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Let me tell you, when your mashed potato gets served in a glass vase or your soup is poured in a stiletto, you’re at a crossroads. One one hand, you can call the absurdity out, complain to your waiter but don’t expect much. After all, if that restaurant is guilty of anything, then it’s trying hard to impress you. Another option is to ignore the serving and enjoy its content, but that would end in a strong longing for simple life where plates are a thing.

However, such try-hard food servings seem to be everywhere and it’s become impossible to ignore them. And the internet’s beloved project “We Want Plates” is a safe space to talk about hard things, aka the plate drought in restaurants.

According to their website, it’s “the global crusade against serving food on bits of wood and roof slates, chips in mugs and drinks in jam jars.” It’s also home to an impressive collection of some of the craziest, most wondrous, and ‘what is dat thing?’-kinda food servings people encountered.

Psst! More pics of, let’s be honest, barely edible craziness can be found in our previous posts with “We Want Plates” here, here and here.

More info: wewantplates.com | Reddit | Facebook | Instagram |Twitter

#1

Beautifully Plated, But Not A Plate, Not Even Over A Plate

Beautifully Plated, But Not A Plate, Not Even Over A Plate

MrMarkAhsac Report

#2

Got Sandy Feet As A Dessert

Got Sandy Feet As A Dessert

Texoe Report

#3

Caesar Salad Or Charlie Brown Christmas Tree?

Caesar Salad Or Charlie Brown Christmas Tree?

nonsonosvizzero Report

Getting your soup served in a stiletto is bonkers, no doubt about that. But have you noticed that those super fancy, very detailed, often bizarre food servings come from luxurious restaurants? I mean let’s be honest, your local Chinese takeaway couldn’t care less about putting that sweet & sour curry in anything other than a plastic container. Do you complain about them not being elaborate enough? Well, probably not. So why, then, is it so frustrating when restaurants are genuinely trying to stand out and make us impressed? Now this is some food for thought.

#4

First Patio Since Covid And This Is What I Get. I Told The Owner I Was Going To Post On This Sub And He Said He Would Bring Me The Sandwich On A Plate Next Time If This Post Blows Up

First Patio Since Covid And This Is What I Get. I Told The Owner I Was Going To Post On This Sub And He Said He Would Bring Me The Sandwich On A Plate Next Time If This Post Blows Up

entrepreneurialCan Report

#5

Chocolate "Horse Turd" Truffles On A Manure Fork. Just No

Chocolate "Horse Turd" Truffles On A Manure Fork. Just No

pacingpilot Report

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blbrightonoswin_1 avatar
Brian Bennett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This establishment is next to a race track - Waste not want not! (please want not!)

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#6

Can You Spot My Lamb Chop?

Can You Spot My Lamb Chop?

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vickyz avatar
Vicky Z
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here we see a lamb in its natural environment (with David Attenborough's voice)

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Fancy restaurants are also notorious for serving small portions. A walnut-sized piece of cod, anyone?! But if we take a closer look at this common phenomenon, we may find some solid reasons why restaurants do that. First, it’s the pricing of the ingredients. The more high-priced ingredients they use for the dish, the more expensive the dish will be. Moreover, small portions can reduce costs for purchasing ingredients. As a result, less money gets wasted, adding to a higher profit margin for a restaurant.

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#8

Whats Up With All Of This Food On Your Hand Trend?

Whats Up With All Of This Food On Your Hand Trend?

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Rhea.S🤍
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No..no..you can't always be sure your hands are 100% clean just use a plate..plus sticky fingers 😣

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#9

My Cocktail Came In A Box

My Cocktail Came In A Box

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The second reason is that eating at a fancy restaurant is about savoring every bite. Food served in smaller portions will help you relish and savor every bite. This is part of the experience and so it’s defo not for the hangover-induced munchies.

Moreover, smaller portion sizes are said to lead to a better customer experience. Because the truth is, by the time you sit down and finish your substantial meal, you really don’t get the full dining experience. A large portion does a great job at filling up your stomach, but fine dining is not just about that. It’s giving those taste buds a well-deserved workout and it’s all about being in the moment.

#11

So I Went To Alinea This Weekend

So I Went To Alinea This Weekend

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KJ
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did the waiter / waitress trip coming to the table?

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Billy Beecham
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the crap people think is cool and worth the high price?

klynch4 avatar
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sorry if you are eating at Alinea you should expect bizarre, over-the-top plating. At Alinea you are shelling out the "big bucks" for an interactive food experience at the 15th best restaurant in the world . Totally not my thing, but I suppose there are some people out there who have the money to have a Jackson-Pollock style dinner.

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C. Wade
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom used to yell at me for squirting ketchup on the kitchen floor and eat it with my fingers when I was 3. Oh, how we came full circle.

carolyngerbrands avatar
Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would walk out. This is outrageous and pisses me off on a huge level I can't even explain. Friggin idiots chucking food on a table and thinking it's cool and then those moron customers even paying for this sh!t. I'm so furious..

lynarnold avatar
Lyn Arnold
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People who go to Alinea know exactly what they are going to get. It's an incredibly famous, expensive restaurant and reservations are months out. I know it's nuts, but patrons pay for the experience.

