe, Kendall, and Kris along with her friends Anastasia Karanikolaou, Victoria Villarroel and more -- took a painting class with artist Timree Gold ... to really liven up the place and accentuate all the bouquets of flowers Kylie received.

Of course, this wasn't just a daytime shindig ... so the festivities continued with a fancy candlelit dinner with cocktails and sushi galore. It's good to be 24.

There were several fellas at Kylie's bday party too -- her brother Rob, Travis Barker, Carter Gregory and reportedly Travis Scott showed up as well.

A fun time was had by all. Happy belated, Kylie!

Ben Roethlisberger will do anything for health -- that is, except try Tom Brady's infamous avocado ice cream ... saying there's NO WAY he's including that atrocity in his diet!!

The 39-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers QB has looked much slimmer leading into the new season ... with folks left wondering what the did to get in better shape.

Big Ben -- who's always been listed at 240 lbs. -- is finally speaking out on his trimmed look ... but as it turns out, he's denying he's doing anything differently from years past.

"So much was made a week or 2 [ago]," Roethlisberger told the Washington Post. "I mean, listen, as you get older ... for the last 4 or 5 years, I’ve really focused on having a trainer, my body."

"Part of it’s football. But part of it’s life. I’m not getting any younger. I’m almost 40 years old. So you’ve got to take care of yourself."

But, Ben makes it clear he's not taking any tips from his 7-time Super Bowl champion rival ... saying there are some levels he simply will not stoop to in order to stay in shape.

"And nothing against Tom [Brady], but I’m not eating avocado ice cream," Roethlisberger added. "Yeah, you have a chef and you try and eat healthy. But you’re eating healthy because you want to be and feel good."

Remember, TB12 has sworn up and down in the past that the dessert is tasty ... and even included the recipe -- consisting of avocado, cashews, coconut, dates, cacao powder and water -- in his "The TB12 Method" book.

But we spoke with Brady's bestie, Julian Edelman, in the past ... who confirmed to us it's really as bad as it sounds.

J Lo and Ben Affleck weren't joined at the hip last night like they were on their fancy yacht, but they were still attached during a date night on Saturday.

The can't-keep-our-hands-off-each-other couple locked arms as they arrived at Oliveta restaurant in Bev Hills. They showed up at 8:30 PM and left at around 11, so lots to talk about.

They just returned from a super-romantic vacay in the South of France, celebrating her 52nd birthday ... and they were like 2 teenagers with raging hormones!

As we told you, J Lo is house-hunting in L.A. ... what's unclear is if Ben was just along for the ride when she was looking or if he's gonna be a co-owner.  Translation -- they could be shackin' up.

J Lo was also visiting schools in the L.A. area for her 2 kids.

Lot of folks think this is all a prelude to an engagement, but so far, no ring.  Ben did, however, gift his GF a necklace with his name attached. And, there's a teardrop diamond hanging from the bling, and some folks think it's a new-fangled type of engagement ring.

Conor McGregor ain't letting gnarly leg surgery keep him away from a good meal ... the UFC star hit an L.A. hotspot for dinner Thursday night, and vowed to TMZ Sports afterward, he's on his way to a big recovery!

The 33-year-old -- who broke his leg during his fight with Dustin Poirier on July 10 -- was in great spirits while crutching around Craig's in West Hollywood.

You can see in the footage, he was moving pretty well despite having major surgery less than a month ago ... getting around a mob of people and into a car without much assistance at all.

As for the recovery the process, McGregor said it's all "doing good, doing good."

"Three weeks, three days -- it's been good," said Conor, who was feeling so well he even signed some autographs for fans. "It's been good."

McGregor also promised to make an epic comeback from the brutal leg procedure ... telling us, "It's going to be some recovery. It's going to be some recovery!"

As we previously reported, McGregor went under the knife for nearly 4 hours last month and needed a rod, plate and screws to fix the damage he suffered during his fight with Poirier.

But, McGregor has looked great in the days since the operation ... hanging with Justin Bieber, getting in lift sessions at the gym and now crushing some good food at one of L.A.'s best eateries.

How's Steph Curry celebrating yet another massive contract extension with the Warriors??

Apparently by jettisoning to L.A. with his wife, Ayesha, to enjoy a fancy meal!!!

We got the NBA superstar out at TAO in Hollywood Wednesday night just one day after he agreed to a new $215 MILLION extension with Golden State ... and dude certainly looked happy!!

The 33-year-old was swagged out in a tight, buttoned-up polo, some black pants, fresh white kicks and a purple hat. He was also carrying bags of delicious goodies from one of the best restaurants in L.A.!

Ayesha, meanwhile, looked great as always ... and it's clear the couple is thrilled to have Steph's immediate basketball future all set up perfectly.

Of course, Tuesday's contract extension marks the SECOND time in Steph's career that he's inked a $200-plus million deal with the Warriors ... so, yeah, he's got PLENTY of reasons to celebrate.

NBA offseason is set to last a few more months, too ... so we fully expect to see the Currys keep on living it up for a while.

Gigi Hadid put her supermodel status on the back burner, if you will, and became a total fangirl when she got to meet, and work with, the one and only "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro!!!

Jersey's other Boss joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and told us about his baking experience with Gigi, who happens to be one of his biggest fans.

Buddy says she literally started crying when they met, and he was blown away by how much she knew about his show -- and cake decorating -- when they got together to create a tasty treat.

The "Cake Boss," has a new series on Food Network and Discovery+ -- "Buddy vs. Duff: Baker Battle" -- and he says fans will see how much better his surgically repaired hand is doing ... nearly a year after his horrific bowling incident.

The assistant manager caught on camera calling a Wendy's staffer a "bitch" is now out of a job ... TMZ's learned he got the ax.

So, here's the deal ... Sophia Cargill, who says she's a general manager in training, recorded an assistant manager named Michael going on a tirade -- calling her a bitch and "f***ing lazy" -- after the fast-food joint in Kalamazoo, Michigan had closed for the day.

She shared the video on TikTok, which was then re-posted by D.L. Hughley ... generating nearly 1 million views. In the video, you can see Michael shout the word before Sophia tells him she got him on video, and that it would be the end of the road for him. He defiantly fired back, "No it's not."

Michael also told Sophia he had the right to disrespect her, and yelled she doesn't have permission to record him. Sophia claims Michael had been screaming at her for 5 minutes straight after going on a "power trip."

The incident unfolded nearly 2 weeks ago. Sophia says in a separate TikTok she got suspended without pay, but Michael did not get suspended. A spokesperson for the burger joint tells TMZ ... Michael has now been fired and Sophia was reinstated with back pay.

The spokesperson added, "We have no tolerance for harassment in the workplace. Upon learning of this situation, we acted immediately following our protocols and suspended those involved to run a thorough investigation."

Here's another installment of Paul Rudd Is Benjamin Button -- because the older he gets, the younger he looks ... at least that's what a new viral photo of him suggests on its face.

The veteran comedy actor posed for a new snap this weekend that was posted by the owner of an Indian restaurant in London called Darjeeling Express ... a place he's apparently stopped into before, and brought a pal with him this time around -- Mr. Dan Levy.

Paul's filming the new 'Ant-Man' installment there -- Dan appears to just be in town.

Anyway, the restaurant (and its owner, Asma Khan) posted a sweet photo of Paul and Dan breaking bread in their establishment Saturday, and even though they seem to have hosted PR before ... they were still starstruck, writing in their caption ... "When Paul Rudd returns for dinner to the restaurant and this time brings the lovely @instadanjlevy with him! ♥️❤️."

The photo has since gotten Paul and Dan trending -- with the former being compared to an ageless angel ... because he seriously looks young in this specific pic (Paul's 52, BTW).

They threw up a second shot of Dan on his own, and said they were glad he dug the grub. Still, it's the duo photo of the two of them at the table that's got people chirping.

As you might imagine, the jokes were flying online ... with folks saying they've aged more in the pandemic than Paul has in the last 5 years -- and that may well be true, 'cause he doesn't seem to have a wrinkle or a crack on his face ... well, at least in lighting like this.

Another photo Darjeeling posted mere weeks ago -- from Paul's initial visit, apparently -- paints a somewhat different picture. It's way more well-lit ... and, yes, Paul certainly looks older here. Still great for his age and all -- but it's almost like he went back in time for this weekend's photo-op ... it feels like 2 different people showed up over the course of 2 weeks.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone want to buy a beloved Colorado restaurant featured in "South Park," but it's still just a pipedream ... because we're told Casa Bonita is NOT for sale.

Here's the deal ... the "South Park" creators made it pretty well known this week they want to buy the Mexican restaurant they often shout out in their sitcom, in part because the real Casa Bonita has remained shuttered since the outset of the pandemic.

But, as flattering as their desire to buy Casa Bonita might be, honchos at the restaurant's parent company, Summit Family Restaurant Inc., tell TMZ ... they're not interested in selling, despite filing for bankruptcy.

Since the bankruptcy filing, we're told tons of people have reached out to Summit about purchasing Casa Bonita -- but Trey and Matt weren't among them.

We're told the decision-makers at Summit plan to reopen Casa Bonita ASAP once the current bankruptcy process wraps, with the goal being to get folks back to work in the next month. Summit's owned Casa Bonita for 25 years.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez can't keep their eyes, hands -- and lots of other things -- off of each other during their vacay ... even while seated in a busy restaurant!

The couple's nautical trek along the Italian Riviera stopped Wednesday in the town of Nerano, where they had a super romantic meal -- and it's not the setting that made it romantic. It's the fact J Lo -- in a very revealing red and white bandeau top -- planted her famous asset right in Ben's lap.

Apparently, there's a chair shortage over there. Not that Ben was complaining -- if you're into love and whatnot, there's plenty of it on display in these pics.

Everyone's (well, almost everyone's) favorite reunited lovers snuggled, kissed, hugged, laughed and generally looked happy as hell ... while their fellow customers enjoyed plain ol' culinary delights.

BTW, anyone else seen something odd going on with these 2 this week? While there's been no lack of PDA during their Mediterranean yacht holiday, we have noticed something is missing -- Affleck's tan!!!