Opening up an eating and drinking establishment is not easy and sometimes owners make crucial mistakes. Whether itโs some sort of design issue like see-through bathroom doors or a ridiculous spelling mistake on a sign, these 75 clueless restaurant and bar owners messed up big time.
Weโve chosen the funniest ones to share with you today. While we would never wish failure on anyone, in these unfortunate cases itโs already happened, so why not? Itโs very likely that these places will be out of business soon so we have to enjoy them while we still can.


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RadicalOptimist
1. Public Health Fail
The public health inspection resulted in the restaurant getting an A. However, right there on the glass next to the sign is a giant cockroach. Somehow, the little pest slipped through the cracks or was overlooked.


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sndebrosse
2. Dictionary Translation
Instead of hiring a professional to translate their menu from French to English, this Paris restaurant simply pulled the food definitions straight out of the dictionary. Itโs not the worst strategy, except for the fact that they included every possible translation for each word.


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flamingtofu868
3. Best Italian Mexican Restaurant
How does something like this even happen? The local Mexican restaurant won the award for โBest Italian Restaurantโ. As far as we know, there arenโt really a lot of culinary similarities between the two countries.


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Zokoro
4. Owner Confusion
The sign says itโs Sherrillโs gas station and eatery. However, itโs all one big lie. The real owners, Bill and Ann, want to make sure you are aware of the truth. They added some clarification at the bottom.


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givitdotcom
5. USB Sushi
Do you notice anything off about this menu? Look closely. The menu creators accidentally put a picture of fake sushi with USB adaptors sticking out of them as their primary image. Somehow, no one noticed.


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PainOnTap
6. Lighted Sign Outage
At first glance, one might think this is some sort of strip club. When driving by in the dark, the sign reads โHo On Hoโ. We imagine it might unintentionally attract the wrong sort of clientele to this roadside family diner.


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the_real_brooklyn_bear
7. Gain Weight Quick
Itโs well known that Chinese food contains a lot of calories. Between the rice and oils, it can add up quickly. This takeaway restaurant doesnโt beat around the bush about it though. They tell their customers how it is right from the get-go.


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Bored Panda
8. Vulgar Window Shadow
Itโs not just your mind playing tricks on you. The sunlight passing through the window sign left a pretty crude shadow on the customerโs back. Remind us not to take that seat if we ever eat there in the future.


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lord_beef
9. Italian AF
This Italian restaurant is guaranteed to be authentic. If you donโt believe us, just read the sign. The place is Italian As F**ck and proud of it. All of the other pizza places in town are just fronting.


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GuntherWheeler
10. Foodie Fail
Whatโs up with all these concept restaurants recently trying to be overly fancy with their presentation? Thatโs what happened here. The customer ordered a caesar salad and received a couple of romaine lettuce leaves in a glass.


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brodakmoment
11. To Hot Too Cook
This person called up the restaurant to let them know about a spelling mistake they saw on the street sign. The restaurant assured them they would change it. However, they kind of messed up, againโฆ


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enis_with_a_p
12. Sticker Surprise
Lemons are a great way to add some flavor to water or an ice tea. Although, itโs important to remove the stickers from the lemon first. Otherwise, your customers wonโt be happy.


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RobSpurlock1
13. Smart Acronym
Using a fun acronym is a great way to get your message across. However, it only works if you start the sentences with the correct letters. It turns out, this โsmartโ salad bar is actually not so smart after all.


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MacaroniShits
14. Classy Wall Art
This stunning work of art was spotted by a customer at a Mexican restaurant. We understand that modern art isnโt always easy to understand and can get pretty bizarre sometimes, but really? The best they could do was a painted pallet?


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acm44
15. Basement Windows
Weโre not sure if you can tell from the photos, but the window is fake. The restaurant is located in a basement and they wanted to make it appear as though it isnโt. To improve the atmosphere, they used a random image of a parking lot.


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JoffreyGoldblum
16. Mounted Picture
Instead of removing the mount where the television used to be, they just hung a picture over it. It looks pretty ridiculous. Itโs obvious that interior design isnโt the ownerโs forte.


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tommyjoe2
17. See-Through Stalls
Every door in the bathroom has its own semi-transparent frosted glass window. Even though the view is partially obscured, you can clearly see that there is activity going on through them. Privacy is pretty much non-existent.


