Hungry in Beirut? Try a "Kalashnikov"

Who doesn't love a theme restaurant? With its specialty menu and cleverly-named dishes and usually colorful cartoon characters, it's fun for the whole family! And usually, the name speaks of the fun you're going to have inside.

Like Beirut's newest restaurant, Buns-N-Guns. (via Reuters)

While in other countries, this name might indicate a fun experience that might be an alternative to Hooters. In Lebanon, it means photos of weapons on the walls, chefs that wear army fatigues, an outdoor dining area adorned with sandbags, and a menu with items like the Kalashnikov, RPG, and (what presumably is the Lebanonian analog to McDonald's Happy Meal) the Terrorist Meal.

This new fast food restaurant in Beirut's southern suburbs, where the Hezbollah movement holds sway, was the brainchild of co-owner Ali Hammoud. He said the war theme was a novel concept that had nothing to do with Lebanon's bloody recent history.

"It's just an idea I had, nothing more, nothing less. I could have put toys in place of the sandbags and teddy bears instead of guns. But it was just an idea," Hammoud told Reuters.

   

Even the locals are confused:

"First time I came here, I thought it was a weapons shop. When I looked at the names of the dishes, I still thought so. I only realized it was a restaurant when I went inside," said 15-year-old Hussein al-Hajj Ali.

I'm pretty sure that both the RPG and the Kalashnikov are going to be too much food for the average citizen. (Especially if each of them comes with "Freedom From American and Zionist Oppression Fries.") I'm disturbed that this restaurant is popular with teenagers (or anyone, actually). Plus, I really don't want to know what kind of toy comes with the Terrorist Meal. Or what happens when you Super-Size it.