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This Restaurant’s Signs Are So Funny, You’d Probably Come Back Just To Read Them (40 New Pics)
It’s a difficult task for any business to stand out in the modern world where nearly every owner has access to social media and a lot of them are competing over a limited number of customers. Things looked especially grim for the restaurant industry during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the going’s still tough for many places.
However, when you’ve struck gold with your marketing campaign, as one restaurant in Texas has, you can’t help but continue doing what you’re doing. After all, you don’t want to drastically change what works—you only improve on an already successful formula.
Welcome to the El Arroyo restaurant in Austin, an establishment that has won over the locals and the internet with its quirky and witty signs out front. Time and time again, they’ve had us laughing far louder than we’d care to admit. Have a look at El Arroyo’s newest brilliant signs, upvote your faves, and be sure to share ‘em with your friends if they’re looking a tad blue. Hungry for some more Tex-Mex hilarity? Then you’ll want a bite of what Bored Panda has cooked up about the restaurant’s sign game before here and here.
More info: ElArroyo.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
Brought to you by the Association of Introverts...although we don't associate much...at all.
RELATED:
#2
Lenka Smetanová 4 years ago
heyy!!! I telling this for some good of 5 years, that most probable cause of my death will be me, petting a cat... a really big stripped cat for example... :D
#3
SuperChicken 4 years ago
Or anything else that you need to get done right away, for that matter.
Erica Cochrane 4 years ago
people will not believe this, but i had a printer years ago that if you were rude to it it would stop working, but if you were nice, and told it it was a good printer, it would start working again. the moment you got annoyed for some reason, it would stop working. it was an odd printer.
Printerman 4 years ago
All printers built since the mid 1990's have a "critical detector" that, when it senses your job it critical, will cause the most likely component to fail. I thought this was known.
The El Arroyo restaurant has been delighting Texans with delicious food for nearly half a century. Founded way back in 1975, it has been “serving up Tex-Mex with a side of laughs” on their famous marquee sign ever since.
On its website, the restaurant boasts that it has covered “every food pun imaginable” over the years. El Arroyo doesn’t just rely on puns and quick laughs, however. It also uses its sign to dish out comments on current events (get ‘em while they’re hot!).
#4
Big Blue Cat 4 years ago
I just purchased a kilo of garlic. The locally produced garlic is rare (hard to grow in my country) and tastes like heaven so when it's available I'll buy in bulk.
Load More Replies... Serial pacifist 4 years ago
Let the cheese rain and soothe and caress your soul and your thighs!
PeachPossum 4 years ago
Did the same for Damn Delicious' Creamy Beef and Shells earlier this week. Ate the last of it for dinner last night. Now I'm sad it's all gone.
#5
Vic 4 years ago
We'll I'm aging like wine!! Not in a good way though, I'm not getting fine, just expensive. In my 20 backache was just a joke. Now it's an expensive trip to the doctors.
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Big Blue Cat 4 years ago
Basically the daily events and topics are about bowel movement. At least for my granny, till we can distract her and get her talking about her old memories.
Load More Replies... Skara Brae 4 years ago
It's all in the technique. I'm aging like cottage cheese. Pale and chunky.
#6
Vic 4 years ago (edited)
Oh no! Don't wish for that! I went there recently, the kids are mean. And I had to give MY candy to a kid!! What if it was from his bag, I grabbed it first!
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Perfumista Perfumista 4 years ago
Being an adult sucks. I want my juice, I want my cookie, I want my nap!
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Terry Tobias 4 years ago
I couldn't nap when I read a kid. Kindergarten was torture for me during naptime! When I hit about 16 and was really busy with high school and activities, I could fall asleep while doing homework on my bed without even trying. Now, naps are essential and I look forward to them!
Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago
i didn't... my mother tells me I napped every day after school until I was around 7!
The restaurant’s online presence has grown immensely recently. Back in April 2020, the last time Bored Panda wrote about El Arroyo’s wonderful signs, the establishment’s Instagram profile had 236k followers. A feat in itself! Things have only gotten better since then.
