This Texas Restaurant Writes Hilarious Signs – And One Of Them Got Everyone Talking

You’re driving down the road, and you glance at a large sign outside a restaurant. At first, it’s just that – a fleeting look. But as you process what you’ve read, you do a double-take to make sure your eyes weren’t deceiving you... If you've ever driven through Austin, Texas, you might know about this infamous restaurant and their over-the-top risqué signs, but hey, they do one thing incredibly well: getting people's attention! 

The gag starts with its name

The restaurant in question is El Arroyo, an Austin staple since 1975, and the gags start with the name of the place itself. “El Arroyo” means “the ditch,” which isn’t quite the moniker you’d expect for an eatery. But members of staff insist that the jokey name inspires them, and they may have a point. As the diner’s website puts it, “When your name is ‘The Ditch’, the food better be good!” 

Locals love their marquee messages

Considering it has been in business for nearly 50 years, El Arroyo has clearly kept customers happy in that regard. But the Tex-Mex eatery also keeps people coming back with the humorous messages spelled out on its marquee sign out front. According to its website, staff have written “every food pun imaginable” on the sign “while never forgetting witty commentary on current events.” 

Gathered a global following

And thanks to the wonders of the internet age, you don’t have to travel to Austin to enjoy these pithy observations, either. In fact, El Arroyo’s Instagram page has almost 450,000 followers and climbing, as of May 2021. Obviously, people across the country – and, indeed, the world – enjoy reading the latest witticisms posted there.

Not all their signs are winners

Over time the El Arroyo team have learned that not all of their signs can be winners – not every joke or pun will land, after all. It’s not just laughs they’ve lost out on, though. Once, one of their ideas caused a situation that got a little out of hand, and it drew an emotional reaction from some of their biggest fans.