A guilty pleasure some of us have (and, we hope, some of you do, too) is reading through the entire menu at a restaurant or cafe, looking for odd slips, grammar mistakes, and hilarious Photoshop fails. You know, for r-research purposes of course (that was a lie, we enjoy feeling superior and poking fun at bsaic grremar mstakess and anyone who thinks that Photoshop is an actual store).
Some menus, however, are so incredibly bad, so magnificently funny that people couldn’t help but take a picture and share it online for everyone to shame! Shame! Shame! The Photoshop and grammar-loving team at Bored Panda has collected this list of the most egregious menu fails to raise your mood, so have a scroll through and upvote the best of the worst.
And remember, folks, to paraphrase our glorious culinary leader Gordon Ramsay, if the menu has pictures in it, it’s time to start panicking!
Bored Panda talked about editing, proofreading, and kerning (aka the spacing between letters) issues in restaurant menus with Lisa McLendon, the News and Information Track Chair at the University of Kansas and the Bremner Editing Center Coordinator. Read on for her insights and, if you happen to be working on a menu right now, her advice on how to best present the text so its readable, clear, and doesn't cause embarrassing misunderstandings.
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It's On Their Menu
The Peas Are Upside Down
The Sushi Restaurant, That I Went To, Accidentally Put A Picture Of USB Sushi On Their Menu
"Word placement, typeface, and kerning are crucial for effective, professional-looking logos and layouts," McLendon from the University of Kansas said. "If it’s just a few words, all-caps is fine, but it’s harder for people to read longer blocks of text in all caps. It’s also harder for people to read italic or highly stylized type, or type along a curve instead of a line."
She explained to Bored Panda that if you're working with words that are stacked or circled, you ought to look for all the various ways in which they could be misread or read out of order. "Make sure the starting point for readers is as clear as it can be," she said.
Meanwhile, if the kerning is too tight, the letters could run together and create some incredibly embarrassing misreadings. (Side-note: remember that if you ever write the word 'flickering' in capitals and don't want things to get out of hand fast.)
This Seductive Duck I Found On A Menu In Vietnam, Complete With An Excellent Typo
Translated The Menu, Boss
Can I have a Dfgjkghjf Hdfhd with some kfjdrigld on the side, please?
This Menu
McLendon said that, in her opinion, we should all give the people working on restaurant menus a break. "Especially if they’re not native speakers because their job is food, not language," she said about those employees who are asked to work on the menus because of budgeting issues.
"That said, a particularly awful or amusing typo can make a business go viral in a negative way—not something any business wants. The easiest thing is obvious, but many people forget to do it: run a spell-check. Spell-check will catch any typo that is a misspelling (most typos on restaurant menus are). But spell-check won’t catch typos that result in a word that is still a word, just not the word you want."
The solution? McLendon suggests having someone else proofread the menu text before sending it off for printing. "Some printing companies provide this service, plus there are freelance editors who do proofreading, and I’ve also heard of small businesses swapping services for work like proofreading."
This “Plane” On My Airline Menu
My Friend Is In Florence, Italy And This Restaurant He's At Has An Assassins Creed Screenshot As Their Menu Background
Anyone Want Some Thai Food?
Menus with pictures in them generally indicate that the place you’re eating at is a little bit on the cheap side. (If they’re laminated, get out of there, quick! Gordon Ramsay has a point, after all.)
Now, there’s nothing wrong with eating cheap food once in a while—who doesn’t enjoy a cheeky curry or a guilt-free kebab in the middle of the night when we’re peckish? But there’s something to be said for glancing a bit deeper into unchanging menus with low-quality pictures in them.
Subway Salad Menu
This Was The Image Of Choice For An Ice Cream Menu In Austria
This Busy Ice Cream Shop In Seattle Put Their Menu On A Mirror So It’s Impossible To Read
However you might want to slice things (pun not intended), menus with pictures indicate that the owners of your chosen eatery aren’t investing a lot of money into the business, the staff, or the food. While this isn’t an automatic death sentence (plenty of businesses care about their employees, though, then again, plenty also don’t), it does mean that the quality of the food might be low.