Throughout the pandemic, El Arroyo’s following has grown to a whopping 489k followers on IG, showing that humor really is a powerful force when it comes to getting fans. Who doesn’t love a good laugh when things seem so scary? The humorous signs help take our minds off things. Even if for a few minutes.
#7
HardTruths 4 years ago
One's mom's grandkids may not be one's kids, depending on complexity of marriage status, past and present.
#8
Toast Of Saint Louis 4 years ago
I have that issue too but I'm not gonna teach my face to use its inner voice.
Paulette Borg 4 years ago
OH! That's the class I have to take! (even behind this dam face diaper)
#9
Terry Tobias 4 years ago
If I don't take a nap, the rest of the day feels completely off. It doesn't matter what time time I get up, I start to get anxious around 3:00pm because I NEED my nap!
El Arroyo is very friendly to its fans. For instance, the staff encourages customers and internet followers alike to submit their own sign suggestions. You can do this on the restaurant’s website. Or, if you prefer, you can email them directly at submissions@elarroyo.com. Honestly, I’d feel like I’ve won the lottery if any of my suggestions got picked by them. If you’ve got any food puns or witty comments about recent events, why not give it a shot and send them a submission?
#10
troufaki13 4 years ago
Calories are those little creatures that shrink your clothes in the night
Vicky Z 4 years ago
In that case, if i eat something i didn't like then the calories shouldn't count right?
Boudica 4 years ago
Exactly, and it's the same if you eat with your eyes closed 😀
Load More Replies... Big Blue Cat 4 years ago
This is perfect, I'm going to start using this (translated to my language)
WholesomeArmyweeb 4 years ago (edited)
To quote Kim Seokjin! “If it tasted good it had no calories!”
#11
Vic 4 years ago
"I must eat healthy" is a thought that appears when grocery shopping and disappears when cooking..
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
Finally someone understands how there is nothing to eat after grocery shopping
marie elle 4 years ago
I am so proud if I don't by chocolate in the store and at home I am crying AND confused who has been so cruel. And I have plans: "You know yourself, next time, you just take it and put it in the basket". Luckily I have kids who know meself better than me...
Fred Burrows 4 years ago
The me that cooks is the shopper that appears just before a dangerous weather event .
#12
Fred Burrows 4 years ago
I save a lot of money with my pantsless weekends cause I have to stay in
Raven DeathShade 4 years ago
I'm always exhausted lately, don't know why. I go to sleep at midnight, get a full 8 hours of sleep. And always I end up passing out sometime during the day.
The couple behind El Arroyo are Ellis and Paige Winstanley who have owned and operated the Austin restaurant since 2012. They told ‘Austin Monthly’ that the famous sign “had a lot of issues” when they first arrived.
#13
Marvin HoG 4 years ago
I'm going to use this someday and since our boss prefers text he'll just assume it was a typo and I'm on the pot all day when in fact I'll be on the sauce all day
#14
Raven DeathShade 4 years ago (edited)
I feel like one cat (James Bond) would text me over and over with something like "I love you". "Hey, renember I love you?" "Just checking in in case you forgot... I love you." Another, Mars, would definitely ignore me. And the last text sent from Mr. Egypt's text list would be "You were always my favorite human. Thank you for feeding me so much in the last year, I really needed it. But I will leave you soon. Don't worry; I'll be with you always."
#15
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
But inside was expensive, too - I am sure Amazon lit a candle everytime I came online...
Curry on... 4 years ago
i often say I stay in because it costs me money every time I open my front door.
“Pissed-off people were calling regularly about its messaging back then. So, we tried to do two things: Harness a voice that toes the line between uplifting, snarky, and of-the-moment, and lean into the social media side of things. These days, we have more than 660,000 followers across all our platforms,” Paige told ‘Austin Monthly.’
