 It took a while for my bluefish and tostones to show up this weekend. No worries - I had some sparkling Chilean wine and was still coming down from a spicy anticuchos appetizer. Close quarters, so it was easy for me to determine pretty quickly that the couple sitting nearby were kind of...jerks. I like to like people. The world is much nicer that way. New York City restaurant seating makes that difficult sometimes because you're squashed up against each other so tightly, it's almost as if you've got extra, uninvited dinner companions. Sometimes, that's not a bad thing - I've developed some ongoing friendships with people I've met sitting at restaurant bars. These people, though...these people... The gentleman sent his steak back - not because there was anything fundamentally wrong with it (my husband had the exact same dish and it was pretty darned delicious), but rather because it just kind of wasn't what he wanted, and because it turns out, that's just what he DOES. Though they had little to say about the specifics of the steak's flaws, I learned (and seriously - I was not eavesdropping; it was a combo of proximity and volume) that 1. his family was known to gather 'round, eat most of a dish and then send it back with a speck left on the plate and 2. they were NEVER coming back here ANYWAY, so it didn't matter how they behaved. His date rather rudely dismissed the server when dessert was offered, (We don't WANT anything else!) and when they finally made their exit, the air in the restaurant just felt fresher. There are valid reasons to send back a dish - it's not what you ordered, it's polluted with foreign objects or significantly over or undercooked. I've never been of the notion that something just not being quite what you want would be cause for sending something back. If a server sees I haven't really eaten much of something and offers a replacement dish, I may say yes, but I'm not likely going to seek that out. Am I just being too sensitive or are you similarly squeamish about the practice? |
  Recent Posts
 |
 |
|
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
I only send a dish back if it's inedible. I found a fly on my grilled-cheese sandwich at home today and killed it. Problem solved :)
There have been times when I have kept something that was not what I ordered but was amazing. There have been times when I've sent something back that was what I ordered but was not what I expected. Sometimes menus just don't really give a good indication of what you're getting and sometimes it is a genuine mistake.
There was also one time when my food took almost an hour to get. It was wrong. I sent it back, with a reminder of what I had ordered. Over a half hour later a second (different) wrong dish came out. I sent it back again and told them don't bother trying again. I wasn't hungry anymore, even though I hadn't eaten anything, and told the manager I wouldn't be paying for the soda I consumed while waiting because it was so unacceptable. The server was not tipped, and I have never returned.
But a week ago at another place they brought out a small dish we hadn't ordered and it was so good we insisted they bill us for it (and bring out another!) The server was generously tipped for their delicious mistake.
Eating most then sending back for a refund is shoplifting, plain and simple and should be treated as such, including calling in police if they refuse to pay the bill.
There was a restaurant that I used to go to really often. Hometown brewery with good pub food. They had the most amazing veggie burger I have EVER had. I moved to another town nearby, and hadn't gone to this place for...about a year..and then went back and ordered the same veggie burger. When it came out, it looked so unbelievably disgusting, nothing like it was when I used to get it. I couldn't get past the look to even attempt tasting it. So when the waitress asked, I just said I couldn't eat it. When she asked why, I didn't really have an answer, except that it looked disgusting. (Like mush on a ciabatta roll with this red, slimy-supposed to be ouli-stuff on it. Oh and I had asked for cheese and sauteed onions on it and there were about 3 sauteed onions that looked like they had been sitting around for a year and the cheese looked like a cross between cheese whiz and melted swiss mixed together and smeared on the patty). So I ask you, was I wrong to send it back and just have it taken off the bill? Technically, there wasn't anything wrong with it, IF, in fact, that is how they serve it now, but it wasn't what I had anticipated from previous trips to this pub and it looked inedible. (And in case this matters, i'm the person who would only ever send something back if it had a hair or bug or something in it. I've never sent anything back before because it truly looked gross. I was astonished any cook/chef would send that out of a kitchen.)
