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Restaurants tend to put a lot of thought into the ambiance that defines the dining experience, and there are many establishments that opt for a fairly kitschy aesthetic defined by a sizeable collection of tchotchkes. That includes an eatery in New Jersey that’s been in business for more than 80 years and has turned to the internet for help after someone snatched a walrus penis that was on display behind the bar.
Philadelphia might be the Cheesesteak Capital of the World, but if Anthony Bourdain is to be believed, one of the best sandwiches in the area can actually be found across the Delaware River at Donkey’s Place in Camden, New Jersey.
The restaurant and bar, which opened for business in 1943, breaks from Philly tradition by replacing the traditional hoagie with a kaiser roll dotted with poppy seeds and forgoing Cheez Whiz and provolone in favor of American cheese.
Diners who make the trek to Donkey’s Place are treated to a divey atmosphere defined by a bar littered with random trinkets, which includes a fairly unconventional artifact that was recently snatched by a customer.
A cheesesteak place in New Jersey is searching for a man who stole a walrus penis from behind its bar
The bar at Donkey’s Place has long been home to a walrus baculum, which is a fancy word for “penis bone.”
Those bones are found in the private parts of most male mammals aside from primates, and the tusked pinnipeds are the species responsible for the longest ones; in 2007, a four-foot-long fossilized walrus baculum believed to be the largest in existence was auctioned off for $8,000.
The one displayed at Donkey’s Place is a bit more modest, but it has served as a conversation piece that makes guests routinely inquire about its origins before the staff informs them what they’re holding.
According to a TikTok video that an employee posted at the end of December, three guys spent a few hours drinking at the bar on the day before New Year’s Eve and got the chance to get up close and personal with the baculum before fleeing the scene with the penis bone in tow.
@donkeysplacecamden We want our “bone” back! Please help!
The owner told NJ.com the man who was filmed taking it used a credit card to pay but has no interest in pressing charges against the alleged thief, saying they simply want him to return the pilfered item.
Here’s to hoping there’s a happy ending.