#16
JustAnother Soul 4 years ago
Weirdos everywhere I look, weird has become the norm and normality is weird.
#17
Carmen Sandiego 4 years ago
We are cheese people. Cheddar runs through our veins.
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Suzanne Clark 4 years ago
Why is it you can never find anything in the refrigerator you want to eat, and you're the person who bought all the stuff that's in there?
#18
Gin. No tonic 4 years ago
Yes! But let's do it overmorrow! Or the day after overmorrow. Or a bit later... But definitely let's unite!
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Tomorrow? Why are you putting such a sense of urgency to it? Next year, maybe, or the year after.
“Unless it’s a public figure who really asks for it, we want it to be a beacon of genuine love for the spirit of Austin. We stay on top of current events, too. You wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve come up with quips on a text chain where we’re just spitballing [...] and, 30 minutes later, it’s up,” Ellis said.
#19
Kenzi Darwish 4 years ago
I once got called fat by a random five year old girl at the pool, ruined my weel
Ivy la Sangrienta 4 years ago
There's a portrait of his mother he did as a teenager. It's actually really good, very un-picassoesque, if that makes any sense.
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Terilee Bruyere 4 years ago
I recently got one of those. Me, the family dog, and a fish (done by my daughter and all surrounding a big heart). Her brother was rather annoyed at being a step below a robotic fish..
Raven DeathShade 4 years ago
When I was 10 or 11, I drew a picture about who I love most. I think it went God, my cat, my parents, my friends, and my siblings.
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Beatrice Multhaupt 4 years ago
I did portraits professionally for a while. ONLY children like what they see. Their sense of self has not yet been poisoned by society's expectations.
#20
Sky Render 4 years ago
But what if you prefer Bulldog? Nobody hears that and thinks "Worcestershire".
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Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
Think or #3 like this: Woostershire Sauce—-that’s NOT a misspelling.
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
Such a sesquipedalian thing to say. I also believe that those in favor of antidisestablishmentarianism will never admit that they are wrong.
Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago (edited)
3. is easy, really.... "Wooster-sure" sauce... (Trust me, I live in the land of origin of this sauce... there are so many place names that are pronounced nothing like how they are spelled here. The locals enjoy listening to foreigners attempt to ask for directions to those places...)
#21
Mazer 4 years ago
Not in my world. Best part about adulthood is being able to drive and learning what I want without pressure to either excel at it or to have to learn subjects at someone else’s pace by someone else’s rules. I am still very much a kid at heart
Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago (edited)
And the pressure of having to write papers on time and take those pesky exams. So many subjects I want to do this with.
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John Baker 4 years ago
When we were kids, we couldn't wait to grow up. What the hell were we thinking? :-)
The couple took an innovative approach to weather the Covid-19 pandemic and help keep their employees afloat. At the start of the lockdowns, they took a risk with to-go margaritas (all helped by their sign that said, “Now would be a good time to legalize margarita delivery”) which was very successful and resonated with a lot of the locals.
#22
Midge biscuit 4 years ago
This reminds me of an awesome t-shirt I saw: "It's not a dad bod it's a father figure."
#23
Gin. No tonic 4 years ago
Him: how is it possible that your.. ME: YOU'RE *reads 'till the end* ARHHHH!!!
#24
Printerman 4 years ago
Wish everyone felt this way. (Y'know, long as it's hot hurting anyone.)
According to the National Restaurant Association in the US, the pandemic erased 3.1 million jobs by the end of 2020 from what the numbers were expected to be. Over 110k American eating and drinking establishments closed their doors in 2020 (whether permanently or temporarily). Overall, the restaurant and foodservice industry sales fell by a whopping 240 billion dollars last year.
#25
#26
Nothanks L. Walk 4 years ago
Leaving the door wiiiiiide open for your boss to say "oh we had to let someone go, it was very touching ceremony, but the person was late so they missed the cake"
#27
Beck(formerly Becca/Gizmo sq) 4 years ago
My 10 year old niece used this word today. She was talking about all the kittens my cat had. I was shocked she knew that word.
