An old joke has it that someone went to a restaurant with a leaky roof—and it took several hours to finish the soup. Another version is that the person went to an open-air restaurant, and that it rained and, again, took several hours to finish the soup.
 
American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen (1903-1978) told the joke on The Charlie McCarthy Show in 1954.
 
             
4 April 1954, Milwaukee (WI) Journal, “Radio and TV Funny Business,” Screen-Radio-Television sec., pg. 23, col. 1:
Bergen: When it rained the other day, Mortimer, did your roof leak?
Snerd: I think so, ‘cause at supper it took me five hours to finish my soup!
— Bergen-McCarthy Show.
 
20 January 1976, Gettysburg (PA) Times, “Eb and Flo” comic strip, pg. 10, col. 1:
FLO: I WAS JUST THINKING HOW NICE IT WOULD BE TO SIT OUTSIDE IN THE SUN HAVING A MEAL IN ONE OF THOSE OPEN-AIR RESTAURANTS
EB: LAST TIME WE TRIED THAT IT RAINED!
EB: IT TOOK ME AN HOUR TO FINISH MY SOUP!
   
13 January 1994, Milwaukee (WI) Sentinel, “Forest Bowl: Underdog team puts its best foot forward,” pg. 3C:
Frank Gongola says the homeowner hired a roofer.
 
“What’s wrong with the roof?” the roofer asked.
 
“I’ve got a leak,” the homeowner said.
 
“How do you know?”
 
“It takes me an hour to finish my soup.”
 
8 March 2003, Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland), “There’s no smoke without ire; Eating out: Smoke Stack” by Tam Cowan, pg. 9:
How about this fine effort from wisecracking Thomas Dunn from East Kilbride, who dropped us a line to warn about the weather- related, culinary dangers of dinging at those open-air continental cafes.
 
“I tried one in Paris last summer and it suddenly started to rain,” says Thomas.
 
“Do you realise it took me about three-and-a-half hours to finish my soup?”
   
Google Books
It’s Better to Die Laughing Than to Be Dead Serious:
How to Be the Life of Party, the Podium and Every In Between
By Marvin Maupin
Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse
2010
Pg. 63:
An old gentleman had a leak in the roof over his dining room, so he called a repairman to take a look at it. “When did you first notice the leak?” the repairman inquired. The man said, “Last night, when it took me two hours to finish my soup!”
 
Twitter
Steve‏
@behindallbars
My wife and I were eating at an outdoor cafe….when we got heavy rain…it took me 1 1/2 hours to finish my soup! #bartending #NEFollowers
4:43 PM - 20 Sep 2010
   
Google Books
Crap Dad Jokes:
Because Dads aren’t as funny as they think they are
By Ian Allen
London, UK: Portico
2013
Pg. ?:
First man: I went to an open-air restaurant last week.
Second man: Was it any good?
First man: Well, it started raining just after I got there and it took me an hour to finish my soup.
 
Twitter
Dr D‏
@JAFD74
I went to an open-air cafe yesterday and it rained. Took me four hours to finish my soup.
6:16 AM - 13 Dec 2017
 
Twitter
Paolo Marchiori‏
@marchioman
Replying to @LillyWinwood
“When I was a kid my grandma used to take me out for lunch at one of these beautiful open air restaurants. One day it started raining. Took me three hours to finish my soup.”
(not mine, heard it 30 years ago from an italian comedian, sorry for the poor translation)
12:18 AM - 9 Feb 2018
 
Reddit—Jokes
Santa had a leakage in the roof over his dining room
submitted February 23, 2018 by aagnee
Plumber : “Sir, When did you notice it ?”
Santa : “Last night, When it took me 3 hours to finish my soup”
Source : r/comedycemetery