What is something that sounds like a parody of America so bizarre you wouldn't think it could possibly exist in real life?
A Dallas-Fort Worth area Texas bar caught the attention of the internet for seemingly being the answer to that question.
The bar is called Bar9Eleven.
The theme?
All the horrors of September 11, 2001 in the United States.
Drove by this bar and though \u201chuh I wonder what that\u2019s about\u201d. Turns out it\u2019s about exactly what you thinkpic.twitter.com/5zIKLZWJIs— Jesse Tyler (@Jesse Tyler) 1621297663
Blown away by this work of creative nonfiction depicting the owner of a tex mex restaurant in north texas as the main character of our nation's darkest day.— Jesse Tyler (@Jesse Tyler) 1621438849
The attacks on September 11, 2001 were perpetrated by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and took the lives of 2,977 people (not including the 19 terrorists responsible) in the initial attack.
Planes were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington DC and United Flight 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers aboard the flight fought back.
The bar has drawn heat for being in bad taste.
Something for everybody... As long as they aren't expecting good taste.— Ltwitca (@Ltwitca) 1622316019
I kept expecting there to be some kind of point? Especially since he makes an effort to name so many family members and their "sacrifice". \n\nOh, did his wife die in the...no. His sister-in-law? His nephew? Nope. It's literally "3k people died but *I* had to open a *restuarant*."— Q\u00fae (@Q\u00fae) 1621445246
This is disgusting.— Joel Greenup (@Joel Greenup) 1621461874
like naming your new boat the titanic— Kenneth D (@Kenneth D) 1621555727
$50 says the owner is a trumpublican who thinks he\u2019s a \u201cpatriot\u201d.— Paul Nadeau (@Paul Nadeau) 1621778191
The bar owner, Brent Johnson, features a number of plaques around the establishment detailing his own personal experience trying to open a Tex Mex restaurant during the attacks—essentially turning the day itself into a narrative about his own life, rather than the tragedy.
@jessebtyler/Twitter
@jessebtyler/Twitter
But Johnson hit back at the poor taste comments, saying he wants everybody who comes into his bar to "never forget that day."
Nothing says "lets get blackout drunk and forget our childhood trauma" like going to Fort Worth, TX in a 9/11 themed bar and never forgetting that dayhttps://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— Shawn Rosell - 4 (@Shawn Rosell - 4) 1622080693
the fact that this concept and poster are real is one of the most insane things I have ever seen in my entire life.https://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— jedi feral hog, esq. (@jedi feral hog, esq.) 1621572408
Re-evaluating my "Jonestown Massacre Buffet" ideahttps://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— We Will Be Ruthless (@We Will Be Ruthless) 1621537238
Come on down to the 9-11 bar where our staff will #neverforget your order!https://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— ian (@ian) 1621457243
On second thought, the cicadas are right to eat us.https://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— LibbityBibbityBoo (@LibbityBibbityBoo) 1621451676
The bar's name was changed after a 2013 remodel.
Johnson reportedly chose the name after seeing a survey saying "80% of Americans" didn't know the 9/11 anniversary was coming up, although there is no evidence such a survey exists.
"I opened my restaurant on the most tragic day of my life—9/11 was just a very tragic day for our country. It was very somber and it's become a sacred day for all of us."
what if we kissedat the 9/11 bar?\nhaha just kidding\nunless ...https://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— Hunter Biden's laptop repair guy (@Hunter Biden's laptop repair guy) 1621448809
I just don't think something like this would ever happen in any other countryhttps://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— every e-scooter is a policy failure (@every e-scooter is a policy failure) 1621448423
America, are you okay? Canada is worried about you.https://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— Myrna \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Myrna \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1621446623
God I can only imagine how bomb the themed drinks arehttps://twitter.com/jessebtyler/status/1394449586219937796\u00a0\u2026— \ud835\udd8c \ud835\udd97 \ud835\udd94 \ud835\udd8c \u2702\ufe0f (@\ud835\udd8c \ud835\udd97 \ud835\udd94 \ud835\udd8c \u2702\ufe0f) 1621453841
Johnson had no feelings about naysayers on Twitter, saying ''the only people who say that are people who don't know me and are not from Fort Worth.''
Nevertheless, it stands as a strange yet perfect encapsulation of USA culture.