Debi Gallagher 4 years ago
It means lots and lots and lots of any one thing. Look it up, it won't be such a childish definition as mine!!
We can’t be certain of the full effects that the pandemic has had on the restaurant industry until much, much later, as the global crisis still hasn’t been wrangled and the stats are still pouring in. However, from what we know, it was hard going for a long while.
#28
Pearl 4 years ago
He does his own thing. Weather doesn't care about what other people want him to do.
Oerff On Tour 4 years ago
The Met-office clerk is to blame. He often forgets to send the forecast to the Weather Gods. As they don't have the order, they have to think of giving something.
Hilary Mol 4 years ago
That's Michigan. Winter one day and Summer the next, with a little bit of Spring in between. This is a horrible state for those who get migraines triggered by major weather changes.
#29
Sylvanticx 4 years ago
That's my motto! Sometimes i make stupid decisions partially bc it will make other people laugh. walking through poison oak so i can climb a tree to get closer to a bee hive, but the bark was rotton so i fell backwards into the poison oak and hit my head? fuuunnnnn
#30
In short, it’ll take a while to see how much the situation has changed for restaurants (hopefully, for the better) with the rollout of Covid vaccines and mass vaccination programs in the US and abroad. One thing’s for sure, though: putting up funny and creative signs like El Arroyo can’t hurt your chances of flourishing as a business.
#31
Terilee Bruyere 4 years ago
Not that it's needed, but there is an actual reason for this. Sleep talking and walking occurs in the stage 3 or deep sleep stage. Naps very rarely get to that point.
Paulette Borg 4 years ago
That's one my daughter should pass around to her all night co workers!
#32
troufaki13 4 years ago
It's even funnier in Greek because asphalt means, well, asphalt but also the one who makes no mistakes! :D (Angela Dimitriou you got it right girl!)
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
I would be happy with asphalt. In many cases, it is just gravel and thorny bushes on the way. Asphalt is a smooth ride.
Jess Thompson 4 years ago (edited)
Lmao I need to stop drinking boba tea while reading these 😂 💀
#33
Nothanks L. Walk 4 years ago
I'm curious... do bars have rules on biting and preschools have rules on groping?
#34
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
Then there will be Epsilon, etc, etc right through to Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Load More Replies... Fred Burrows 4 years ago
I arrive at functions late so I can get my car out easily when I leave early
Debi Gallagher 4 years ago
Oh my God, my life didn't change one little bit during isolation. I love isolation. No one couldn't say s**t about me not showing up for cookouts and other family events! The 2 things that changed were I could wear a face mask and latex gloves without looking like a freak!
Ryan Deschanel 4 years ago (edited)
Now, I will just have to use my former excuse : "I don't want to". Also I am in college, so I don't have time.
Nicola Roberts 4 years ago
I've decided the Flu season will play a bigger part in this year's excuses.
#35
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
Yes, let me give you a handout. Everyone wants one, they fly off the shelf, they sure are a flyer.
#36
Amy Jo Buchanan 4 years ago
Ric Flair doesn't say WOWWWW. he hollers WOOOOOOO!
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#37
SuperChicken 4 years ago
Can we just quit our job, regardless? When it's cold out and raining, especially - I call it the "bed weather," because I like to curl up in bed with a good book.
Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago
Also when you wake up in the morning and have to dig through a foot of snow just to get your car out so you can go to work. ❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄🥶😱
#38
Debi Gallagher 4 years ago
Ya, I wish I knew you can pick ur nose and ur friends, but u can't pick ur family.
#39
#40
François Carré 4 years ago (edited)
I was quite surprised as a boy, while I grew up and my body changed as well as I could see girls' bodies around me change, that what I'm attracted to in girls gradually evolved from that romantic "she's got so lovely eyes" to that creepy "OMG her tits and butt are just driving me crazy". Sorry about that, but I guess nature is smart, has some purpose and knows exactly how to drive us into it. But don't get me wrong, I am still attracted to pretty eyes all the same.
