When it comes to restaurants , presentation may not be everything, but it sure helps. Of course, some restaurants take their presentation a little too far, and end up plating their food in impractical ways.
These places went above any beyond when it came to plating. And then they went above and beyond that — to the point where it just became weird.
“Deconstructed Gourmet Vegemite Toast. Yay.”
Yeah, no. That looks super unappetizing. Also, what exactly is “gourmet” toast? Isn’t toast just… toasted bread?
Well, either way, it really does feel like this entire dish (presentation and all) is trying a little too much.
“Buckwheat crackers for the cheese course tonight shoved into the side of a log.”
Okay, but why? Is this supposed to elevate the presentation in some way? Because all I’m seeing is a tree trunk with some fungus sticking out of it. And I feel like that wasn’t the look they were going for.
Nothing says appetizing quite like getting your food served on a shovel.
Surprisingly, I’ve seen a lot of pictures of food being served on spades. Even if that’s a brand new, clean shovel, something about the presentation still seems icky. I’d feel like I was eating dirt.
Some assembly required.
Because we go to restaurants to put our food together, right? Wrong. To be completely honest, this isn’t even that nice. Or that clever. It just feels like the restaurant is expecting its patrons to put in extra effort for a dining experience.
“Friend got her Squid Skewer served on… I don’t know… rotten wood maybe?”
I don’t think the wood is rotten, but it doesn’t look very nice.
Also, I’ve heard a bunch of times that using wood serving trays and plates isn’t sanitary so… why?
“Matcha brownie on a tile.”
I’m pretty sure that’s a roofing tile. Like, a tile you’d put on your roof. Maybe I’m behind on the trends, but this is making me irrationally angry.
On the plus side, it’s probably sturdy?
“This ceramic fake cushion weighed at least 5 pounds.”
All of that bloat for 4 tiny appetizers. Talk about a waste of space. You could serve food on a heavy ceramic cushion, or you could just use a plate like a regular person.
“Cocktail in a tub at indoor mini golf.”
There was an idea here. The execution just didn’t quite land. It was at the very least creative, it’s just too bad that it didn’t really work out the way they’d probably expected it to.
When you go out to eat but end up grocery shopping somehow:
Look, this is pretty tacky, but all I can think about is how tough it must be to get this mini shopping cart clean between customers. They… do clean them between customers, right?
“Shoe fries are an aesthetic, apparently.”
On the plus side, those fries look really good. Are they good enough to justify eating them out of a giant wooden clog? I’d probably have to think about it a bit longer.
“Our main course was served in a wheelbarrow, including fireworks…”
This is one of those things where you look at it and have a thousand questions, but it can all be summed up to: why? And to be honest, I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
“All burgers here served in a retro lunchbox…working hard for that grunge aesthetic, but not practicality.”
Not only is this super impractical, but it’s just not that nice. If I were part of the kitchen staff at this restaurant, I’d dread having to be on dish duty.
I’m sure this plating style comes in handy!
Get it? Because it’s a toolbox? Okay, I’ll show myself out.
But just like the lunchboxes, this is woefully impractical. Nobody wants to eat out of something that commonly houses grungy tools, after all.
“Can we please just use a normal glass?”
This seems like it would be so cool . In theory. Not in practice. It’s just another one of those things that makes me wonder how they clean them, because it doesn’t look easy.
“Stuffed clams, served on a bed of salt, on a brick, on a cutting board.”
It’s the brick for me. I’m sure they were probably going for that rough, industrial look, but this is plain dumb. There are plenty of things you could serve these clams on that aren’t bricks. Plates, for example.
Cozy up with some tea and a nice book… shelf.
As if being a server and walking around with plates wasn’t hard enough. This is like, the final boss of food service. You don’t carry that whole bookshelf full of toast the right way, and it’ll all come falling down.
“Churros in a cigar box.”
Just because churros are long and vaguely cylindrical doesn’t mean they look anything like cigars. And honestly, cigar imagery is the last thing I’d want to associate with food. Thinking of the smell is enough to take me out.
“My food was served on top of a mini picnic table, placed on a table that was actually a TV.”
There’s a lot going on here, and each component is more confusing than the last. Not only did this restaurant decide plates weren’t good enough, but regular tables weren’t either!
“New restaurant in town posted this on their social media.”
Sure, it looks cool (?), but how exactly are you supposed to eat that? Also, wouldn’t the chicken get soggy from the drink?
On second thought, whatever this is, it’s just wrong.
“Desert served on a menstrual pad?!”
I don’t think there are any words that can accurately describe how disgusting this is. Menstruation may be a normal part of most women’s lives, but that doesn’t mean we need to associate it with food.
Last Updated on January 26, 2022 by Ashley Hunte