The difference between a good dish and a great dish often boils down to one simple thing — presentation. It’s these subtle nuances that can help to leave a lasting impression on diners.
But sometimes, what seems like a good idea can wind up falling flat on its face. Have a look at what I mean and check out these 15 restaurants that really dropped the ball on presentation.
Mini sliders served on the rocks — literally.
From what I can see, this plate is 90% rocks. Is the chef trying to hide the fact that the kitchen is skimping out on portion size or what? Knowing my luck, I’d probably wind up chipping a tooth.
I asked for the news, not the weather.
This literally looks as if it was thrown in the trash, and then “rescued” from the bin at the last possible moment. Call me crazy, but I don’t think that runny ink is a suitable seasoning for any pasta dish.
Mashed potatoes have never looked more unappetizing.
I’m just going to come right out and say it: those potatoes look like a tub full of snot. I’m having to stifle my gag reflex as I type this, for fear that I might get sick.
I only eat ribs when they’re served on a mini picnic table.
Have you ever looked at a “plate” of food and thought to yourself —”Why? Just why?” Does the kitchen reuse these mini tables? Because just the thought of that is enough to make me never want to eat here.
Have you ever had Parma ham wrapped in an owl’s quill?
I honestly can’t tell if this is an appetizer or a museum exhibit. As far as I’m concerned, this adds absolutely nothing and only serves to confound and confuse prospective diners.
This is an insult to Italian cuisine.
This looks kind of like a pizza cone gone horribly wrong. I wouldn’t even know where to begin if a server brought this out to my table. In fact, I think I’d probably request to have an actual plate; the audacity!
Do you need a hand with your sushi?
Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer to eat my sushi without any extra body parts lying on the table. I wouldn’t be able to stop looking at the hand, for fear that it would start to move.
A new twist on surf-n-turf.
So you go through all the trouble of defying the laws of gravity to make this monstrosity, and then you go and serve the melted butter in a plastic dixie cup? Something’s not adding up here.
This seems HIGHLY unsanitary.
Even prior to COVID times, seeing something like this would be enough to make me stand up and demand my money be refunded. I hope to god that whoever made this hand print had the decency to wash first.
How about chicken croquets served in a shoe?
So you’re telling me that I can’t wear sneakers into the restaurant, but you see nothing wrong with serving me my food from inside a shoe? Can’t you see the glaring irony in this presentation?
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Even your steak is vaccinated!
Judging by the multitude of knife cuts that you can see on this cutting board, I’d say that it’s been through the wringer. I for one don’t like the idea that my meat is currently marinating in the juices of the 1000 steaks served before mine.
Steak tartare served on a cow’s shoulder bone.
In case you needed a reminder of where your delicious tartare came from, this dining establishment has been kind enough to serve it to you on the cow’s very own shoulder blade! How nice of them.
Somebody call Indiana Jones!
I think I discovered where the final Crystal Skull has been hiding! I swear, they’re always in the last place you’d ever think to look for them — like on top of a plate of chicken tenders and fries.
That had better be a non-stick frying pan…
So this just has to be a joke, right? The only explanation I can muster is that every plate in the kitchen must have been broken because otherwise, this just epitomizes phoning it in.
One pound of wings, served in a Tonka truck.
I mean, come on! This thing looks as if it was made in the early 70s and bought for a bargain on eBay! If I was a gambling man, I’d wager that the chipped yellow paint is also most likely lead-based.