Skara Brae 4 years ago
"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." So butts must be attracted to you, too, or else the laws of physics are broken.
Auntriarch 4 years ago
True. I must have at least three other people's butts in addition to mine
Load More Replies... Sylvanticx 4 years ago
ngl i am a butt girl. and a boob girl. how about a face girl, your shayna punim is your most attractive feature. thigh girl.
Fred Burrows 4 years ago
Imagine if roses farted . And twerking looks like you trying to dislodge something .
#41
PeachPossum 4 years ago
My mom was a den mother. Much later she said camping with the boy scouts was like the campfire scene from Blazing Saddles.
Load More Replies... François Carré 4 years ago
That would be fun though. And allow us to cancel a lot of boring meetings.
#42
Mark Cleary 4 years ago
In case you don't know what condescending means, let me explain it to you,🤦♂️.............😉
#43
#44
#45
Ryan Deschanel 4 years ago
"Irony" is when you insult people and you blame them for feeling insulted.
#46
#47
#49
Nicola Roberts 4 years ago
We've still got time in the rest of the world.
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#51
#52
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
And how did LOTR become a great story? There was just a lot of Tolkien about it when it came out.
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
I've literally wondered if someone asks how her day is if she says "Been bouncing around. JK Rowling down the block"
Carmen Sandiego 4 years ago
If she doesn't that's a BIG missed opportunity.
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#54
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
Finding a parking spot is like going on a safari hoping to see that one albino zebra.
#55
#56
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
anyone else hearing "Chocolate, Vanilla, Rocky Road...Scoop there it is"
#58
#60
#61
#62
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
I love that we finally know a bit behind the punny sign AND Bored Panda boosted their digital presence. Panda Power!!!
Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago
If I EVER make it back to Dallas to visit my framily I am going to insist on making the very pretty drive to Austin for a weekend just to eat here. All weekend.
Sherri Harvey 4 years ago
Yay! My home town! When I worked in central Austin I loved driving by their sign daily. Yes, the food is great Tex Mex. great margaritas and staff. They also have books and merchandise with the best signs. No, I'm not affiliated with El Arroyo I'm just a middle aged Austinite
Thomas Gray 4 years ago
I love El Arroyo's signs. Is the food any good? I'll have to find out next time I'm in Austin.
Sherri Harvey 4 years ago
Yes, I'm a native Austinite and it's pretty darn good Tex Mex!
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Tess the ferret 4 years ago
Is it just my phone that has a one at the end of every comment, including mine? What does it mean?
Pearl 4 years ago
same for me too! Is this some new internet slang I didn't know about or is it a glitch??
Load More Replies... More Thinking Needed 4 years ago
These puns always remind me of Steven Wright. Can't get enough.
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
I love that we finally know a bit behind the punny sign AND Bored Panda boosted their digital presence. Panda Power!!!
Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago
If I EVER make it back to Dallas to visit my framily I am going to insist on making the very pretty drive to Austin for a weekend just to eat here. All weekend.
Sherri Harvey 4 years ago
Yay! My home town! When I worked in central Austin I loved driving by their sign daily. Yes, the food is great Tex Mex. great margaritas and staff. They also have books and merchandise with the best signs. No, I'm not affiliated with El Arroyo I'm just a middle aged Austinite
Thomas Gray 4 years ago
I love El Arroyo's signs. Is the food any good? I'll have to find out next time I'm in Austin.
Sherri Harvey 4 years ago
Yes, I'm a native Austinite and it's pretty darn good Tex Mex!
Load More Replies... Tess the ferret 4 years ago
Is it just my phone that has a one at the end of every comment, including mine? What does it mean?
Pearl 4 years ago
same for me too! Is this some new internet slang I didn't know about or is it a glitch??
Load More Replies... More Thinking Needed 4 years ago
These puns always remind me of Steven Wright. Can't get enough.
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