Love Ketchup? Don't Eat Here...

We all know there is an invisible line separating the two types of people in this world: those who think that slathering ketchup on pretty much anything is a sure-fire way to improve a meal, and those who, well, don't. I'll admit I've been of the second party — until today. It turns out that a Florida restaurant called Mad Fresh Bistro has banned ketchup for anyone over the age of 10, and call me Miss Contrary, but suddenly, all I want is that sweet red sauce. I love ketchup. I need ketchup. I crave ketchup.

Just to be clear, the food at Mad Fresh Bistro of Fort Myers, Florida, is certainly ketchup-appropriate. At least some of it is — they serve burgers and steak-filled flatbreads and "truffle fries". It's not as though the condiment would be added to a pasta dish or — shock horror — a fish entree. Worse? It's not only ketchup that's been banned from the restaurant: table salt is also not available to those who eat here. As the restaurant's website explains:

No ketsup for you! We know, we know. People love their ketsup. But honestly, be ready. If you’re over 10 years old, ketsup will NOT be provided. Similarly, salt won’t be making an appearance next to your meal, either. We simply ask that you trust us. We know what we’re doing! Part of the MAD experience is to trust the chef, and not have preconceived notions of what your dish is going to need.

Not only is it confusing that the restaurant isn't able to spell the item they're banning (unless it's not ketchup after all? Maybe it's some other mysterious condiment no one actually cares about?), the policy has put off a lot of customers. One Yelp user wrote: "You CANNOT have ketchup! I told the person are you serving or not? The server refused to give me ketchup, and I refused order. Never coming here again! Don't limit people just because YOU think it's not the way to eat."

Another said: "I would not recommend dining here with any food allergies. The chef does not allow for substitutions and does not have customer service in mind, even if it is a medical concern. I contacted the establishment to verify this."

Still, the chef is adamant that his culinary skills — which have gained the restaurant a 3.5 rating on Yelp — should not be messed with. “My burger has got a sauce on it already,” he said to the Independent. “There’s no point in adding a sweet sauce on top of that."

Though he makes a fair point, the rebel in me just wants ketchup everywhere, now.

Images: Getty Images (2)