On Thursday, Business Insider reported that the Clubhouse restaurant in Aquia Harbour, Virginia was forced to issue an apology after posting a limited-time menu full of food and drinks themed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The images of the "Patriot Day Menu" show a variety of items with names calling back to the attacks, with the most prominent being the "Never Forget Sampler," which includes "2 cups of 2977 Chowder, Flight 93 Redirect Crab Dip, First Responder Shrimp Flat Bread, Freedom Flounder served with a choice of side, salad & warm rolls, 2 Slices of Pentagon Pies, [and] 2 Remember-tini Cocktails."
Customers were urged to call ahead, since the 9/11 items would only be served from noon to 9pm.
"The menu was met almost immediately with criticism of its apparent insensitivity. Although it was quickly deleted from Facebook, it had already been captured and reposted to Twitter," reported Jordan Hart. "One Twitter user pointed out the restaurant's proximity to service members and veterans in the area. 'Appalling,' the tweet read. The restaurant is also roughly 45 minutes from the Pentagon, where 184 people were killed and which was heavily damaged, in the attack."
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The manager, George White, issued a statement reading, "I apologize for those I offended with the 9/11 seafood Sunday post. My intention was to bring attention to that horrific day 21 years ago. To honor those who lost so much as well those who gave everything that day." The 9/11 names are to now be replaced with football themed names like, "Touch Down-tini," "Coin Toss Chocolate Pie," and "Offense Oysters."
This is not the first time a restaurant has come under fire for a poorly-executed tribute to the 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 attacks. Last year, a bar in Fort Worth, Texas attached to a Mexican restaurant that opened on the day of the attacks received criticism for branding itself as "bar9eleven," complete with a commemorative plaque that detailed everything the owner of that restaurant was thinking about while the attacks were in progress.