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What’s important is the quality of the food, not what it’s served on. Right? Wrong! Sometimes, when you’re at a fancy restaurant, waiters serve your meal on such weird things and in such strange food containers that you pay more attention to them than your dinner. Those are the times that it’s acceptable to bombard your friends with pictures of your food, instead of eating it.

There’s a whole community of regular people and dedicated foodies who have banded together to form the online group ‘We Want Plates.’ Their mission is all in their name — they want restaurants serving food on actual plates, not on “bits of wood and roof tiles, chips in mugs and drinks in jam jars.” This is an internet community that loathes hipster things and trends, and “crusades” for the right to have their food brought to them on plates, as Mother Nature intended.

Keep scrolling and let us know in the comments what bad designs of food serving you found to be the most amusing. Let us know if you’ve seen something even weirder! Remember to upvote the worst food serving designs and ideas and share them with your friends. And after you’re done, have a look at Bored Panda’s other lists about restaurants that have gone too far with food serving and trying to impress customers too hard. Some of these eateries are beyond saving, don’t you think?

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

#1

Self-Aware Absurdity? Apple Pastry Desert Served On An Image Of A Plate.... On An iPad

Self-Aware Absurdity? Apple Pastry Desert Served On An Image Of A Plate.... On An iPad

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    #2

    A Meringue Served On A Magnetically Levitated Pillow

    A Meringue Served On A Magnetically Levitated Pillow

    It took over 5 minutes for them to get the pillow to hover. I nearly fell asleep.

    Couldnt_think_of_a , essjay2009 Report

    Bored Panda reached out to Ross McGinnes, the founder of the ‘We Want Plates’ community: “I started the campaign in 2015 after a friend posted a picture of an average-sized steak on Facebook, which had been served to him on a large chopping board. It was captioned, unironically, "That is a big meal!" It wasn't a big meal — he'd fallen for all this style-over-content hipster gastropub nonsense. I searched Twitter for an account which would allow me to vent my spleen with like-minded people, but found nothing. We Want Plates was born. Four years later we have over 150,000 followers on Twitter, and three quarters of a million across all social media platforms.”

    McGinnes noted that some restaurants put food on strange things, because they want to try to stand out from the crowd. “My local pub used to do a great Sunday roast: twelve quid, piled high, tasted great and yes, it came on a plate. One weekend they added a quirky offering to the menu: little sandwiches, pies, dainty cakes and mini milkshakes served on a miniature picnic bench. The benches, painted bright pink and yellow, sat on top of tables seating actual grown adults. And what was the first thing these infantilized diners did? It wasn’t try the food — it was whip out their phones and take a picture.”

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    #4

    Cheese Foam That Is Spooned Onto The Back Of Your Hand By The Waiter And Then You Have To Lick It Off

    Cheese Foam That Is Spooned Onto The Back Of Your Hand By The Waiter And Then You Have To Lick It Off

    prisongovernor Report

    “Over the following months the picnic benches became increasingly popular, coinciding with the specials board becoming progressively smaller, before it eventually disappeared altogether. I sat there one Sunday, watching bench after garish bench emerge from the kitchen like a technicolor carnival of idiocy, before my usual roast arrived. The meat was cold and the potatoes were burnt. It was once their main Sunday trade, but the traditional roast had died an unpalatable death. But that’s OK because they were doing a roaring trade with the benches, right?  Sure, until the pub down the road started doing them too. Then the one around the corner. Before you know it, everyone’s doing the same ‘quirky’ thing, except it’s not ‘quirky’ any more because you can’t move for mini picnic benches and now all their roast dinners are rubbish to boot.”

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    The creator of ‘We Want Plates’ listed how there are plenty of examples of food served on bizarre things, such as beef Wellington on barbed wire, tempura in a shoe, sandwiches in a phone box, and a chutney cupboard. “The worst I've encountered personally was when I was served a piece of cake on a table tennis bat in Barcelona around 2008. It still gives me sleepless nights.”

    #5

    So These Motherf**** Actually Gave Me A Plate... Upside Down

    So These Motherf**** Actually Gave Me A Plate... Upside Down

    Jotapeme Report

    #6

    "I Put Fries In An Enclosed Bowl So They Steam And Get Soggy" - Some Prick Cook

    "I Put Fries In An Enclosed Bowl So They Steam And Get Soggy" - Some Prick Cook

    reddit.com Report

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    POST
    Koalamonster
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So you shove it all in there and don't give them a plate so they can actually eat it? Just... that's just annoying. At least with some of the other nonsense you don't have to excavate layers of food.

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    The ‘We Want Plates’ community is very popular in the internet realm. Nearly 95,000 people follow the group on Facebook, another 20,000 on Instagram, and almost 156,000 on Twitter; while the plate-lovers’ subreddit has more than 509,000 members.

    Lesley Lassiter from the Nashville Scene wonders whether the only reason restaurants put so much effort in presenting food is that the owners want to get popular online and get more customers. Naturally, this backfires more often than not because the presentation is impractical and just plain bizarre. There’s also the added question of money: do restaurants jack up their prices just because they spent an inordinate amount of cash on random things for serving food on?