Nope not wrong. If it looked disgusting I venture to say that it was going to taste disgusting. Not sense in trying to eat it and getting sick.
You had reasonable expectations based on a previous visit and they weren't met. I see nothing wrong with what you did.
There was a time I was a regular at a place called Foxy's in Treasure Island, FL. They had some garlic wings that were the best. They were lick-the-plate best! Went there many times. Then one day ..... something changed. The garlic sauce was oily, bland, tasteless ..... and the wings looked like someone had molested a canary to make this dish. I gave Foxy's about 3 more tries after that before I stopped going back.
I actually had a raw pork wellington once. I had some and had to send the rest back, I actually was sick from it later.
Outside of that I will eat pretty much anything.
And then you get restaurants that go above and beyond your expectations. Once at CPK my bf and I were splitting a bbq chicken pizza and the manager came over and explained that our order came out a little too brown on the bottom and it was below their standards so he said we could box it up and take it home plus they would cook a new pizza for free that was up to their standards. We said we wouldn't mind eating and paying for the overcooked (it was barely browned) pizza but he insisted we get a new one for free. Talk about service! They didn't even give us the chance to send it back.
I've pretty much given up eating at my friends and my favorite restaurant. I'm friendly with a lot of the staff so I'll still go for drinks from time to time but I'm done paying for mistake after mistake with our food.
The last time I got food there I ordered a burrito with a specific type of sauce (not a special order – it was an option on the menu that I often ordered). When it came out, the sauce was not there, instead they just threw some wing sauce in it (just because it's spicy doesn't mean it belongs in a burrito). I said something to the waiter and rather than fix my meal, he disappeared for awhile and just came back with a dish of sauce on the side – Not what I wanted to happen. I ended up not eating my meal. I would have pushed further/asked for a discount but the place was packed and we were already using a discount coupon so it wasn't really a loss.
This past weekend my friends were ordering food there and they screwed up everything. My one friend is a vegetarian and they brought out her dish with chicken in it. This was completely the kitchen's fault as the waitress double checked with her twice that she was ordering the vegetarian dish. Also the appetizer everyone ordered came at the end of the meal completly wrong. It had tons of extra toppings on it that my friend did not ask for. It was crazy but everything was replaced with the correct dishes (it helps to be friends with the manager) but I was glad I didn't shell out the money to eat with them that night.
I really only complain if the mistake is something like a sauce that I asked to be removed/replaced since you can't really pick that off your plate. Everything else (like a sandwich with no onions) I'll just remove myself. It's not worth the hassle.
I didn't used to send food back but finally got over it. The few times that I have sent food back were because of extremely overcooked or undercooked steak.
I rarely send things back, but I will if there's something really wrong. Raw when it's not supposed to be – well done when I asked for medium rare – or when there's something nasty about it (i.e., stuff that shouldn't be there).
But if I ordered it wrong or forgot to tell them? Too bad for me!
If your food is bad or cooked wrong send it back and let the server know why, if it was their mistake you have no reason to worry about looking like the bad guy. As i chef i can always tell who was the one that messed up and sent out bad food from the kitchen in the first place. I once ordered a steak rare and got it charred to a crisp, i told the server and the manager came over and offered me another steak, i told him my wife will be done with her meal by the time my steak comes out so no thank you just take it off my bill. It was removed and i have never been back since. However if you are one of those people that changes your mind during a meal and says to the waiter as your plate hits the table " i actually wanted to get the steak instead of the chicken you are likely to piss some people off in the kitchen.
As a waitress during the summers i once had a patron send back her diner. She was outraged that we had tried to "poison" her with animal flesh as she is a vegetarian.... incidentally she ordered the veal. Who can a self proclaimed vegetarian not know that veal is meat?
I will send back food if I need to, if it's under/over cooked, if it's messed up in some way, if there are things like hair, flies or metal bits in it – all of which I have found in my food, at some surprisingly upscale places. In the case of something not being cooked or presented right (i.e. wrong side, something I asked to remove still on the plate, etc.), I am usually very extremely polite and understanding, but I do ask for it to be corrected.