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momnorth avatar
Must Be Bored Again
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is there any food actually on there to consume, because all I see is a bunch of different colored sauces and berries sprinkled around them?

iliketrains avatar
I like trains
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NOW THIS, this is a great date food. Just think about licking this mess up, very sensually infront of your long time crush. Showing them you' re a real animal right away. Just horrible....

rpder3737 avatar
Felix Feline
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like a snot rocket festival with a side of bloody vomit.

ljamie04 avatar
Hollysmom
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why in the hell, besides being pretentious and wasting tons of money, would anyone eat here?

sarahwolcheski avatar
wickbits
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I *had* to google - it costs $450 a head to eat here. I'd expect more from dessert than a shared smear.

blbrightonoswin_1 avatar
Brian Bennett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well this dude ain't going there - looks like my little brothers hgh ichair tray when he was learning to feed himself!

spazmops19 avatar
Logic and Reason
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well yeah; it’s Alinea. They’ve had a dish that’s a balloon made of sugar that actually floats. Normally I find this sort of food preparation pretentious, but Alinea is artistry.

squee1000 avatar
Laura
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that's when you call the server over, and tell them to clean your table and bring your food on a plate

jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is that a paper tablecloth? That's not sanitary. None of this is sanitary!

patriciahealton avatar
Patricia Healton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why would you even start eating that? I would have immediately asked for plates.

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The photos are making it look very tempting. https://www.yelp.com/biz/alinea-chicago

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This chef is highly regarded. I'd be interested. You never know.

klynch4 avatar
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why I'm so confused at posts like this. You're eating at Alinea-- an experimental restaurant that pushes the boundaries between food and performance art. You know that you're know what you're getting into when you shell out hundreds of dollars to eat at a place like this.

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Cassidy ChillRose
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Finger painting for adults, I'd say. This makes the kids seem like the pinnacle of neatness!

mayrenechester avatar
Mayrene Chester
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How did they serve this? Did the Chef do the art right at the table?

giulia-arrigoni21 avatar
Emmydearest
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If they placed a big plexiglass tablet on the table and then squirted the Pollockian dessert all over it, it wouldn't have been that bad. But directly on the tablecloth? 🤢

hya40 avatar
Deja Katz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Alina “conceptualists” must be guffawing down their sleeves at idiots paying over the odds to eat a pack of supermarket blueberries and half pint of icecream smooshed across a tabletop. They know they could literally get their patrons to eat steak tartare off the restaurant toilet floor if they set the price high enough.

jacquelynplace avatar
Mya Lugar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ya'll should collectively pain an art piece on the table with the sauces and berries, the get up en mass and walk out. Unless THAT's your thing, of course.

robertocarlosvalerio avatar
velocirrober
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And when they leave, the staff cleans the table with the same damp rag they use to clean the rest of the tables.

sofiemsalklint avatar
Sofie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How odd. Looks like a bunch of toddlers did that mess. Are you supposed to lick that off or what? 😅

rstone avatar
Bexxxxx
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you weren’t used to first world ways of serving food, this wouldn’t be bad. It’s just a big flat area? So many of our opinions are based on culture.

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#13

Friend's Mother Went To A Restaurant And Got A Glass Of Pasta! Upside Down!

Friend's Mother Went To A Restaurant And Got A Glass Of Pasta! Upside Down!

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#14

Nachos On A Rusty Bin Lid

Nachos On A Rusty Bin Lid

mrwringe Report

#15

Especially In This Times, Don't Want To Eat From One Table With Like 10 Other People

Especially In This Times, Don't Want To Eat From One Table With Like 10 Other People

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#17

Gravy In A Urinal

Gravy In A Urinal

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Mad Dragon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not a restaurant. This is someone’s house, and I’m betting this was some sort of family joke.

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#18

Uhm.. How Do I Drink It..?

Uhm.. How Do I Drink It..?

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KJ
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Put your mouth at the edge of the table and hope some of it runs in your direction.

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#19

Please Take A Charcuterie And Have A Seat

Please Take A Charcuterie And Have A Seat

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#21

A Friend Ordered Tiramisu In Scotland. Why Sugar The Lid?

A Friend Ordered Tiramisu In Scotland. Why Sugar The Lid?

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#22

I Just Thought You Guys Were No Fun, But I Get It Now….

I Just Thought You Guys Were No Fun, But I Get It Now….

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#23

The Sauce Was Dripping From The Holes

The Sauce Was Dripping From The Holes

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TahJia Williams
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

because you're taking to long to eat it. once you receive it, you're suppose to shove it in your mouth hole and breathe in real fast to swallow.. psh nuubs

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#24

At A 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant

At A 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant

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#25

Served In An Ashtray

Served In An Ashtray

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Vicky Zar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well.... if you think just about the material and not what you associate this particular shape with... than it is quite all right. You can wash and even sanitize it. Better than other things on this list

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#26

Saw This On Instagram And It Sent Me Into A Fit Of Rage

Saw This On Instagram And It Sent Me Into A Fit Of Rage

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#28

Venison Cubes On A Deer Antler (Was Actually Incredible)

Venison Cubes On A Deer Antler (Was Actually Incredible)

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#29

Syrup Kept Spilling Over

Syrup Kept Spilling Over

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Vicky Z
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You remove everything and chase with the board whoever is responsible for this monstrosity

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#30

Please Feed Me Too

Please Feed Me Too

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Note: this post originally had 62 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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