Karen’s Diner Sheffield: 'the food is great, but the service is intentionally awful' - review

I must level with you reader, as I sat in my Uber there was a sense of trepidation in the pit of my stomach. Karen’s Diner opened in April to much social media fanfare.

It takes its name from the American internet reference to Karens as a woman seen as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is normal.

Upon arrival the décor is the first thing that strikes me: It’s almost sickeningly colourful in an intoxicating way. On the wall there is a photo of our former Prime Minister Boris Johnson sporting a stereotypically ‘Karen’ blonde bob.

It’s a restaurant like no other and that is clear when you meet the staff for these are no ordinary waiters. They have a part to play in making this the best, worst meal of your life.

Jack Underwood is a waiter at Karen’s, but his role is primarily as entertainment. His background (like many here) is in acting and stand-up comedy, making this a gig like no other.

He explains: “I go round on the microphone, calling people out, making jokes but that can’t take away from the waiting side. We have to be good at what we do. We say terrible service, but the actual food service is good, it’s terrible in a good way.”

Customers are encouraged to embrace their inner Karen, engaging in back-and-forth banter with their server. There are rules about the extent of the insults with boundaries set to make sure everything remains in good spirit.

The goal certainly isn’t to genuinely upset people and I’m told that the aim is to provide escapism from the real world. In real life you will almost surely have come across some horrible customers at your workplace or been met by rude, dismissive service in a shop or restaurant. Karen’s Diner seeks not to truly offend but to make you ‘cry with a smile on your face’ as Jack puts it.

The ‘Karen’ moniker has drawn some criticism online as being a somewhat crude stereotype, but fear not Karen’s: If your name actually IS Karen you’ll be rewarded with a free drink, a tonic to soothe the blow of being the ultimate butt of this elaborate joke.

After a successful debut in Australia, Karen’s made its way to the UK earlier this year with Sheffield being its first branch on these shores.

It has been a huge success with further restaurants opening in Manchester and Birmingham and I’m told there are plans for Karen’s in London and Dublin as well as Minneapolis in America.

Jack describes it as a ‘fantastic’ place to work and urges anyone with a sense of humour to come down and give it a try: “Highly recommend it to anyone, come down and have a laugh to escape it all”.

Having spent time in this surreal world of Karens, I can’t say I disagree!