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futuremistakes
18. Bathroom Attendant
In this restaurant bathroom, every stall features an obscure naked man sculpture. Itโs equal parts intriguing and creepy. Going to the bathroom here would definitely be a memorable experience.


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CarnivorousBeaver
19. Hilarious Counterfeit
Occasionally, restaurant fails are a result of employee mistakes too. Take for example this bar where an employee accidentally accepted this ridiculous counterfeit bill. It is a five-pound British note with a North Korean image on it.


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Thankyouneildgtyson
20. Diet Ice
Low-calorie drinks are all the rage these days, but this is the first time weโve ever heard of diet ice. The real question though is whether it contains contain gluten? Gluten-free ice is normally our first choice.


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Bored Panda
21. Trash Can Box
The trash can at this bar is actually a box from a trash can. It makes you wonder what happened to the original trash can? Not to mention, after a couple of spilled beers, this box-version is going to have to go in the garbage too.


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captainkman
22. 50% Off Bad Sushi
Technically, itโs not โBad Sushiโ, itโs โB.A.D. Sushiโ. It stands for best and delicious, but unless you read the fine print underneath the sign, you would never know. They also advertise it as 50% off like they are trying to get rid of it quick.


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keithsweeklyinsights
23. Salt And Pepper Fail
This hotel totally failed here. You can either fill up salt and pepper shakers with loose salt and pepper or you can put out a little dish of the packets for customers to use. Trying to combine both into one just doesnโt work.


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ntortellini
24. Confusing Sign
Itโs important that your potential customers understand what your business offers. This restaurant definitely messed up on that front. At least, we think itโs a restaurant. Maybe itโs a park or a memory origin space.


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Robot_Mugabe
25. Excellent Drive-Thru Special
The offer is so appealing, how could anyone ever pass it up? They give out free straws with every drink purchase! Itโs a deal that is sure to create a lot of return customers.


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jacquielala
26. Deep Fried Baby
This up and coming Thai restaurant dropped the ball big time on their kidโs menu translations. We have no idea what these dishes are actually supposed to be. All we can say for sure is that we wonโt be letting our kids order them.


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theone_whoknocks
27. Convincing Wall Mural
The mural on the wall at this Texas restaurant makes it look like every booth is already occupied. Itโs pretty humorous. Although, it does make the restaurant appear more busy and popular than it actually is.


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Kissyface248
28. Eat Jessicaโs Family
Eating an entire family sounds really tasty, however, we think weโll have to pass on this one. Maybe if we were cannibals we would dine here, but at this point, we arenโt that desperate yet.


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DragonsTurnMeOn
29. Itโs People
On the other hand, if you do happen to be a cannibal, this restaurant would probably hire you. At Taco Time, people are an essential ingredient. Be forewarned though, if you ever get fired, you might find yourself on the menu.


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DookeyLukey
30. Candle Drippings
A lot of dive bars are well known for not cleaning very regularly. In a strange way, itโs part of the allure. However, what about this bar that never cleans up the candle wax? Is it a cool idea or simply disgusting? We arenโt sure.


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kiwimark
31. Staffing Issues
When a hungry customer noticed that the restaurant was closed due to โshort staffโ, he left them a simple recommendation โ hirer taller staff. It is a straightforward solution to their problem.


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doug3465
32. Diet Fair Food
โI was worried going to the fair would break my diet, but thankfully they had SlimFast bars,โ wrote this enthused customer. He was really pleased that they offered his favorite healthy snack โ deep-fried weight loss bars.


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darkjedidave
33. Fresh Robster
Donโt worry, this lobster wonโt actually rob you, but it is pretty funny that the Asian restaurant messed up the spelling like this. It hits on multiple different stereotypes at once.


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restaurantfails
34. Pho-King Delicious
They are the kings of pho โ a delicious Vietnamese noodle soup. However, if you read their name really quick, it sounds a little different. Some would say itโs a fail. Others would say itโs a very clever play on words.


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wutabum17
35. Stick Menus
Imagine trying to read these goofy menus. They arrive at the table wrapped around wooden sticks. However, if you get too frustrated, you can always use them to bang on the table for additional assistance.