In the case of contaminants, I almost never give a second chance, mostly just because I've at that point lost my appetite, and I have no desire to keep eating something else from the same kitchen. This may be a little unfair to an otherwise excellent kitchen, but I can't control that my gut reaction upon pulling a hair from my mouth, or spotting a fly underneath my potato, or pulling a metal bit from eggs, is to expel the eaten portion of the food from my body.
I never send back a meal if I feel the error is on my end. For instance, trying shrimp and lobster sauce for the first time and discovering I hate it. That's my fault, so I don't make an issue of it, I just eat what I can and leave the rest. Only once has a particularly perceptive and attentive waitress keyed in on the fact that I just didn't like the meal, and insisted that I order a different one instead. When I did, the resulting meal was excellent and I tipped her well, but sending back an ordering mistake is not something I would ordinarily do.
Unfortunately as many people as I have seen that have said that they would never even think of deliberately messing with food given to a customer, I have seen an equal number of people declaring that they would gladly spit in the food of anyone committing what seem to me to be minor offenses. While I'd love to eat at the places where contaminating food is unheard of, as a customer, there's no way for me to tell what the people behind the scenes would do or not do to my food. So unless there really is something that the server can take back to the kitchen and point out, I don't find it advantageous to complain too much about my order. If it's basically right and tastes good, I don't nitpick.
The only times that I've ever sent food back at restaurants are when a dish contains nuts (which I'm deathly allergic to) that weren't listed on the menu in a dish that didn't sound like something that would logically contain them. Normally if that happens I'm extremely apologetic, as I feel bad for the staff for putting up with me.
Here's another scenario I have no problem taking responsibility for: If I order something "w/o onions" and it comes out with onions, I'll send it back. If I forget to tell them "no onions" them I'll pick 'em off. Totally my bad!
I'll send it back if it's not how I ordered. I won't make a fuss. I won't be apologetic. I'll just tell the waitstaff "hey, this isn't what I ordered (or there's something wrong with it–I had glass in a bellini once), can you remove this and bring me what I ordered/one that isn't messed up." No need to bow and scrape, no need to be a twat either. Sheesh.
I just had this discussion with some friends and for me, it turns out it depends on the type of restaurant. I realized that I'm reluctant to send back my entree at American-style restaurants unless it's a higher-end establishment but I won't hesitate at a Chinese restaurant (I'm Chinese) or other place that serves more ethnic food. I think I am concerned on some level that I'll upset the waitstaff. Sometimes it's not such a big deal that my order was slightly wrong but I'll mention it b/c I assume someone would want to know, but I don't usually care enough to send it back. But if I order a particular Chinese dish, there is absolutely a way they can get it WRONG and I'll send it back immediately. With American food, I sometimes assume the way I got it is the way it was intended unless it's obviously not right. Maybe I just don't like it very much, but I don't send it back unless I really hate it, and I pay for it. I do ask questions about the menu. I've sent back food that was cold to get warmed up.
A friend who helped put himself through college by waitering in the Poconos told me the following: On one occasion, a returned, underdone steak was thrown to the floor and stepped on by one of the chefs, then handed over to one of the cooks for re-grilling. (That was one angry chef.) That and other waitering stories taught me alot about restaurants: Don't do anything that could tick off the staff; the people who handle your food are not saints.
As they say... "what comes around goes around!"
Years ago, at a chain pancake house, a friend I was lunching with found a chip of broken glass in his salad. When he complained, the manager came to the table and stonewalled, hinting that he had put the glass in himself to score a freebie. (A free side salad? Really worth the trouble?) My friend denied this, so the manager lugged a huge, unappetizing bag of cut lettuce to our table to "prove" that the salad came to the restaurant already prepared so it was somehow impossible for the glass to be the restaurant's responsibility. Faced with that kind of bone-headedness, I just never went back and in a year or so the restaurant folded. I wonder why.
