Fast Food in Ancient Rome

“Would you like that for here or to go?” is not what you might imagine hearing 2,000 years ago. But ancient Romans enjoyed fast food as much as we do today. While they didn’t have drive-throughs, Romans on-the-go could grab a quick bite from a thermopolium, a sort of snack bar or lunch counter.

A thermopolium was a small room or food stall that opened to the street on one side. Customers ordered at a long counter made of stone. The shop’s owner put clay jars of food into round holes on top of the counter. Some of the food was hot and ready-to-go, or it could be warmed up on a stove in the back. Other pots held cold food that could be taken home and cooked. Some of these restaurants had tables in the back for dine-in, but many were carry-out only.

The sides of the counters and the walls were brightly painted. Some paintings were for decoration. Others showed what was on the menu. Some of the paintings might have been a sort of brand name, like we recognize McDonald’s golden arches today.

What could a hungry Roman in a hurry expect to carry out? Meats, cheeses, lentils, olives, vegetables, and eggs were all on the menu. For extra flavor, the customer could add garum, a fish sauce ancient Romans put on everything — kind of like how we use ketchup. Hot drinks were also for sale.

We know about these food stands because the Romans wrote about them, and also because we can see some of them today. In 79 CE, a volcano called Mount Vesuvius erupted near the city of Pompeii in Italy. Volcanic stone and ash poured down — between 19 and 23 feet (6 to 7 m) of it. The layers buried Pompeii and everything in it, locking the city away like a time capsule.

Archeologists are scientists who use what people left behind to learn who they were and how they lived. Archeologists have made many discoveries in Pompeii. Including finding more than 80 fast food restaurants!

At one food stand in Pompeii, scientists found a clay jar full of over 6lbs (3kg) of coins. It might have been used as sort of a cash register for payments. Or the shop owner could have put it there for safekeeping when the volcano erupted, planning to come back for it later.

In 2020, archeologists uncovered a food counter that had bits of duck bones, fish bones, snail shells, and other animal bones left in serving jars. The food matched some of the menu painted on the sides of the counter. They also found a painting of people waiting in line for food. It might have been like an advertisement for the shop.

We might think of fast food as a modern invention, but archeology shows that people have enjoyed quick meals out for a long time. Even if they didn’t have French fries.