Some dinner guests had TikTok viewers scratching their heads after they caught the restaurant they were at serving something that looked suspiciously like dog treats.
In a viral TikTok, Sam (@samrows) films her and some other folks at an eatery. Her dinner mate flips his phone to show viewers a product listing for Beggin Strips Dog Treat on the Plumbers Stock website.
“This is crazy,” he says. The listing shows a photo of the Nestle Purina Beggin Strips Dog Treat that is made to resemble actual bacon. It goes for $13.82.
Sam then pans her camera to show the side of bacon they ordered at the restaurant. It looks uncannily similar to the Beggin Strips: wavy, with dark lines running vertically down each strip.
But as many other commenters pointed out, it’s likely that Sam’s bacon only looks like a dog treat because Beggin Strips is modeled after the real thing. Still, it looked almost too perfect that one could understand Sam’s hesitation. Regardless, Sam wrote in the comments that she wasn’t taking any chances and the bacon remained untouched.
Not everyone is concerned
Several viewers thought Sam and her companions were right to be grossed out.
“I said the same thing to my wife when her bacon came out,” a user wrote. “I don’t even give my dogs those treats because of the chemicals they have in them lol.”
Sam replied that she had never seen it “look so similar to dog treats.”
One user straight up told her, “OMG I hope you didn’t eat that,” and Sam assured them that she didn’t.
However, many others claimed Sam just hadn’t seen baked bacon before.
“So yall never seen bacon cooked in the oven?” a user said while another echoed, “It’s low quality bacon cooked in a sheet pan on a oven temp.” Sam replied that she didn’t think this was “oven bacon.”
“I worked in a small diner YEARS ago and the bacon always came out like that,” a user said. “I can’t remember the type of little oven they used just for the bacon and that’s how it came out.”
Baked bacon vs. pan-fried bacon
Several of Sam’s commenters were on the right track. Baked bacon curls less than fried, and may have some chewiness to it. Furthermore, it ends up darker than pan-fried. This, paired with Sam’s commenters telling her this is “perfectly rendered bacon,” points to Sam’s one being cooked in the oven.
But is baked better than pan-fried? According to InsideHook, frying makes the fat rendering process tricky, which is when the fat melts into the grease. The meat ends up cooking faster than the fat can render, which makes the strip imbalanced in taste and appearance.
When baking, however, the fat and the meat cook at the same time.
“By placing a cold pan into the oven, the bacon has a gentle start into its roasting journey (simulating the simmering method),” InsideHook reports. “As the fat melts, the baking sheet turns into a pseudo deep frier, crisping the bacon to perfection in the rendered fat. The result is a perfectly cooked piece of bacon and an easy-to-clean cooking sheet; just remove the bacon and pour off the grease.”
What happens if humans eat dog treats?
While it is highly unlikely Sam’s bacon was a Beggin Strip, it begs the question, what would happen if it were? According to HealthyDogTreats.com, while humans technically can eat certain dog treats—particularly single-ingredient, heat-dried options like plain meat or offal—it’s not recommended due to safety and nutritional concerns.
Dog treats are not held to the same food safety standards as human food, and they may contain lower-quality ingredients (such as offal, hooves, or other by-products). These wouldn’t pass human consumption regulations.
The article does note that some folks may resort to eating dog treats due to financial hardship or curiosity. However, the human digestive system is more vulnerable to pathogens that dogs can typically handle. This increases the risk of illness.
The site warns against eating dog treats as a food source. While the occasional bite may not harm you, they are not formulated with humans in mind.
@samrows ♬ original sound – Sam
The Mary Sue reached out to Sam via email.
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