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NYC kids prank the city by making a fake steakhouse and bringing it to life for one night
Posted on 9/29/23 at 9:54 am
Posted on 9/29/23 at 9:54 am
TLDR: a bunch of guys living in a house in NYC would upload photos of their meals to Facebook under the location of a non-existent restaurant, had people book reservations over a year out, and they brought the restaurant to life for one night.
Viral prank: 'Fake' NYC steak house cooks up real meal
Viral prank: 'Fake' NYC steak house cooks up real meal
quote:
NEW YORK CITY - What started out as an elaborate prank has now gone viral.
At first glance, it looks like just another busy Saturday night in New York City – a bustling steak house filled with people craving fine dining. But looks can be deceiving.
The customers are real and so is the food, but the chef and waiters are not professionals.
They are friends working together to pull off an elaborate stunt, an idea born in the pandemic by a bunch of roommates.
"Mehran made steak like every other week, and we would all come together, and it was super cute," said Danielle Egan, one of those behind the prank. "Honestly, like the house that we were in, it was a community living house, 14 of us living together in a four-story brownstone, basically a frat house and I mean, it was not any weirder than any of the other, like, little jokes that we had going on."
How did it all start?
The joke started when Mehran's friends, all working in tech, decided to put the townhouse they were sharing on Google Maps and call it "Mehran's Steak House."
Reservations, as you might guess, were always sold out – the exclusivity making it all the more appetizing to discerning New Yorkers.
"People kept calling it and I would say, 'Hey, listen, like we're not a real steak house, but I do make a pretty good steak,'" Mehran Jalali said.
The friends decided for one night only to bring the fake steak house to life.
They hosted about 100 people for a prix fixe menu – a $115 steak dinner in the event space on the Lower East Side – inviting everyone who had been on the virtual waiting list.
"I was kind of the manager of the restaurant handling, like all the kind of nitty-gritty things like getting permits and licenses to make it legal," said Riley Walz. "But it was completely shocking, just kind of that it actually happened and that people actually enjoyed their night."
New York Post reporter Hannah Frishberg was one of the diners who enjoyed her steak dinner.
"It was good," Frishberg offered. "It was very garlicky. I would not say it was restaurant grade."
She said some of the dinner guests caught on to the gag, but she has a different take.
"I find my generation and those younger than me so chronically online and anti-social for the most part," Frishberg said. "I spend more of my time worrying about a loneliness epidemic than, you know, an epidemic of fake steak houses. I'm here for this being the future, although I don't know how many folks are that committed to doing stunts."
As for the inventive friends, they are keeping their next surprise a secret.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 9:57 am to BilbeauTBaggins
Steak looks damn good.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:02 am to BilbeauTBaggins
What part of this is a prank?
They got actual permits. It was legal. It was an actual restaurant for one night and people paid what sounds like a reasonable price for the food/experience.
They got actual permits. It was legal. It was an actual restaurant for one night and people paid what sounds like a reasonable price for the food/experience.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:03 am to BilbeauTBaggins
Is that a glass of milk?
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:03 am to Fe_Mike
quote:
What part of this is a prank?
They got actual permits. It was legal. It was an actual restaurant for one night and people paid what sounds like a reasonable price for the food/experience.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:04 am to Fe_Mike
The restaurant never existed. They would upload photos of their dishes online listed from a place called Mehran's Steakhouse (never existed.)
A prank doesn't have to be malicious.
A prank doesn't have to be malicious.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:04 am to BilbeauTBaggins
quote:
"It was very garlicky.
I have to make my wife a separate steak because she thinks I put too much garlic. No such thing as too garlicky to me.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:05 am to BilbeauTBaggins
That's a pop up, not a prank.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:05 am to FlyinTiger93
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:06 am to Bamawaterfowl
quote:
Is that a glass of milk?
Could be a Caucasian.
IYKYK...
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:10 am to BilbeauTBaggins
quote:
The restaurant never existed. They would upload photos of their dishes online listed from a place called Mehran's Steakhouse (never existed.)
I mean yeh, I got it. But it was a restaurant. These people made reservations for opening night at Mehran's Steakhouse. Every restaurant in history "never existed" before their opening night.
I'd be willing to bet a pretty penny that Mehran's Steakhouse isn't going away. But even if it does, still doesn't seem like a prank to me. It's cool, think it's a neat story. But these people made reservations to get a steak dinner at a real restaurant and....that's exactly what happened.
I dunno, I could be wrong - just seems more like a marketing campaign than a prank.
This post was edited on 9/29/23 at 10:14 am
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:17 am to Fe_Mike
quote:
What part of this is a prank?
More of a gag, a laugh.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:27 am to BilbeauTBaggins
The Shed in London did it better...
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:31 am to TitusCrow
quote:
More of a gag, a laugh.
A folly, one might say
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:32 am to deernaes
quote:
Could be a Caucasian.
"Another Caucasian, Gary."
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:36 am to BilbeauTBaggins
If the steaks weren't marinated in Dale's I dont want one
Posted on 9/29/23 at 10:38 am to BilbeauTBaggins
Did they leave it out on the counter over night?
Posted on 9/29/23 at 11:10 am to Penske File
quote:
I have to make my wife a separate steak
I always make my wife a separate steak too, because sharing one is kind of weird.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 11:13 am to coopsdad
quote:
I always make my wife a separate steak too, because sharing one is kind of weird.
Yeah, I was puzzled by that as well.
Posted on 9/29/23 at 11:24 am to lostinbr
My gf and I generally always split food. A "full serving" is usually too much. We split a filet mignon just last night. Perfect amount.
This post was edited on 9/29/23 at 11:25 am
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