Maryland Restaurants Serve Up Wacky April Fools' Pranks

Crab milkshakes and moon queso among the creative social media stunts.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 7:39pm

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Restaurants across Maryland got creative with their April Fools' Day social media posts this year, offering up humorous menu items like crab milkshakes and moon queso that had customers doing double takes.

Why it matters

April Fools' Day is a popular time for businesses to engage with customers through playful, attention-grabbing social media posts and promotions. These types of lighthearted stunts can help build brand awareness and loyalty, especially for local restaurants looking to stand out in a competitive market.

The details

Some of the more outrageous April Fools' Day offerings from Maryland eateries included a "crab milkshake" from Chick-fil-A's new Columbia location, as well as "moon queso" from a Mexican restaurant. While these items were clearly just jokes, the creative social media posts generated buzz and engagement from customers.

  • April 1, 2026 was April Fools' Day.

The players

Chick-fil-A

A popular fast-food chicken restaurant chain with locations across the United States, including a new site in Columbia, South Carolina.

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The takeaway

These April Fools' Day stunts demonstrate how restaurants can use social media to connect with customers in a fun, memorable way, even if the actual menu items are just jokes.