A Mexican restaurant we frequent makes good, cheap tortilla soup. The last several times we've ordered it, though, it's just been soooooooooo salty – and I say that as someone who likes salt. It's been salty to the point of inedible, not just "add a couple ice cubes" salty. We've sent it back each time and it's come back better.
I don't eat beef or pork, so if I order a turkey burger or veggie burger, I need it to be cooked on a surface that hasn't recently been used to cook beef or pork, or I could get sick. That's generally a given with veggie burgers, but turkey burgers are questionable, so I ask about how and where they're cooked. Likewise, if something I order normally comes with bacon, I'll tell the server I'm allergic to bacon, because they and the kitchen are more likely to prep one without bacon than they are to just pick the bacon off.
When I go to PF Chang's, I order my kung pao chicken with no scallions. Actually, whenever I order a dish that I know comes with a scallion garnish, I ask them to leave it off. One time, PF Chang's left the scallions on, and I sighed a bit to myself and just picked them off. Halfway through the meal, the manager came over, apologized, offered us free mini-desserts, and took my dinner off the bill. We told him he didn't have to do that (it was just scallion garnish!), but he insisted.
I'm more likely to send back an item if I'm at a restaurant that I'm likely to return to. The reason is that I will have an ongoing relationship with that restaurant. If I'm really dissatisfied (order wrong, something very badly cooked) I want the staff to have an opportunity to make things right for me. It's only fair that they have a chance to show me that they want to keep their end of the bargain.
In Dublin a friend of mine and I were served an hors d'oeuvre made of chicken. When we bit into it, we realized the chicken was raw and still quite cold. We asked the waiter about it and he realized that he had brought out a dish that was about to be cooked instead of a cooked one. Yes, we sent it back.
I always find it odd that if something is wrong with your food, that you would send it back and have them replace it with the same thing. I wouldn't bother getting the same bad food twice. (I once had a chicken potpie with a completely raw dough crust that I sent back–they offered to make me a new one but no way! If they didn't get it right the first time they probably won't the second time either. I just ordered a sandwich) I will only send something back if it's inedible due to being undercooked, they REALLY messed up my order (small mess-ups are ok) or an eyeball is floating in my soup. Otherwise I just eat what I can and move on. If it's just a matter of taste, ie they overcook, have bad recipes, etc, I just don't go back again.
my husband and i were at a japanese restaurant in vienna. he ordered a large udon noodle soup which came in a very deep bowl and had all kinds of vegetables in it. to our surprise, he found a hard-boiled egg in there too (with the shell). we kind of thought it was odd but that maybe it was part of the dish and didn't say anything. in the end, we asked our waiter if the egg was supposed to be in there (shell and all) – he apologized and said 'no'. we were kind of grossed out after that – and i don't even think we asked for any compensation. we just got the heck out of there....
to this day i still wonder how the egg got in there.
The only thing I ever sent back was undercooked pork medallions. Usually I won't say anything, but, ya know, pork.... The waitress was "super polite and apologetic" and explained that they had a new cook. They also comped me the meal, which was a pleasant surprise. And she got a nice tip.
Yes I will send it back for several reasons... Poor quality like a steak that's poorly trimmed, full of fat, etc.. Something that just plain tastes bad... It's not what I ordered... It's tainted with whatever (I got a bowl of soup once with a piece of a swizzle stick in it)... or maybe it turns out to be not as advertised... Lots of reasons, but I send it back to communicate my dissatisfaction and give the place a chance to make it right, never for a freebie.
Hell yes....if the food sucks...I will send it back...but only if it's BAD....not if it's OK...OK is fine...we just won't be coming back. Also...if the place just doesn't look that good...and the food sucks...no bother in sending it back...it'll suck again. It's really only when the restaurant has an attitude..."our food is excellent!" – if I do send food back...I tell them exactly why. If the server says, "Well...it's like that because we use an organic salt...and that tastes like that." ...I may change my mind, and try to explore the flavor...even if I don't like it.