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    The next time you’re out for dinner with your friends at your local artsy restaurant, watch their reactions when everything leaves the kitchen served on twigs, logs, and leaves. If your friends’ eyes light up and they start posting photos online, they might just be a ‘We Want Plates’ enthusiast.

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    #9

    My Boyfriend Was Just Served A Bloody Mary In A Fry Basket

    My Boyfriend Was Just Served A Bloody Mary In A Fry Basket

    I_Crush_Your_Head Report

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    Neon Petra
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That looks really, really unappetising. In a fry basket would look cool, but guys... it's a liquid. Let it stay in a glass.

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    #10

    Ravioli On A Clothesline, As You Do

    Ravioli On A Clothesline, As You Do

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    #11

    Curry On A Chopping Board

    Curry On A Chopping Board

    skelto Report

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    wandile dludlu
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It would have made better sense to have the rice on the board and curry in the bowl

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    #12

    It Has A Plate... But Still

    It Has A Plate... But Still

    Realwomprat Report

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    #13

    This Dessert Trend Needs To Stop

    This Dessert Trend Needs To Stop

    ochad Report

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    nanashi
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can't even begin to think how to consume those without making a mess

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    #15

    This Is The Most Awful Thing Ever. Broccoli Impaled On A Metal... Thing?

    This Is The Most Awful Thing Ever. Broccoli Impaled On A Metal... Thing?

    juangutip Report

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    Lenka Fedor
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think it supposed to be a tree. Like from the Lord of the rings. :) :) :)

    Max L.
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    if that's cooked over that - piece of dismantled high power cable - looks cool. What Im sorry for the restaurant and glad for the person who had the idea, that probably didn't cost a dime.

    Ruby
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If only the broccoli plant resembled a tree on its own...

    okpkpkp
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My tastebuds have changed and I no longer care for broccoli. I told my wife it gets my stomach all bad. She doesn't believe me but she lets me get away with not eating it. Yes, I'm a 65-year-old kid.

    Stimpy
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well I guess it was supposed to look like a tree. May not have worked that well, but I don't get why it's "the most awful thing ever"?

    RaroaRaroa
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cold brocolli would be close to the worst. It's not staying warm on that thing. :-D

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    Steven Meyer
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It looks like it’s copper, I don’t think you should be eating anything off of Copper

    nikki ty
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ouch! I'm feeling "interspecies empathy" ... at least I treat my broccoli with respect. Nicely cut with butter and a dash of Parmesan and reclining attractively on a ... PLATE!

    brandon sat
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i thought it was one of those head massagers at first glance https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Hand-Scalp-Massager-Colors/dp/B003NTELC8/ref=asc_df_B003NTELC8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241947247648&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15602161746693340142&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028267&hvtargid=pla-478543936927&psc=1

    Kenny Kulbiski
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Soak it in lighter fluid, set it on fire, and you have a nice flaming centerpiece. It's the only thing broccoli should be used for.

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    #16

    Self Cleaning Bowl

    Self Cleaning Bowl

    WeWantPlates Report

    #19

    Raspberry Ice Cream On A Twig, In A Hole Drilled Into A Rock

    Raspberry Ice Cream On A Twig, In A Hole Drilled Into A Rock

    neo3237 Report

    #20

    Love It When Sand Gets In My Soup

    Love It When Sand Gets In My Soup

    WeWantPlates Report

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    POST
    Neon Petra
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who thought this would be a good idea? The soup looks like vomit and the sand looks like that stuff they use to clean up vomit with.

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    #22

    My Parents Sent Me This Picture From Their Vacation In Italy

    My Parents Sent Me This Picture From Their Vacation In Italy

    MajesticHoneydew Report

    #24

    My Wife's Cocktail Was Served In A Hollow Stone And Had To Be Drunk Through The Hole, Without A Straw

    My Wife's Cocktail Was Served In A Hollow Stone And Had To Be Drunk Through The Hole, Without A Straw

    MrMagicMoves Report

    #27

    Our Appetizer In A Shoe. They Refused My Request To Try It On Or Take It Home.

    Our Appetizer In A Shoe. They Refused My Request To Try It On Or Take It Home.

    adullploy Report

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    Rinpai
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the most insulting thing is that they think 3 tots is enough for a serving.

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    #28

    Horrifying

    Horrifying

    TheBeatles2 Report

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    Valerie Lessard
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    this is one of those tiny portion restaurants where you're supposed to eat at home first

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    #29

    Someone I Know Got Her Food On Some Kind Of Bone

    Someone I Know Got Her Food On Some Kind Of Bone

    tsjoepvdv Report

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    Koalamonster
    Community Member
    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want to know what kind of bone that is!!! Also if it's easy to clean/ sanitize.... but mostly what it came out of.

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    #30

    Literaly 6 Nachos For The Whole Table

    Literaly 6 Nachos For The Whole Table

    mmonzeob Report

    Note: this post originally had 88 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.