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jookz
36. Bathroom Lounge
Have you ever seen a menโs bathroom like this? Itโs a first for us. Theyโve provided a couple of conveniently placed leather chairs so you can get a front-row seat to someone taking a dump.


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Bored Panda
37. Photo Art Choice
For whatever reason, this McDonalds decided to put these appetizing giant photos up next to the booths. A giant nose and beard are exactly what people want to look at while trying to enjoy a burger.


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pretzelzetzel
38. Poorly Designed Booths
Every time you want to sit down, you have to climb over the step to get your feet into the booth. Not only would these be hard to clean, but they also present a big tripping hazard for customers.


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laurenlongmusic
39. Funny Quote
This goofy sign is a little confusing. On one hand, it thanks the customers, but on the other hand, it kind of appears like it is quoting a fire extinguisher. If fire extinguishers could talk, itโs pretty unlikely this is what they would say.


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TronaldPalmer
40. Terrible Name Choice
In the Philippines, this restaurant name makes total sense. It is an abbreviation for the Katipunan โ a Philippine revolutionary society. However, to outsiders, it stands for something very different.


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_janson
41. Lighting Fail
It was a good idea in theory โ shine spotlights on the menu to illuminate it. However, it didnโt really work in reality. It makes several parts of the menu next to impossible to read.


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eeerin
42. Eating Customers
We understand what they are getting at here. They only want you to occupy a table if you are eating. However, the other way to interpret it is that the tables are only for people who want to eat other customers.


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break_me_down
43. Complicated Phrasing
Weโve tried to read through this sign multiple times and we still have no idea what it is saying. There is just no logical way to read it. Do you start at the top, bottom, middle, or some combination of all three?


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Nopeasuoli
44. Difficulties Ordering
This hard-to-read menu can be found at the Cereal Killer Cafe in London. Itโs like those old fashioned ransom notes made out of cut-up magazine letters. Itโs kind of a cool idea, but also a total mess.


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TazmanianDevi1
45. Bad Plate Design
Clean freaks might want to avoid this restaurant. It looks like the plates are already used and dirty. However, thatโs just how they were made. The speckles on them are part of the design.


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Jetwynn
46. Open Prostitution
Cash and sexual assault, right this way. Thatโs what comes to mind when viewing the shadow of this sign. Whoever did the designing inside the bar didnโt really think this one through.


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enmaku
47. Suggested Tips
Leaving various recommended tips on the bottom of a check is a great way to simplify the tipping process for those bad at math. However, itโs important to actually get the math right. Whoever made the original tip suggestions was only thinking about getting paid.


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doorbellguy
48. Roast Leg Of Lamp
This buffet made a very rookie sign mistake. They spelled lamb, lamp. Making it even funnier is the fact that it is actually positioned underneath a lamp. Itโs a pretty comical error.


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foxpassed
49. Awkward Silverware
This restaurant uses the skinniest and longest silverware weโve ever seen. We can imagine it makes eating quite difficult. There is a time and place to be creative, and choosing silverware is not one of those times.


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Fishstixxx16
50. Grocery Store Bar
Itโs a really unusual place to put a bar, but it looks like thereโs a lot of customers there. If it works, it works. Who are we to argue with success?


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Itchy_Craphole
51. Vegetarian Fail
Itโs always a good idea to label which dishes on the menu are vegetarian. This Chinese restaurant totally gets it. Thereโs just one tiny issue โ they labeled every dish on the menu vegetarian, even the ones that arenโt.


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Kooterade8
52. Slanted Bar
Itโs obvious that the designer of this bar has never worked in a bar before. They made the bar-top sloped at a slight angle resulting in constant broken glasses and spilled drinks. Itโs a giant disaster.


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synthedelic
53. LED Sign Restaurant
Either the restaurant forgot to program their new LED sign, itโs their real name, or itโs a beautiful tribute to the band Led Zeppelin. Weโre betting on the first one. Otherwise, itโs a pretty bad name for a restaurant.


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jwalsh88
54. Almostโฆ
It was a nice try, but stressed spelled backward is desserts, not dessert. We appreciate the effort though. There are definitely bigger fails out there than this one.


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MarcXJF
55. Quality Beer Coaster
This insightful beer coaster comes really close to getting the message across. Although, there is certainly room for improvement. For starters, what does โsure refreshisโ mean?