Oh, I also once sent back a burger at McDonald's. It was a hamburger for my little guy and it was pink inside! Their excuse? They were super busy so they weren't cooking the burgers as long. WTF? I reported them right away. Just because you are busy does mean you can undercook meat and potentially sicken someone. Did they not learn anything from the big E Coli Jack in the Box fiasco? Geez.
I once went to McDonald's and ordered a hamburger (at the Drive-Thru). Got home and opened it up to take the pickle off (I don't like pickles but don't want to wait the time for a special-made) and there was no patty! Bun, ketchup, mustard, pickle, onions, but no patty! I took it back and explained what happened to them. They were surprised and apologetic, and gave me a new one. Glad I lived close by.
I once sent back a plate at Steak and Shake. The burger was like some miniscule amount of meat and there barely any fries on the plate. I requested a new plate. They were swamped and when the waitress actually looked at the food, even she was surprised it had been served that way.
The only time I've ever sent anything back was a burger because there was a bug on it. Unless there is something unedible (or just gross) going on with my food I dont send it back. Though I have asked for extra sauce etc to improve the flavor. I hate when people will send a dish back for a very slight flaw when the food is perfectly good! Unless there is a compelling reason (ie food allergies or, like me, a bug) then I don't think the food should be sent back.
When you ask for Robin's Egg Blue paint and you're handed a can of Fire Engine Red, I suppose this is also acceptable to you. Just go ahead and change all the furniture, carpeting, etc. to match the incorrect order.
Having worked as a server in a restaurant, I can tell you that if you p.o.'d the cook/chef, you could end up with "things" in your food that you definitely didn't want. You wouldn't see or smell them but they will be there. If, as a server, I complained, I found that I would be fired. Servers are plentiful and cheap, cooks/chefs not so much.
The Poll is terrible. If this was a restaurant I would send it back. The poll goes from sending something back for it not being EXACTLY as ordered and being a jerk about it to apologizing for sending food back when the error is not your fault?! If food is cooked way off the mark from what I ordered and or tastes terrible, I will politely send it back. If the restaurant is expensive, I give them less leeway. Please learn how to write a decent poll.
I have had to send food bad numerous times due to having servere food allergies and after having told the waiter or waitress not to put something on my meal and yet they do it anyways. I am deathly allergic to nuts any all kinds went to a Fillipino restaurant and asked 4 times did they use peanut oil in there food I was told NO, well after reciveing the meal I started to eat and in 3 seconds I started to itch and my throat was closing. It was awful spent the evening in the ER and all because someoone failed to listen to me.
I've had the problem where waiters try to scrape the nuts off and send me the same plate. People don't understand that even a little is enough to kill you...
My friend took me to a crappy old grain building restaurant in East Aurora and everything I ordered arrived with nuts on it. They were not listed on the menu. I asked the waitress to bring me the menu (yeah-like I'm gonna order something that will kill me), when she finally brought me the menu I asked her to show me where the nuts where. she replied "Well, if you ate here more often you would know that almost everything has nuts on it." I told her it was my first and last time there. Not paying the bill and not tipping. How ignorant can a waitress be?
Now-when I go to a restaurant I specifically tell them-if you put nuts on it and ortake them off and still serve it to me you will be paying for the ER bill, the medicine and I may sue you. I went to another retaurant in EA and asked if the salad I wanted had nuts on it already or was it something they added last minute and explained why. Talk about impressed-the owner came out to talk to me and said she had asked the kitchen to accomadate me by wiping down all surfaces associated with said salad and that they had to change their gloves. I was so happy and thanked her profusely and told her I would be telling everyone about Rick's and how decent they are. Love them!!! Told her to please tell all kitchen staff I was sorry for the bit of extra work and that the food was fabulous!!!!