Frozen, canned, and processed food is the norm. And if saving’s the main goal, you can bet your bottom dollar that leftovers will be reheated in microwaves and brought to you as though it was all fresh.
This Picture Isn't Blurry, That's How The Menu Looks
French Restaurant Menu
"You'll Need To Use The Flashlight On Your Phone To Read The Menu" - Waitress
Meanwhile, if the staff aren’t paid enough or motivated in some other way to act professionally, hygiene standards can drop. This can mean that the weirdly-photoshopped burger meal you’re laughing your head off at while flipping through the menu is an indication of low standards and nasty things crawling all over the kitchen.
What’s more, even if by some miracle the pics in the menu look terrific, there lies another problem: what you see and what you’re bound to get can be two completely different things. That’s why, personally, we’re in favor of small menus that only have words on them. If in doubt, you can always ask your server about each meal and they’ll be glad to tell you all about them.
Top-Notch Photoshop On This Greek Menu
An Online Menu For A Restaurant I Was Considering Eating At
This Menu
The Peas On This Menu Photo Are Photoshopped In
The Motherlode Of The 90s Nightmares
Got Those Drinks On The Menu, Boss
Small and clear menus don’t mean simple and boring! If it’s readable, approachable, and user-friendly, your clients are more likely to get to the meat of things (literally, if they’re not vegan) and leave a healthy-sized tip.
This Restaurant Wraps Their Menu Around A Wooden Stick. There Was Absolutely No Explanation Or Purpose To It
This Cocktail Menu
I Honestly Don’t Know What To Look At
I think it's an old lightbox menu from previous diner not replaced just papered over.
Load More Replies...This is what my nightmares look like when I'm walking through some place trying to find something to eat! But they are closing or I can't figure out if they have anything that won't upset my stomach 🤦🏻♀️😂🤣😂
I thought pj crepes was the name of the shop, because it's the only thing they've written there.
Load More Replies...I'm Impressed That This Thai Menu Has Text Cropping Both Over And Under The Image
This Menu That Seems To Be Upside Down At First Look
This Restaurant Pirated The Pirate Bay Torrent Site Logo For Their Menu
Seen At A Restaurant In A 5-Star Hotel In Los Angeles
This Is What I Found On The Menu Of A Pizzeria
This Salad Section On The Menu At The Pub
16 bucks for a salad is just criminal. The salad is hiding in shame. And why do you pay extra 2 bucks for takeaway?! It's not like they are delivering it, you're taking it with you.
Which menu fail was your favorite and why, dear Pandas? Why do you think so many menus out there have such basic mistakes? Do you think that menus with pictures automatically mean bad food? What’s the worst menu you’ve personally encountered when you could eat in, not just take food to go? We can’t wait to read what you think in the comment section!
This Restaurant’s Logo That Looks Like A Health Grade
What If The Restaurant’s Name Is "Sample Text"?
Everything About This Menu
The brain hurts, glitches and turns off for self-preservation purposes.
This Restaurant Menu
more like an essay than a menu. it's so well written it makes you hungry.
This Coffee Shop Overhead Menu Gave Me A Headache
When You Want The Whole Menu Presented On A Flag
Checked Out This Restaurant's Online Menu. I Think I'll Go Somewhere Else
This Menu At Cereal Killer Cafe, London
Put Up The Menu, Boss
This Menu
Clearly Missing The Point Of A Digital Menu
This Menu Even Has Pictures Of Their Drinks. Just In Case You Forgot What Diet Pepsi Looks Like
This Menu Has 1 Item Per Page Which Makes It 100+ Pages Long
“Menu” At For Our School
Finished Setting The Menu Prices, Boss
This Menu On A Mirror Is Impossible To Read
Tex... What?
Everything About This Menu
Menu At A Local Restaurant
No, This Picture Isn't Blurry. The Menu Is
Here’s A Menu I Found Online While Looking For Somewhere To Eat
The first three are in heaven, the bottom four are more down to earth.
This Menu Art Has Shutterstock Watermarks On It
Wrote The Menu, Boss
I Love Eating At Restaurant Logo Here
Menu At Local Restaurant
if you could read it properly, it would look like it's carved into the wood. maybe that's what they were going for?
