Running a restaurant in New Orleans takes talent, grit, and nerves of steel. There’s the dinner rush, the lunch rush, the sudden influx of tourists who “just want to look at the menu,” and the late-night crowd that wanders in asking if gumbo is “supposed to look like that.” But in all the chaos of managing kitchens, staff, suppliers, and customers, one detail often gets pushed off the plate: the restaurant’s website.
A restaurant website is a lot like a dining room. If it’s confusing, messy, or impossible to navigate, people will turn around and find a table somewhere else. Over the years, countless restaurant websites have crossed my path—some impressive, some functional, and some so confusing that I needed a map, a compass, and a sherpa just to find the menu. With that in mind, here are some of the most common restaurant website design mistakes and a few thoughts on how to fix them, served up with a little humor.
Navigation That Feels Like Solving a Puzzle
A website’s navigation is the digital equivalent of a host greeting guests at the door. Clear direction leads to happy diners. Confusing direction leads to someone wandering around the home page like they’re trying to find the restroom in an unfamiliar bar.
Restaurant websites love to get creative with menu placement… sometimes too creative. When visitors have to click through five dropdowns just to find appetizers, the experience stops feeling delicious and starts feeling like homework. The secret is simple layouts and clear labels. Guests want to know what’s for dinner, not decode a scavenger hunt.
Outdated Photos and Mismatched Images
Some restaurant sites still use photos from the grand opening—back when the décor was different, the uniforms were different, and the chef still had hair. Others rely on stock images that feature dishes never served in the building or food that looks suspiciously like it came from a plastic display case at a mall kiosk.
Visuals matter. Diners want to get a sense of the place before making the drive across town, and nothing says “trust me” like authentic, recent photos of the actual food and atmosphere. Good photography doesn’t need to be fancy; it just needs to be real.
Besides, if the site is showing a perfectly plated beef Wellington and the restaurant actually serves po-boys and red beans, someone is in for a surprise.
Menus in PDF Format… Also Known as the Digital Equivalent of a Speed Bump
For reasons unknown to mankind, PDF menus continue to dominate the restaurant world. PDFs take too long to load, break the layout on smaller screens, and require finger gymnastics on mobile devices. Nothing tests a person’s patience like trying to zoom in on an eight-point font while driving down Veterans Boulevard.
Searchable, mobile-friendly menu pages make life easier for guests. They also make life easier for anyone who is trying to decide between two dishes while pretending not to hold up the entire group.
Websites That Ignore Mobile Visitors
Most restaurant searches happen on phones, usually in the heat of the moment when someone is hungry, tired, and dangerously close to becoming hangry. This is not the time for a website that forces them to pinch, zoom, rotate, reload, and reconsider their entire evening.
A mobile-optimized site loads smoothly, buttons are easy to tap, text is readable, and nothing floats off the screen like a runaway parade balloon. When mobile users have a good experience, they turn into in-person guests. When they don’t, they find another restaurant faster than you can say “closed kitchen.”
Missing or Confusing Business Information
At this point in history, every restaurant website should include hours, address, phone number, parking options, and reservation details. Yet it’s not uncommon to see websites missing half that information, leaving potential guests guessing—or worse—calling at the worst possible moment.
When someone drives across town expecting brunch and finds a locked door, that disappointment sticks. Clear information solves that. Even holiday hours need attention. A website that still shows Mardi Gras ’21 hours in 2025 doesn’t inspire confidence.
No Clear Next Step
Guests want to know what to do next. If the plan is to offer reservations, online ordering, or catering requests, the path to those actions should be obvious. Many websites hide those options like they’re part of a secret menu known only to insiders.
Strong buttons, simple labels, and visible links keep guests moving forward. When the next step is obvious, the whole digital flow works like it should.
Accessibility Gets Ignored
Accessibility features aren’t optional anymore. They’re part of modern web responsibility. Adding alt text, proper heading structure, readable colors, and functional buttons ensures that every guest has a fair shot at navigating the site comfortably.
Restaurants put care into accommodating guests with seating, service, and dietary needs. Extending that same care to the website is simply an extension of hospitality.
Branding That Doesn’t Match the Real Restaurant
Sometimes the website is dark and moody, the social media is bright and playful, and the print menu looks like it came from a completely different establishment. This creates confusion before guests even walk in the door.
Brand consistency helps build trust. When everything feels connected, guests arrive with accurate expectations—and accurate expectations lead to better dining experiences.
Final Thoughts
A restaurant’s website is an extension of its dining experience. It sets the tone, answers questions, and guides guests to the right decision long before they sit down and unfold a napkin. When the digital side is done well, guests feel confident, excited, and informed.
Restaurant owners juggle more in a day than most people handle in a week. Website details can slip through the cracks, but tightening them up doesn’t just help the business… it helps the guests, the staff, and anyone who has ever tried to read a PDF menu in a parking lot.
Good food brings people in. A good website helps them find the door.
