“‘We’ve Met Before…’ Greg Gutfeld Drops a Shocking, Hilarious Story on Jimmy Fallon About a Hidden Bar in Hell’s Kitchen and a 15-Year-Old Encounter He’ll Never Forget — The Joke About ‘Special Ops Waterboarding’ That Sent Fallon into Fits and Had the Crowd Crying with Laughter”

New York City — Late-night television thrives on unexpected moments, but few could have predicted what would happen when Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld made a guest appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

It started with a grin.

“Jimmy,” Gutfeld said as he settled into the guest chair, “this brings back memories… we’ve met before.”

Fallon’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. His trademark laugh was still waiting in the wings — he had no idea what was coming next.

A 15-Year-Old Secret

Fallon leaned forward. “Wait, what? When?”

Gutfeld, clearly enjoying the buildup, dropped the timeline: fifteen years ago.

The audience murmured — the math meant it happened long before Gutfeld’s current status as a top-rated late-night cable host and before Fallon’s Tonight Show reign.

And then came the kicker: it wasn’t at a Hollywood party or a glitzy awards show. It was in a bar. But not just any bar.

The Hidden Bar in Hell’s Kitchen

Gutfeld described it like a scene out of a spy movie — a low-lit, almost-secret watering hole tucked into Hell’s Kitchen. “It looked,” he said with perfect comedic timing, “like where special ops forces waterboard terrorists.”

The line hit like a grenade. Fallon broke into laughter, slapping the desk, while the crowd roared. The mental image — military interrogations in a dingy New York dive — was absurd enough to catch everyone off guard.

The Night in Question

While Gutfeld kept some of the details close to the vest, he painted the picture: Fallon was already a Saturday Night Live alumnus and rising talk show star. Gutfeld, at the time, was carving his path in media, working on projects that kept him under the radar in the New York scene.

They’d both ended up in the same hidden bar — Gutfeld with a few friends from the publishing world, Fallon with a small entourage of comedy insiders.

“It was one of those places where you’re not sure if you’re supposed to order a drink or a code word,” Gutfeld joked.

Fallon’s Memory Check

Fallon shook his head, smiling. “I have zero recollection of this.”

“That’s probably because you were swarmed,” Gutfeld said. “You had a line of people waiting to talk to you, and I was just some guy in the corner wondering how I got past the bouncer.”

Fallon laughed again, clearly enjoying the idea of his younger self holding court in a shadowy bar with Gutfeld watching from the sidelines.

From Random Encounter to Late-Night Crossover

The story struck a chord because it was a rare collision of two very different late-night worlds. Gutfeld, the Fox News star whose Gutfeld! program has been labeled “the king of late-night” in cable news circles, and Fallon, the network late-night staple known for celebrity games and musical impressions, don’t typically share the same stage.

But here they were, swapping stories like old friends — one recalling a chance meeting, the other trying to piece it together in real time.

The Audience Eats It Up

Viewers in the studio couldn’t get enough. Every beat of the story landed: the mystery of the hidden bar, the absurd “special ops” line, the unexpected 15-year connection. Fallon’s laughter — genuine, unrestrained — fed the crowd’s energy until the applause became a sustained roar.

For a moment, it felt like the competition between late-night formats didn’t exist. It was just two hosts, sharing a ridiculous memory and enjoying the absurdity of it.

Why It Worked

Entertainment insiders say the segment resonated because it humanized both men. “Late-night hosts are used to controlling the narrative on their own shows,” one producer explained. “Here, you had Gutfeld showing up on Fallon’s turf, telling a story Fallon didn’t see coming — and Fallon reacted exactly like any of us would.”

The fact that the setting was a gritty Hell’s Kitchen hideout — not a red carpet or gala — made it even better. “There’s something about imagining these polished TV personalities in a sketchy bar that makes them feel more real,” the producer added.

Twitter Reacts

Clips of the exchange flooded Twitter within minutes of airing. Fans from both camps shared the video, some marveling at the crossover, others zeroing in on the “special ops waterboarding” joke.

“Greg Gutfeld telling Jimmy Fallon they met in a bar that looked like a CIA black site is the late-night content I didn’t know I needed,” one tweet read.

Another joked, “Forget Carpool Karaoke — I want a whole show where late-night hosts revisit weird bars they’ve been in.”

The Future of Late-Night Crossovers?

Whether the moment sparks more cross-network guest spots remains to be seen. Historically, late-night hosts have maintained a friendly-but-distant relationship, often sticking to their own audiences.

But the warmth of Fallon’s reaction — and the crowd’s thunderous approval — might inspire more of these unexpected meetings. “People like seeing different worlds collide,” another insider said. “It reminds us that even in TV, the circles overlap in the weirdest ways.”

Gutfeld’s Parting Shot

As the segment wrapped, Fallon joked, “Well, now I have to take you back to that bar so I can actually remember it.”

Gutfeld grinned. “Only if we get matching waterboarding tattoos.”

Fallon dissolved into laughter once more, banging his hand on the desk. The cameras cut to commercial, but the energy lingered — the kind of buzz that tells you a moment just landed exactly the way it was supposed to.