This Menu
When You Copy-Paste Your Menu Content From Wikipedia ... Complete With Footnotes.
Pizza Looks Terrified Of Its Own Menu
I Put Up The Menu, Boss
The Background On The Menu Looks Like Its Covered In Dirt
This Menu Looks Upside Down At First Glance
it actually does! I'd look like an idiot if I started reading it upside down. and it wouldn't be the first time...
This Menu. Pepperoni Pizza Background And Red Lettering
The Misuse Of Capital Letters On This Menu
Why. So. Much. Fonts (A Restaurant Menu)
This Image Of Grilled Chicken Salad In This Menu
This Mexican Restaurant's Menu
They Updated The Menu, So Now It’s Black Font On Black Screen
Stopped Outside The Restaurant To Read The Menu. Left After 10 Seconds Of Being Unable To Read Past The Dotted Overlay
"Third Scoop? I Asked For A Double"
Ah Yes, I Absolutely Love When I Can Barely Read My Menus
The Tacos On The Cover Of This Menu Aren't Actually On The Menu
The Numbers On This Menu
Went To A Restaurant And This Is The Kid's Menu, The Sun Blocks 1/2 Of It
Just do a simple test print before you order 200 copies! lol *facepalm*
I Want To Redesign Their Menu So Badly
This Weird Font Choice On This Restaurant Menu
This Restaurant Uses Watermarked Stock Photos On Their Menu
Put Up The Menu Boss
The Alignment Of The Prices On This Menu
The Font On This Restaurant Menu. Took Me Forever To Read It
Saw This On A Diner Menu
One Of My Favorite Restaurants. I Hate To Put Them On Blast, But This Is Too Good Not To Share. The Restaurant Is Called "Let’s Do Greek!”
If You Hadn't Told Me The Name Of The Restaurant, I Would Be Concerned About That Kids Menu...
I'll Have What's On The Fish Menu
I Am Currently In Florida At A Filipino Restaurant. I Found This On The Menu While I Was There
Someone Left The Shutterstock Watermark On An Image Of Beans For A Menu
Seriously, what is wrong with people. We're currently putting together a business website and stock photos like that are so cheap we've bought some to act as place holders until we are able to take the actual photos we want.
Finished Designing The Menu Boss
Not Sure Wether I‘M At A Restaurant Or A Gay Bar
This Abomination Of A Menu
Why is the Coke logo so big AND why does it need an arrow?? WHYyyyyy... my eyes.
The Photo Of The Curry On This Menu Looks Upside Down
The Font On This Menu
The Last Word You Want To Be On A Menu
This Menu Background
You can be proud of America, but don't be proud on a restaurant menu please.
This Menu Can’t Decide How To Write How Many People It Serves
Added Peppers In The Menu Photo Boss
A Menu From When I Was In Thailand
This Menu
The Size Of The Font On This Restaurants Menu
The Restaurant I Went To Plastered Their Logo All Over The Descriptions
A Wall Covered Half Of The Menu Screen, And All Of The Menus On The Screens Had Incredibly Tiny Text Making It Hard To See
I'd be the dad that walks in: "Hey looks like the prices are half off!".
The Lighting On These Menus
These Tilted Menus
Was Really Digging This Restaurant Menu Until I Saw The Top And Bottom Borders
Burger King Menu Got Fried
This Single-Spaced Menu
Menu Design At One Of My Favorite Indian Restaurants
When You Ask The New Guy To Change The Sign In The Menu Board
Yes, I Will Have The Chicken Fingers From Sandwich Menu
Well, to be fair, I guess it's meat with bread around it, sooo..... LOL
The Dots On The Corners Of This Menu Section
This Misaligned Menu At A Local Restaurant
The Heading Of This Dessert Menu
I Always Have To Borrow Someone's Phone To See The Menu Ever Since Covid
Menu Board Installed Boss
I don't get what's wrong with this one? Is it because it's leaning a little bit?
Clearly Missing The Point Of A Digital Menu
My favorite menu typo is a Beijing hotel with a neon sign on top of the building that declares in English, "We burn the steak every Thursday" to promote their grill night. The table menu offers "Lamp Chops."
I have mentioned this before, but my favourite typo was on a Chinese restaurant menu. There was human beef on it. My niece kicked up a fuss: "Ewwww! That's disgusting!" I told her that it was supposed to be Hunan beef. We still laugh about it.
I am a graphic designer and this makes me so depressed... but also very confident that I will never be out of work, ever. :)
I bet that most of these were "designed" by non-designers; an employee with some basic software or on-line template. This is what you get from not having a graphic designer work on something so important for your business. Yes, the Mom & Pop places do get a pass, but some of these restaurants looked high-end. I've been a graphic designer for bout 35 years, and many a time, I had to talk clients out of doing a certain thing that they wanted. Yellow text on white paper was one. I designed menus for a hospital, and made the text a bit larger as people often forget their eyeglasses when they end up in a hospital.
Our local pub managed to misspell "spaghetti" twice, on two different menu items. The third item it was spelt correctly, but then they misspelt "tomatoes"!
Hi, N G, that sounds absolutely hilarious! Any chance that you've got any photos of the menu?
Load More Replies...This was a sign I saw for smoothies in Japan. Do you want mango, banana, or Pain or a Flesh flavored smoothie? flesh-6020...0cdcdb.jpg
There is a restaurant one town over from me that categorizes the selections as "Steak," "Chicken," "Salads," "Desserts," and "Children Under 12."
One time at an asian restaurant, there was a whole page filled with just, "ASIAN RIBS" and then they had different prices. The funniest part is that the waiter explained after we asked about it. "That's just because we have different prices for each one." But that still makes NO SENSEEEEEEE
Way before the internet I travelled in India and stayed at a place where the menu included Chicken Bullet, Chicken Hens and Egg Cyloned Parrots...
#13 is a plant based ice cream store called "Frankie & Jo's". I have been there and don't remember having a hard time reading the menu.
I can just imagine Gordon Ramsay going to these places for one of his shows.
I bet most of these were made by family members considered "good at computers" because they're marginally better than say, mom & dad (whoever owns the restaurant).
My favorite menu typo is a Beijing hotel with a neon sign on top of the building that declares in English, "We burn the steak every Thursday" to promote their grill night. The table menu offers "Lamp Chops."
I have mentioned this before, but my favourite typo was on a Chinese restaurant menu. There was human beef on it. My niece kicked up a fuss: "Ewwww! That's disgusting!" I told her that it was supposed to be Hunan beef. We still laugh about it.
I am a graphic designer and this makes me so depressed... but also very confident that I will never be out of work, ever. :)
I bet that most of these were "designed" by non-designers; an employee with some basic software or on-line template. This is what you get from not having a graphic designer work on something so important for your business. Yes, the Mom & Pop places do get a pass, but some of these restaurants looked high-end. I've been a graphic designer for bout 35 years, and many a time, I had to talk clients out of doing a certain thing that they wanted. Yellow text on white paper was one. I designed menus for a hospital, and made the text a bit larger as people often forget their eyeglasses when they end up in a hospital.
Our local pub managed to misspell "spaghetti" twice, on two different menu items. The third item it was spelt correctly, but then they misspelt "tomatoes"!
Hi, N G, that sounds absolutely hilarious! Any chance that you've got any photos of the menu?
Load More Replies...This was a sign I saw for smoothies in Japan. Do you want mango, banana, or Pain or a Flesh flavored smoothie? flesh-6020...0cdcdb.jpg
There is a restaurant one town over from me that categorizes the selections as "Steak," "Chicken," "Salads," "Desserts," and "Children Under 12."
One time at an asian restaurant, there was a whole page filled with just, "ASIAN RIBS" and then they had different prices. The funniest part is that the waiter explained after we asked about it. "That's just because we have different prices for each one." But that still makes NO SENSEEEEEEE
Way before the internet I travelled in India and stayed at a place where the menu included Chicken Bullet, Chicken Hens and Egg Cyloned Parrots...
#13 is a plant based ice cream store called "Frankie & Jo's". I have been there and don't remember having a hard time reading the menu.
I can just imagine Gordon Ramsay going to these places for one of his shows.
I bet most of these were made by family members considered "good at computers" because they're marginally better than say, mom & dad (whoever owns the restaurant).