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_Hungry_Llama_
56. Customer Name
Servers sometimes need to label their checks in order to keep track of them. Although, there are probably more considerate ways of going about it than simply labeling the table โwhite guysโ.


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MrMagoo21
57. Global Cuisine
This restaurant doesnโt exactly have the clearest branding message. Not only are they an American delight, but they also give you a taste of Africa and offer Mexican food. Really, they do it all.


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danaroobanzai
58. Fat Sign
Unfortunately, this sign looks more like it says โfatโ than โeatโ. However, is there really that much of a difference? If you eat, you can get fat. If you are fat, you probably eat.


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IThoughtInsideTheBox
59. Awkward Introductions
The barrier between these two toilets doesnโt really provide very much privacy. It could easily result in an awkward experience for the restaurant diners. You go to take a leak and end up making a new friend.


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scottenglandmusic
60. Salt And Eppe
Whoever designed this restaurantโs salt and pepper packets should probably be fired. The salt one isnโt that bad, but the pepper oneโฆ well, it makes no sense.


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ValueBrandCola
61. Restaurant Mascot
This ridiculous sign can be found in the bathroom hallway of a Tampa eating establishment. We have to say, the implication of the cartoon photo and mascot is a little scandalous.


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clownfart123
62. Intimate Urinals
The urinal placement at this bar is not the best. They tried to fit as many into the tiny restroom as possible. However, if anyone were to ever use them, it would result in two people standing on top of each other.


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ficuseater
63. Menu Watermark
Our best guess is that it was a branding attempt gone wrong. While you arenโt going to be able to read the menu now, at least no one will copy it and youโll always remember where you are eating.


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FrostedJakes
64. Flower Bong
Donโt worry, itโs just a vase. Yes, it looks like a bong for smoking weed, but thatโs just an illusion. You arenโt high right now, are you?


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cannasos74
65. Le Anal
We understand that the restaurantโs actual name is Le Fanal, but thatโs not what the image underneath the menu logo says. It very clearly says anal. Itโs a pretty unusual choice for a menu cover image.


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truffs1010
66. Inspired Facebook Logo
It is the real Facebook logo from a small-town bar in Virginia. They are the only bar in town so have no reason to make any significant effort. If people want to drink, itโs the only option. Although, by glancing at their logo, you would think the place is run by three-year-olds.


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actuallyarabbit
67. New Digital Menu
This place finally got with the times and upgraded their menu from a letter board to a digital display. However, it seems like they donโt really understand the point of going digital. They set it to show a picture of their original non-digital menu.


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skryb
68. Fart Taco
The โsโ in their name looks more like an โrโ, which totally changes the meaning. Itโs something that you think would have been picked up on when they were still in the design phase. Somehow, it was overlooked.


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retrowavve
69. Logo Theft
Imitation is a form of flattery. However, directly copying someone elseโs logo for business use is not. This pizzeria took their logo directly from The Pirate Bay online digital content website. To be fair though, The Pirate Bay owners themselves were also arrested for copyright infringement recently too.


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backto89
70. Comical Misdirection
This hospital direction sign is not entirely clear. It appears as though it is leading visitors to the Gynaecology Restaurant. If thatโs true, we know we wonโt be eating there.


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vertigo01
71. Plumbing Fail
This bathroom urinal isnโt even attached to any pipes! Everything goes straight through the hole and into a five-gallon bucket. It would really suck to be the employee who has to empty it. It could easily overflow or spill while carrying it.


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klashl1
72. Light-Up Brail Sign
The point of brail is to allow blind people to be able to read something using their hands. Doing a giant light-up version like this is completely pointless. Itโs just a bunch of annoying lights.


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eclectronic
73. Steak Presentation
Steaks are often one of the biggest money-makers on a menu, but if your steaks are shaped like music notes, you are already starting from a huge disadvantage. The customer was shocked when it came out like this.


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ALICE600
74. Pricing Fail
The cost of the free steak salad came out to $1,223. Itโs a pretty expensive freebie. And to think, thatโs not even including tax and tipโฆ


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reddit
75. Multiple Wrong Translations
This place claims that they have menus in several different languages. Interestingly enough, every single translation is wrong. Yes, they failed, but at least there is some consistency in their failure.


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VictorVan
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