‘It’s rammed with tourists’: How Angus Steakhouse became part of a viral Reddit prank

The restaurant chain Angus Steakhouse, recently described by one food critic as “unpatriotic in its crapness’, is surprisingly climbing the ranks of London’s best restaurants thanks to an elaborate Reddit ruse.  

“Angus Steakhouse used to be my favourite underground spot,” posted one Reddit user last month. “Now it’s rammed with tourists.” Others claim it has been both Taylor Swift and Freddie Mercury’s favorite eating spot and is a “hidden gem” with a “cozy and exclusive atmosphere.” Now, according to Redditors, it has been “ruined by influencers.”

Confused? You aren’t the only one. “Am I missing something?” one baffled Reddit user posted on the subreddit r/London. “I had just assumed it was the usual tourist trap. Though if there’s delicious food to be had I’m all ears!” While delicious food may be a matter of opinion, the steakhouse chain, which has five locations within central London, has been the subject of a raft of fake reviews by Londoners fed up with their favorite spots going viral and being overrun by tourists. 

The ploy was first devised when an anonymous Londoner complained that their favorite sandwich cart in Borough Market was the latest to fall victim to recommendation culture. “Easily the best sandwich in London, it went viral a few months back due to some cabbage-headed microbes doing the whole ‘you can’t come to London and not have this sandwich’ thing,’” they wrote on Reddit. This inspired a copy-cat post about Angus Steakhouse intended to lead susceptible tourists and influencers away from the city’s real hidden gems and toward intended tourist traps. “Don’t forget m&m world,” one added. 

Journalist Christian Calgie first noticed the trend, tweeting about the subreddit love-bombing of the Angus Steakhouse chain in a bid to manipulate the surge of AI-generated listicles that scrape content from various sites. By pushing the chain to the top of recommended food spots, their goal is to protect the city’s true hidden gems. 

Incredibly, it seems to have worked. Angus Steakhouse CEO Paul Sarlas told the Wall Street Journal that the restaurant had seen an uptick in guests who were keen to try the “viral” steak sandwich. “We enjoy a good joke as much as the next person and appreciate the creativity and humor that sparked this love-bombing,” he said. 

“For once an instance of technology being used for collective good,” wrote one X user.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91231790/its-rammed-with-tourists-how-angus-steakhouse-became-part-of-a-viral-reddit-prank?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss