Food, ambience, service, decor – washing machines? The latter might not be what people typically look for, or expect, when deciding where to eat, but it's just one of the unusual dining experiences on offer across the US. These are the places that offer a sideshow with your supper or some quirky decor with your dessert. From a restaurant where diners can watch mermaids swim while eating, to spots inside old train carriages, here's our pick of the most unusual dining experience in every state and Washington DC.

Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.

Underneath a huge hanging rock in Alabama, you'll find the Rattlesnake Saloon, an outdoor dining venue with live music. True to its name, you could just imagine a family of rattlesnakes living here. Its menu has a very Wild West theme, loved by everyone who visits, with dishes such as loaded hay stacks (fries topped with cheese and bacon), bronco bits (breaded and fried pickles), and the buckaroo (smoked ham, turkey, bacon and salad in a roll). 

Housed in an old aircraft hangar, The Hangar On The Wharf has stunning views over Juneau's harbor and the Gastineau Channel. Enjoy your meal while watching seaplanes land outside and cruise ships sail by surrounded by aviation memorabilia. Diners praise the seafood, atmosphere, and good service. Menu highlights include tempura halibut and fries, Baja tacos, and citrus salmon.

Far removed from the Arizonian desert landscapes lies Salt Cellar Restaurant, Arizona's only underground restaurant. Diners enter through a small building and down some steep stairs to reach this unique lair. Salt Cellar is a seafood restaurant, serving everything from steamed clams and New England chowder to mussels in butter sauce. Customers rave about the lobster and jumbo crab cakes, and the friendly service.

Another seafood restaurant on our list is Flying Fish in Little Rock, Arkansas, which serves food with a Southern Cajun twist. Try the lobster stew, grilled catfish, Louisiana jambalaya or grits and gumbo, accompanied by a frozen Margarita. What makes this restaurant unusual are the hundreds of Billy Bass singing fish lining the walls and ceiling  gifts donated by loyal customers from all over the US.

This tiki-themed lounge and restaurant is located in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, and first opened in 1945. With tropical plants and a huge central lagoon, you'll feel as if you've just traveled to Polynesia at the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. There's even a floating boat stage for live music. Tropical storms blow through from time to time but this only adds to the atmosphere. People go for the unique experience, but the menu is pretty good too. Highlights include grilled miso salmon, Tonga grilled ribeye, and coconut curry seafood.

This unusual restaurant in Colorado Springs is housed in an old Boeing KC-97 tanker. Built in 1953, this plane flew the world before being decommissioned in 2002. It can seat 42 'passengers' in the plane area of the 275-seater restaurant, surrounded by historic aviation memorabilia and artefacts. However, you won't find bland airplane food here. The menu includes tasty burgers, salads, seafood, steaks, and ribs. 

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Book lovers will delight in dining at the Traveler Restaurant in Connecticut, where you'll eat surrounded by shelves of paperbacks. The best part is that you get free books to take away after your meal. You're sure to find the menu just as pleasing as the novels, with hot-battered seafood and various pastas and sandwiches on offer, plus desserts 'to die for'.

Step back in time at Jessop's Tavern, for a dining experience from the colonial days of America. Sit surrounded by old fireplaces, model ships and antique oil paintings, while eating off metal plates just as they would have done back in the day. Even the waitstaff play the part with their period costumes. The menu is also inspired by the era with dishes such as shepherd's pie (pictured), Dutch pot roast, and Swedish meatloaf.

Dinner is a whole show here at the Sax Restaurant & Lounge in Washington DC. The space feels like an Italian opera house, complete with huge golden doors, glittering chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, and red velvet curtains draping the walls. Performances include everything from much-loved musicals to burlesque dancing. The menu, which diners say is excellent, features dishes such as seared scallops with butternut squash, artichoke ravioli, and Cajun ribeye steak.

Located inside Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is a 1950s-style drive-thru, where you eat in vintage, open-top cars while enjoying clips of thrilling sci-fi movie scenes. You'll feel as if you've stepped onto the movie set of Grease, and diners love the fun, friendly atmosphere. The menu features classic American burger and fries, cheesy nachos, and fried dill pickles. Leave room to try the amazing desserts such as the donut ice cream sundae.

The Varsity is an iconic Atlanta institution, which now has several locations around the city. The main downtown branch is the largest drive-in restaurant in the world. It's been operating since 1928 and still offers that same classic American diner experience that customers love. The traditional fast food on offer includes hot dogs, burgers, fried chicken, milkshakes, and fried fruit pies. 

Family run Mama's Fish House is set in an airy former plantation house in a coconut grove on a secluded sandy beach. Founded in 1973, the restaurant is so popular it's recommended you book 4-6 months in advance. Rooms are filled with stunning flower arrangements, and original oil paintings and Polynesian artefacts hang on the walls. Diners praise the magical atmosphere, with menu highlights including macadamia nut crab cakes and mahi-mahi with lobster and crab.

Welcome to the Wild West of days gone by at the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, which first opened in the 1940s as a casino. Like something straight out of a movie set, this restaurant comes complete with Wild West posters, deer and bull heads, and antique bullet boards. There's also an interesting collection of Hemingway memorabilia, including one of his guns. Prime ribs, steaks, steamed artichoke, and Idaho rainbow trout are all customer favorites.

Sure, you've probably been faced with a whole chicken to tuck into at dinner, but what about a whole wild boar? Or goat? Or alligator? That's where Frontier comes in. Offering you (and 12-15 guests) a 'whole animal experience', this is a lesson in nose to tail eating. You simply choose your animal and watch as it comes out as the crowning centerpiece alongside four sides: mac 'n' cheese, Caesar salad, seasonal vegetables, and buttered rolls. Customers say it's an absolutely incredible experience.

This huge impressive building looks more like a factory than a restaurant, with steel girders and statues of workers sitting on the roof enjoying their lunch. Themed around the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th century, this place specializes in brick-oven pizzas, gourmet burgers and comforting customer favorites such as mac 'n' cheese, meatloaf, pot pie, and fried chicken. 

Perhaps a post-apocalyptic setting is a bit too close for comfort these days, but the incredible burgers in this spot make up for it. The names of the burgers follow the restaurant's fun theme with top choices including Planet Terror (BBQ sauce, bacon, Cheddar, caramelized onions, and ranch dressing) and the Undead Elvis (peanut butter, fried bananas, bacon, American cheese, mayo, and an optional fried egg). The taste is anything but scary, and people rate the quality ingredients, cool vibe, and delicious shakes.

This novel restaurant in Kansas City is a must for kids and big kids alike. It first opened in 1954 but it wasn't until the 1970s, when Fritz and his wife Virginia had opened their second location, that it became something special. Due to a labor shortage, Fritz invented a mini train to carry the food around the restaurant to his diners. Today, the three restaurants (all in Kansas City but one is over the state line in Missouri) feature train memorabilia and the mini trains still carry burgers to guests – much to their enjoyment.

If you've ever wondered what a meal in prison would be like, head to Jailhouse Pizza for a meal behind the bars of the old Meade County Jail. The jail was built in 1906 and has seen its fair share of crooks and villains throughout the years. Black and white photos of the old days adorn the walls and the building is said to be haunted by some of its former inmates – but don't let that put you off! Customers say the pizzas are quick, delicious, and always hot.

This famous restaurant has been a New Orleans landmark since 1893. Housed in an elegant blue and white Disney-esque mansion, the Commander's Palace has become well-known for its award-winning Creole cuisine. Today, chef Meg Bickford fuses together modern New Orleans cooking with Creole dishes, all made with farm-raised products from Louisiana. The gumbo here is a must.

Maine's oldest diner, the Palace Diner, is housed inside an old Pollard railcar which was built in 1927. Today it's one of only two Pollard railcars left in America. Everyone sits and eats in one line along the bar, just as they would do if it were still a working rail carriage. The restaurant serves all-day breakfasts including buttermilk flapjacks, omelets, French toast, and granola, as well as a lunch menu of sandwiches including fried chicken and a cheeseburger.

The clue's in the name at Beans in the Belfry in Brunswick, which is located in an old converted church. It was built in 1910 and still features the original stained-glass windows. Today, rather than choir music, you're more likely to hear live folk, bluegrass or Celtic tunes as you eat. The menu features everything from sandwiches and bagels to quiches and salads, while the biscuits and gravy are perfection.

At Gibbet Hill Grill, executive chef Rhiannon Brown shapes the menu around what is seasonally available from the 500-acre on site farm. Diners can soak up the amazing countryside views from the sophisticated and cozy restaurant while feasting on appetizers including crab cakes, mushroom arancini, and fried cauliflower, followed by steak and a choice of two farm sides. The menu also features free-range chicken, lamb ragu, and seared tuna. 

One of Michigan's most unique restaurants is the incredible Bavarian Inn. Opened in 1888, in the Bavarian-style town Frankenmuth, the venue claims that more than 20 million guests have come to feast on their all-you-can-eat, family-style German meals since the 19th century. The delicious fried chicken dinners make dining here an unforgettable experience, according to customers. The menu also features Bavarian classics such as bratwurst and schnitzel, while staff are in traditional dress to add to the experience.

Tropical Polynesia comes to Minneapolis at Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge. This fun tiki-themed restaurant is huge with a palm-filled riverside patio, main lounge, and four themed bars, all with over the top decor featuring lots of leopard print. The menu includes pizzas, burgers, salads, and brunch items, but the real winners here are the crazy cocktails with names such as Leilani's Fire Bowl, Native's Curse, and The Cannibal. There's also regular live music.

No matter what time of year you visit Mary Mahoney's, you'll be greeted with colorful decorations enticing you in. Not that you need much persuasion. The grand building that houses the restaurant was built in 1737, and is one of the oldest in America. When Mary Mahoney acquired it in the 1960s, she began cooking up elegant cuisine that's been devoured by presidents, dignitaries, celebrities, and millions of hungry diners ever since. This is a slice of history with a side of delicious dishes such as the fried soft-shell crab, gumbo, and stuffed lobster tail – all customer favorites.

This huge restaurant feels like a converted barn, with flags flying above the wooden tables and an eclectic array of licence plates and pictures lining the walls. However, what makes Lambert's Cafe so unusual is not its decor, but the fact that the waiters throw rolls at you from across the restaurant – a quirk customers enjoy. It also serves typical Southern American fare such as fried fish, shrimp, steak, and ribs.

Go under the sea at the Sip ‘n Dip Lounge in Montana, where you'll be entertained by dancing mermaids as you dine. Guests look onto a huge glass window where mermaids and mermen swim by in an adjacent pool. First opened in 1962, the spot has a kitsch tiki theme and serves an array of creative fishbowl cocktails, as well as burgers (which customers say are 'incredible'), prime rib sandwiches, homemade soups, and chicken steaks. 

Designed to resemble a Spanish monastery, Brother Sebastian's offers guests a contemplative and relaxing dining experience, surrounded by flickering candles, leatherbound books, and religious icons. Your order will be taken by brown-robed monks and you'll dine to a soundtrack of choral singing. The place is renowned for its steaks as well as a great wine selection, with diners claiming 'everything is delicious'. 

The notorious Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas should only be visited when you're super hungry or if you have a very strong heart. Waiters dressed as doctors and nurses serve huge platters of less than healthy dishes including the Double Bypass Burger, the Coronary Dog, Flatline Fries, and Butterfat Milkshakes. In fact, its Quadruple Bypass Burger has been named as the World's Most Calorific Burger by the Guinness World Records. Customers love the fun atmosphere – you're given a hospital gown to wear upon arrival, you can hook up to a wine IV drip, and waiters dish out punishments if you don't finish your meal.

Part schoolhouse, part treehouse, The Little Red Schoolhouse in New Hampshire is sure to take you back to your childhood. Housed in a cute - you guessed it - little red schoolhouse dating back to 1878, it's filled with blackboards and wooden benches. Out the back is where you'll find the surprise though: a treehouse suspended high in the canopy of the forest. It specializes in seafood and serves dishes such as lobster bisque, clam strips, haddock, and corn on the cob, but the lobster rolls are the biggest hit among diners.

Medieval jousting, knights, noble kings and queens, plus falconry come together in this epic theater restaurant in New Jersey. Seated around a huge jousting arena, guests enjoy their meals while watching horses and actors playing out a medieval fantasy. Dine with the queen as her favorite chefs prepare you a four-course meal of garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken, buttered corn, potatoes, and dessert. There's also a vegetarian option. People come for the good atmosphere and the 'awesome' food.

Saggio's Italian restaurant in Albuquerque certainly offers a unique dining experience. Enter into a large restaurant filled with Roman statues, columns and vases, and sit under a ceiling painted as a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. People rave about the pizza, but save plenty room for desserts, because next to the order counter, there's a vintage yellow car filled with treats like tiramisu and Sicilian cannoli.

Decked out like a cozy cabin in the woods, entering The Cabin is like stepping into an enchanted forest. The decor of trees, flowers and foliage changes seasonally, and diners rate the service and atmosphere. Menu highlights include porcini and portobello mushroom ravioli, ground bison meatballs, and deconstructed apple pie. Their weekend brunch is also a must, including three drinks and throwback tunes.

One for the petrolheads, Lancaster's BBQ has two locations in North Carolina. With over 10,000 square feet (929sqm) of racing memorabilia, the Mooresville location is set over three levels and has a separate games room for kids. A must in NASCAR country, the racing-themed restaurant's menu includes plenty of BBQ classics as well as burgers, wraps, and salads. Fried chicken is among the top dishes here as diners praise it for the perfectly spicy flavor and crispy coating.

For an out-of-this-world dining experience, head to Space Aliens in Bismarck. A bright green martian welcomes you from the outside and inside, aliens, spaceships, rockets and planets decorate a 30-foot-high domed ceiling. There are old-fashioned arcade games to entertain the kids while they wait for their food, and plates include Alien Burgers, Martian Munchies, and fire-roasted pizzas. People come here for the 'fun' and the 'tasty burgers'.

There's not so much of one particular theme at Tackle Box 2, it's more every quirky object they could find, thrown together. Bicycles, Christmas lights and fishing nets hang from the ceilings, old beer ads and car parts decorate the walls, and odd sculptures sit in every available piece of space, interspersed with bright neon signs. It serves American-style fish and chips, and diners love the specialty battered perch. 

Experience a simpler way of life by dining like the Amish at the Amish Country Store & Restaurant in Oklahoma. Here, everything is inside-out, with the interior decorated with the wooden storefront and corrugated iron roof of the old country store. Among other things, it serves Amish cinnamon rolls and fried pies, and customers love the breakfast specials such as the The Amish Way or the Black Buggy Special. 

Voodoo Doughnut has become a Portland institution and a true hipster hangout. The donuts come in so many unusual flavors, you won't know what to choose. Favorites include Voodoo Doll, School Daze PB and J, maple bacon bar, and Memphis Mafia. It also sells its own merchandise such as donut T-shirts, hats, mugs and keyrings.

The Catacombs at Bube’s Brewery lies deep underground inside the ageing wine cellars, where you can dine in a romantic setting among old wine barrels. Guests will descend 43 feet into the stone-lined vaults and enjoy a historic tour of the cellars before being shown to their table. It goes without saying the beers are good, and dishes such as crab cakes, vegetable gnocchi, seared duck breast, and scallop-shrimp scampi are big hits. 

Ogie's has several themed trailers, including Granny Boo's Kitchen, with 1970s-style decor, and the Tiki Bar, complete with thatched roof and tropical cocktails. The menu features a range of favorites (diners love the fried chicken sandwiches) as well as a selection of vegetarian dishes. These include grilled mac 'n' cheese croquettes, veggie chili, and vegan burgers.

Located right at the top of the University of South Carolina, the Top of Carolina Restaurant offers some of the best views across the city of Columbia. With floor-to ceiling circular windows, it offers 360-degree vistas. The state's only rotating restaurant, it's quite an experience. People rave about the Sunday brunch buffet as well as the salads.

Originally built in 1878, this building was one of the main landmarks in the Black Hills and was the largest stagecoach stop on the way from Cheyenne in Wyoming to Deadwood in South Dakota. Formally known as Ice Box Canyon Valley Station, its exterior has changed little over time but the inside has turned into a cozy wood-paneled restaurant. It serves breakfast, a lunch menu including burgers and sandwiches, and dinner favorites such as fish and pasta. Its legendary Indian Taco also comes highly recommended.

At the Aquarium Restaurant in Nashville, it's all about the experience of dining under the sea. Guests enjoy their meals seated around a 200,000-gallon tank, filled with everything from sharks and stingrays to sea turtles. On special occasions, it even has mystical mermaids swim past. A seafood and steak restaurant, you can choose from a menu including fish tacos, Maryland crab cakes, seafood platters, and chicken wraps. Customers say it's an 'awesome experience' and love the food too.

Short on time? Why not go out to eat and get your washing done at the same time? At Harvey Washbangers in Texas, you can do exactly that, because it's a diner and a launderette in one. Simply put on your load, then order and enjoy your meal. When you're finished, your washing should be, too. You can even monitor how your wash cycle is doing without having to get up from the table – just check the light board in the diner. Customers love the friendly service and the tasty burgers.

To reach The Yurt at Solitude, you'll have to snowshoe through the moonlit forest. In a clearing you'll find an authentic Mongolian yurt, part of the Solitude Mountain Resort, and a cozy restaurant. Inside this romantic hideaway, a chef will prepare your meal right in front of you. Beautiful dishes include scallops and asparagus for starters, Wagyu beef steak for mains and traditional apple pie for dessert – which comes highly recommended by satisfied diners. It's closed for the summer season, but check the website for winter hours.

Located inside a pretty greenhouse and garden center, the Garden of Eatin’ Cafe offers a relaxed back-to-nature environment. Surrounded by ponds, tropical plants, and buckets of flowers, it serves a healthy menu including hummus veggie wraps, asparagus and red onion frittata, and daily soup specials, which people love.

Offering fine dining since 1770, Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant transports you back to the colonial era. You'll eat in elegant dining rooms reminiscent of the time, lit by candles and decorated with chandeliers, regal oil paintings, and graceful drapes. As well as modern dishes such as seafood and prime beef, it serves traditional colonial food including George Washington's Favorite (grilled duck breast with potatoes) and Gentleman's Pye (a pie filled with lamb and beef in red wine). Customers say it's a 'special place' and rave about the steaks.

At the Camlann Medieval Village, you'll find one of Washington State's most unique dining experiences – a medieval theater dinner. Here, the restaurant is designed like a 14th-century village inn, with white-washed walls and timber frames. The menu takes you back to the 14th century too, with ancient recipes including chicken in cinnamon and almond sauce, roast salmon in hazelnut sauce, and pork with chicken and cranberries. While you eat, you'll be regaled with old stories and songs – customers love how different it is.

Welcome to the land of the hillbillies, where gourmet hot dogs can be enjoyed by the banks of the Ohio River. It's a quirky little place, decorated with odd nicknacks, road signs, licence plates, statues and sculptures. It also has two old yellow school buses to dine in. Hot dog toppings include coleslaw, pickles, nachos, and chili – all come with glowing customer reviews. And if you really love this place, you can even get married or renew your vows at their Hillybilly Weenie Weddin' Chapel.

This is the most expensive restaurant in every state

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to dine at SafeHouse in Milwaukee. This secret agent–themed restaurant comes complete with pre-dinner scavenger huts, hidden clues, sliding bookcases, and spy cameras. You even need a password to enter. The inventive menu includes Mission Impossible Angus beef patties, Covert Chops, and Classified Breakfasts, and customers say the food is as good as the whole experience.

Head to the huge wide open skies of Wyoming for an unusual experience at the Cavalryman Steakhouse. Set on the parade grounds of historic Fort Sanders, established in 1866, it features old wagons and wood-paneled walls. The restaurant is also filled with old black and white photos from the time. As well as local and regional steaks (some say it's the best steak they've ever eaten) it offers a 'surf and turf' menu, and a range of interesting soups and salads. Look out for the ruins of the fort’s powder keg on your way out. 

This is the best steakhouse in every state