30 Majorly messy meals that really needed plates

Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor

Jul 31, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

Restaurants love to be hip and trendy, but at what cost?

There are two types of people: those who photograph their every meal, and those who just eat the food. Food bloggers and amateur photographers alike love to snap pictures of what they're dining on, and post photos to their socials for the whole world to admire. However, it's not exactly original to post just a plain old hamburger. No, your followers want to see you eat the weirdest stuff, it must be eye catching. That's the only reason I can fathom why these restaurants decided it's okay to skip out on plates, and instead have their customers eat off shovels and rocks.

I really enjoy creative plating, but it should at least match the viscosity of the food you're chowing down on. For example, ice cream gets melty, and anyone over the age of 5 can tell you it should go in a bowl. Common sense seems to go out the window for some restaurants — they're really serving up ice cream on flat slabs. One place even put numerous scoops of ice cream in a "flight" on a flat surface. I can't begin to imagine how the waitstaff and bussers must feel about tables who leave half eaten ice cream. It must drip everywhere! If you do work at a trendy Instagram-able place, keep the faith — these trends won't last forever.

Up next, this woman was so annoyed at a hotel clerk that she tried to get her fired, but the clerk had a great idea for how to deal with the customer.

01
This brewery decided to re-use their can carriers and turn them into appetizer plates

via u/hngr4thegr8light
02
I am physically angered at this "ice cream flight"

via u/consumewithme
03
It's a cute girl dinner, but it's awfully delicate

via u/Valuable_Formal7
04
Would you eat food off a literal rock?

via u/Wizards96
05
I'm going to give you a ticket for crimes against grilled cheeses

via u/not_my_redd
06
"How much hummus would you like?" "One trowel-ful"

via u/BrilliantPotato7676

As a side note, I saw at least five different posts of this hummus-trowel dish posted on the subreddit. So this restaurant must be ticking their customers off on the daily with this rather unappetizing plating.
07
OP reports that these would not stop tipping over while eating

via u/Lady_Luci_fer
08
This salad... she is not cute

via u/HCTIBsdnahdnomaid
09
No plate for this diner, just a scratched up old cooking pan

via u/bahlahkee
10
None of these food items are in the correct container

via u/pilotlight
11
Drippy burger on porous surface that can never be fully cleaned...big ick

via u/alettuceslice
12
Imagine ordering fish sticks and getting this

via u/digauss
13
OP says this is called "The Feedbag Shovel"

via u/pabupaybe

They said it's an "abomination." Understandable.
14
Inconvenient way to serve these french fries

via u/Front_Pickle_7342
15
Raw broccoli for $14? That's just wrong

via u/mymindisanenigma420
16
Charcuterie drawer

via u/Nova_343
17
This French meal looks like when you're too tired to wash more dishes, so you just eat over the sink straight from the pot you cooked in

via u/gregthesailor
18
What in tarnation?

via u/davidpye
19
These diners got served Kaya toast on a scale (???)

via u/overthinkingit91
20
Runny eggs on a flat surface?

via u/ca2mt
21
If only there were a flat surface large enough for these two pretzels...

via u/increasinglywindy

Oh wait, the flower pot is sitting on it.
22
Ice cream but make it literal ice

via u/dangerousflipper
23
No way that plastic is food-safe

via u/lekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
24
When you say you want to meet Barbie, but instead...

via r/WeWantPlates
25
The dish washers are quitting their jobs right about now

via u/TeishAH
26
I regret to inform you that that's a mug of scrambled eggs

via u/youngmase
27
I draw the line at the dust pan

via u/eikenprocessierupsie
28
Food made for the 'gram is rarely practical

via u/D3T3KT
29
They're expected to eat steak with wooden utensils? Yikes

via u/DizzyFoundation
30
These diners were served their food on a long plank, even though they only ordered 16 pieces of sushi

via u/Dinopyro