Forget a basic menu and a reliable meal.
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The United States has too many creative entrepreneurs and restaurateurs for you to skip out on its most imaginative eateries. From New York City to small towns in Missouri, the US is chock-full of restaurants that push the limits when it comes to concept, dishes, and atmosphere.
From Sci-Fi dine-ins to secretive rooftop restaurants to meals that come with insults as side dishes, these are the most memorable and weird restaurants in the US open today.
First up: let’s start with the craziest restaurant chains serving Americans.
Weird restaurants in the US 101
- Dick’s Last Resort (multiple locations)
- Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament (multiple locations)
- Dinner in the Sky, Las Vegas
- Casa Bonita, Lakewood
- Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, San Francisco
- The Mai-Kai, Fort Lauderdale
- Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas
- Muriel’s, New Orleans
- Captain Tony’s Saloon, Key West
- Ardy & Ed’s Drive In, Oshkosh
Weird restaurants in the US that you’ll want to eat at
Dick’s Last Resort (13 locations around the US)
Who knew diners would seek out a restaurant that offers ‘purposefully bad service’? Started in Dallas, Texas in 1985 with the hopes of annoying the bejeesus out its patrons, Dick’s Last Resort is an American-style restaurant chain where servers are encouraged to insult patrons.
Just walk in the door, and while you’re waiting to be seated, your waiter will scribble sweet little mockeries on a paper hat that you get to wear.
Medieval Times (multiple locations)
No, this isn’t a crazy dinner show from the Vegas Strip. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament has ten locations open across the US and Canada. The premise is exactly like the name suggests: you purchase tickets for a Medieval-style dinner that you enjoy while live jousting, sword fights, and other royal court intrigue play out on the grand stage in front of you.
Dinner in the Sky (multiple locations)
From devious Belgian minds comes this novelty restaurant concept: lock patrons into rollercoaster-style seats attached to a crane, then hoist them 150 feet into the air where they’ll eat a three-course meal. The only Dinner in the Sky experience located in the US can be found in Las Vegas, offering a bird’s eye view of the Las Vegas Strip and skyline. However, I’ve read reports that this location has since shut down, so keep a lookout for other locations when you travel, from Punta Cana to Athenes.
Casa Bonita, Lakewood
Bright pink, layered with funky design elements, and home to delicious Tex-Mex and Mexican fare, Casa Bonita is a great starting point if you’re new to weird restaurants. It’s a project that was renovated and taken to the next level by South Park creators, meaning it’s colorful and irreverent.
While you order and wait for your food, you’ll be taken on a journey of surprising finds—from the 85-foot pink tower to the 30-foot waterfall to the puppet shows. Expect Mariachi bands, too.
Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, San Francisco
Similar to Casa Bonita, the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar inside the Fairmont San Francisco is a masterful introduction to odd eateries. This one comes with an added dose of history, as it’s been open since 1945 and is cruising toward its centennial birthday. Think: artificial rainstorms set inside an upscale, lush tiki bar-turned-restaurant.
The Mai-Kai, Fort Lauderdale
Just ten years after the Tonga Room opened inside the Fairmont, another tiki-inspired restaurant opened in Fort Lauderdale. This one is an official Grand Polynesian Palace of Tiki, meaning the shows, drinks, and ambiance that you enjoy aren’t just based on kitschy interests.
They’re inspired by the real-life tiki tastes of Don the Beachcomber, a famous American entertainer and entrepreneur, and Polynesian culture. In 2015, it was named ‘best tiki bar in the world’ by Critiki.
Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas
Welcome to one of the scariest concepts in themed restaurants: one that comes with a deliberately unhealthy menu and one that doles out paddle-spanking to those who don’t finish their meals.
Would it help if I told you the restaurant comes with dishes like ‘Flatliner Fries’ and ‘Octuple Bypass Hamburgers’? Don’t forget about the candy cigarettes for the kids and the unfiltered cigarettes for the adults.
Muriel’s, New Orleans
New Orleans isn’t short on great restaurants, but don’t forget to pay a visit to Muriel’s. At this casual fine-dining restaurant, you’ll be able to order Cajun and Creole specialties set inside a historic building.
Just mind the empty table that’s dressed daily but never open to customers; that’s where the previous owner’s ghost likes to hang out. His name is Pierre. Don’t ask how he died.
Captain Tony’s Saloon, Key West
Speaking of ghosts, if you’re into dining alongside the specters of yore and have a love of pirate history, head to Captain Tony’s Saloon in Key West. This nondescript, dive bar-style drinking house is named after Captain Tony, a character and former mayor of Key West.
But the grounds have played host to many nefarious activities, from serving as a bordello to an illegal gambling hall. But it’s the tree that grows through the roof that should catch your attention. According to legends, almost two dozen were hanged from the tree during the era of piracy centuries ago.
Ardy & Ed’s Drive In, Oshkosh
A famous restaurant in Oshkosh, this drive-in has been open since 1948—and the menu hasn’t changed much since then. (If it’s not broken…) Just like you would in the 1950s or 60s, you can order burgers, fries, and other American fare straight to your car. It’s delivered by roller-skating car-hops as Oldies play on the loudspeaker.
