Ever walked into a restaurant and thought, “This place is completely off the rails”? Some dining spots put on a full-blown spectacle. They were about unforgettable, sometimes bizarre, experiences. What made them so legendary? Buckle up for a ride through some of the wildest restaurant franchises that turned eating into an adventure.
Casa Bonita
Colorado’s Casa Bonita didn’t just serve Mexican food—it also offered cliff divers, puppet shows, and hidden tunnels for good measure. Opened in 1974, it became legendary for chaotic entertainment and survived financial turmoil before “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone bought and revived it in 2021.
Jekyll & Hyde Club
Why eat in peace when animatronic monsters could startle you mid-bite? The eerie franchise Jekyll & Hyde, since 1991, mixed theatrical scares with elaborate gothic decor. Eerie World Entertainment arranged for guests to traverse secret passages and endure ghostly interruptions, making every meal a haunted house thrill ride.
Mars 2112
In 1998, New Yorkers lined up to blast off into a neon-lit Martian world. Customers entered via a UFO elevator ride to the dining tier, then dined on cosmic-themed dishes in a dining area called the Crystal Crater, designed to resemble Martian surroundings. Despite initial success, bankruptcy likely led to closure in 2012.
Magic Time Machine
Princesses and movie villains doubled as waitstaff at this Texas-based restaurant, founded in 1973. Each table had its own wacky theme, and servers performed in character. Each dining area features a distinct theme, such as the Monopoly Room, with a table designed as a Monopoly board. The restaurant’s iconic salad bar is a converted 1952 MG-TD Roadster.
Medieval Times
Ever wanted to wave a turkey leg while knights battled for glory? Medieval Times, based in Kissimmee, Florida, started in 1983. The restaurant, which originated in Spain in the late 1960s, ditched utensils for an authentic medieval dining experience. Ten castles are located across the U.S. and Canada, each designed to resemble an 11th-century castle.
Rainforest Cafe
Imagine eating while animatronic gorillas pounded their chests and thunderstorms erupted overhead. It was like National Geographic, with jungle mist and rumbling volcanoes, but with chicken tenders. Established in 1994, this wild franchise was founded by Steven Schussler, who converted his Minneapolis home into a rainforest prototype.
SafeHouse
Spies and secret agents, welcome! Since 1966, SafeHouse, located in Milwaukee and later Chicago, has been a top-secret dining experience. Guests enter through a hidden door and must provide a password to gain entry (or perform a silly task if they don’t know it). Inside, the restaurant is filled with espionage-themed decor, secret passageways, and interactive spy missions that immerse diners in a world of intrigue.
Planet Hollywood
A 1991 brainchild of Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, this chain offered diners actual movie props. Customers could eat next to Terminator and Jurassic Park pieces. However, overexpansion and financial missteps led to downsizing. In February 2025, a new location opened in New York City with high-definition screens instead of traditional memorabilia.
Heart Attack Grill
Only at Heart Attack Grill could a burger have 19,900 kilocalories. Founded in 2005, this Las Vegas restaurant took indulgence to extremes—diners wore hospital gowns and anyone over 350 pounds ate for free. Waitresses dressed as nurses playfully spanked customers who failed to finish their food while successful eaters were wheelchaired out in victory.
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour
Farrell’s, launched in 1963, turned dessert into a spectacle. Sirens blared as servers that donned period attire ran oversized sundaes to customers, creating a carnival-like sugar frenzy. The signature “The Zoo” was 8½ pounds, delivered with great fanfare by multiple staff members carrying it on a stretcher, accompanied by ambulance sirens.
Ninja New York
Open from 2005 to 2020, this underground Tribeca restaurant was styled as a 16th-century ninja village, complete with shadowy passageways. At Ninja New York, diners didn’t just eat sushi—they survived a full-blown ninja adventure. Hidden doors and waiters trained to drop from the ceiling to perform sword tricks mid-meal.
ShowBiz Pizza Place
Chuck E. Cheese wasn’t the only animatronic band in town. ShowBiz Pizza, launched in 1980, starred “The Rock-afire Explosion,” a robotic group that performed medleys of classic rock, pop, and country music. The brand eventually merged with Chuck E. Cheese. Despite the rebrand, “The Rock-afire Explosion” band has maintained a cult following.
Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar
A tropical storm with your cocktail? That’s what Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar has been serving since 1945 inside San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel. Some of the fun gimmicks are lightning effects and periodic indoor rainstorms. Guests experience Polynesian-inspired dishes while a simulated monsoon rolls in.
The American Girl Cafe
Ever wanted to take your doll out to lunch? The American Girl Cafe Treated Dolls Like Royalty. They were opened in 1998 and offered tiny plates and elegant tea parties for kids and their dolls. The café provides special seating for dolls, known as “Treat Seats,” that allows them to join their owners at the table.
Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill
Opened as part of Bass Pro Shops, these restaurants featured underwater-themed bowling lanes, where neon-lit fish swam across the walls. Diners enjoyed dishes like alligator tacos and seafood platters while rolling strikes in a room designed to feel like the ocean floor. Some locations also feature a full bar with specialty drinks.
Automat Cafeterias
Coin-operated food dispensers? Automat Cafeterias gave people just that. Peaking in the 1950s, they let customers grab meals from tiny vending windows, no waiters needed. The chain’s last automat closed by the 1990s. The concept originated in Berlin, Germany, when the first automat was opened.
Hillbilly Hot Dogs
Hot dogs piled high with 4 pounds of toppings inside a rusted-out school bus—one of them is called the Homewrecker, and it’s a beast at 3 pounds. If that doesn’t scare you off commitment, you can even get married on-site. This junkyard fever dream comes complete with a full-blown wedding chapel where couples can tie the knot, hillbilly-style.
The Odditorium
The Odditorium, an Asheville eatery, was a restaurant with a full-fledged curiosity cabinet. Diners feasted on eccentric menu items surrounded by taxidermy and horror memorabilia. The weirder, the better—the venue also hosted freak shows and burlesque performances, a haven for lovers of the macabre. The Odditorium now goes as The Odd.
Betty Danger’s
Quirky and political in its satire, Betty Danger’s closed in 2022. The country club’s theme drew inspiration from George Orwell’s novels, particularly “Animal Farm” and “1984.” The eccentric eatery featured “The Revolution” Ferris wheel experience and a unique mini-golf experience on the “Animal Indie-Publicrat Putt-N-Play” course.
Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant
Since 1954, this Kansas City franchise has used a patented model train system to bring burgers and fries directly to customers’ tables. At Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant, trains didn’t just deliver your meal—they were the entire experience. Guests placed their orders via old-school telephone booths and made every meal feel like a ride through nostalgia.
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