The number 1 reason I send food back is bacause there is way too much pepper on it. I'm really sick of restaraunts that constantly put hot peppers, cayenne, tabasco or ground pepper in everything. If I want "a kick" or some "heat" I'll add those things myself. "Spicy" doens not mean "hot".
I've eaten more terrible plates than I care to remember. What terrible food does is tell me that I'm not coming back or that is what I would expect at a particular restaurant. I've even abandoned food completely, paid and left. As someone that has eaten her body weight in hospital food, if I find it completely inedbile it's not fit for hogs. One such example? An Italian restaurant (highly recommended, HA), ordered pasta. Came in a bowl, stuck in my fork....and lifted up the entire bowl shaped wad of pasta, that had been sitting in a lake of oil. We called for the check, paid for it and walked out, stoppping for fast food on the way home.
I've sent food back a couple of times, the most famous in a restaurant complete with tuxedoed waiters, where they served me crab cakes that smelled like they had been on the docks in the sun for a week. Waiter came back a few minutes later, carrying the plate saying 'the chef says he can't smell anything'. I said 'uh, but i'm the one that has to eat it'. Shrugged, ate my salad while the waiter fussed asking if I wanted something different, and we just didnt' have the time. Would I go back? Not on your life. If that guy can't smell rotten fish, I'm not wandering past the salad, thanks. Paid for the meal, but again, not going back.
I can deal with 'oops, gravy', but there are certain mistakes that I can't deal with, like the aforementioned crab cakes. Or my diabetic husband receiving pancakes instead of an omelet. He can't put up with the carbs, and there has to be a line somewhere.
I fully understand the challenges of a kitchen, and wouldn't want that job myself. But bottomline is, people are coming in and PAYING for the food, this isn't some favour that the restaurant is doing, especially not with overpriced drinks and the concomittant expected tip. Dining out isn't cheap, a little respect towards the customer goes a long way. Customers shouldn't be a PITA, but you get to have a limit as to what you'll put up with.
I worked in the fod service industry since I was fourteen, twenty three years later....I think I have seen it ALL. People will send back anything. I will share this one....I was managing and it was late afternoon. A lady and gentlemen were eating and I was called over to the table. They were more than halfway through and they lady asked me to remove her meal from her check. I asked Why, was it cooked to your standards? How was the service? Etc.Etc. she said that she walked by a table on her way to the restroom and they lad was nursing her baby. That made her sick to her stomach and it is our fault we should ask all mothers nursing to use the restroom. (I was seven months pregnant at the time.) I said nothing handed her my boss's business card with my name. I told her under no circumstances would I be removing anything from her bill. And just to state this for the record. Yes, the Mom was nursing, she was COMPLETELY covered up. You knew what she was doing but could see NOTHING!! Funny stuff!
oh wow. everyone else was eating, why not let the baby have his supper! TRUE baby horror story: i was waiting on a table once in our back dining room. the room was empty except for them, which for some reason made them think it was okay to change their baby's diaper at the back corner booth... ON TOP OF THE TABLE. i asked the manager to speak with them/direct them to the ladies room with a changing table provided. now THAT was unacceptable.
one last story.... i was eating out at a restaurant where an old manager of mine was working, and he told me this KILLER sendback story. an older couple was eating at a table on their streetside outdoor patio and their puppy was leashed to the fence around the area, laying down on the sidewalk outside. they ordered grilled steak for the pup and after about 10 minutes they asked for the manager (my friend). he asked what he could do to help them and they told him their dog didnt like his steak and that it should be taken off their bill. they then asked that a new meal be prepared for the dog but that they did not intend to pay for it. WOW. nasty people like that are the ones that make waitstaff disgruntled, not nice people who just want their food done correctly!
Once I was breastfeeding my child in a restaurant-totally covered up- and a man came by my table and told me to take it to the ladies room. I told him "only if you eat your dinner in there too!" people are idiots
I'm not a particularly fussy eater and so I can't ever recall needing to send anything back. I would send something back if it seemed borderline dangerous (ie, undercooked chicken or pork) or if something got into the food that wasn't intended (ie, a fly, hair, baby's pacifier, etc).
