An Infuriating Collection Of Times Restaurants Used Anything But Plates

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Aug 31, 2022 3:30 PM EDT

It's a tale as old as gentrification: when you rock up to a restaurant with a certain kind of… ambience, you don't expect your meal to be served up on a traditional kind of crockery. It's hard to put a finger on when it became the standard for chefs to experiment with what they choose to serve their creations on, but nowadays it seems like you're just as likely to be blindsided at your local mom 'n' pop place as you are an establishment vying for a Michelin star.

While this might be a common phenomenon, it's not a popular one. Appearance can be an important part of the eating out experience, but more important is that you're able to eat your meal without having to do a load of nerve-wracking cutlery Jenga.

It has to be said, some of the options on this list are kinda cute. For the most part, though, anything involving garnish, sauce, or a lot of little pieces that are meant to find their way into your mouth and not the floor need to be in a proper container. We'd kill for the appearance of a low bowl right now.