In my case, as an example, meat comes in 3 stages: 1) raw 2) cooked 3) charcoal. As long as it's #2 I'll be fine.
I don't know why everyone keeps giving the serving staff a "pass". It is their responsiblity to bring you the food as you ordered it.
In general I'm a pretty easy eater, I'll happily drink cold tomato soup from a can in a pinch. I like spicy food, non spicy, veggies, pretty much whatever you put in front of me I'm ok. I have only once sent a dish back and it was an absolutely inedible chopped steak salad from the Outback. It tasted as if the entire shaker of spice had been dumped on the meat, the salt and spice physically hurt my mouth. I tried explaining it to the server, who called the manager who just flounced and huffed that it was a "spicy dish" and it stated on the menu. She was absolutely non sympathetic as I explained I have no problem with spicy dishes, it seemed as though there had been a mistake. It literally seemed like the cook had dumped the entire bottle of spice on the steak. She just kept rolling her eyes and huffing and acting like a put out high school drama queen. I finally had her remove it the dish, I probably ate 3 bites. They offered no replacement of the dish and nothing else from the menu. They also insisted we pay for the dish as the issue was "You should have paid attention to whether or not a dish is spicy". Can anyone guess if I've been back to the Outback? I have friends that routinely send items back and I just shiver, unless you are in a high end restaurant where there is an actual chef I can only imagine what the grill cook is doing to their food.
Of course I have sent thing back over the years..... and the more expensive the establishment, the more likely I am to demand that for which I have paid. Meat ordered rare that arrives well-done for example or hot soup that arrives at room temperature ............
I cannot eat dairy. I tend to choose "safe" items in the first place, but *always* check with the waitress/waiter, asking them to check that what I want has no milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, whey, or other dairy. I've had food come to the table with cheese on it, or with a pat of butter, or some other obvious dairy source.
The entire dish goes back and I leave a minuscule tip. If I'm making a fairly big deal which is obvious to the wait staff that it is important to me ...and they completely air-ball this, they they're failing to do their job. So, yes. I'll readily send stuff back and I'll politely apologize, but it's the wait-staff's fault, not me being picky.
The one and only time I've ever sent anything back, it was an order of chicken strips that were still raw in the middle. I had eaten half of one before realizing the center was completely raw. They took the strips back to the kitchen and cooked them again, returning the exact same ones to me minutes later (including the half eaten one). An hour later (and for the next 12 hours or so), I was violently ill. It turns out, that was also the one and only time I've had food poisoning.
If something is crap and they serve it to me then I say this is crap and I leave.
Having worked in a kitchen, I want the person handling my food to like me. You have no idea what cooks will do to get back at the SOB at table 12. If the situation can't be handled with respect to the cook, just move on and don't go back.
I will only send something back if there is something seriously wrong with it. If I don't trust the cook I absolutely will not send it back. Only once was I so angry that I never went back to the restaurant, and we had been regulars there. I had ordered a dish and they had put what tasted like oil over the top of it. Not a whole lot but I am not fond of oil, but I ate it and took note of what to ask for next time. When I ordered the next time, I asked the waitress if they could leave it off. It was one of those restaurants where the cooks cook in a kitchen where you can watch them. When my dish came out the waitress apologized as she put the plate in front of me and said "I know you ordered it without oil but they said it wasn't oil. It is butter". I said "Oh come on!". I looked over and all five cooks were standing there watching me with smiles on their faces. I asked for a second plate and a stack of napkins. The manager apologized and they gave us coupons for two free future meals. But if you can't trust the cooks.... I can't go back.
Have only sent food back a couple of times – once was a steak that I had ordered medium-rare and it was well-done and so dry, I just couldn't eat it (and it was at a restaurant that we ate at on a regular basis) and once was soup that just wasn't right, which they replaced with another that was fine
I've never sent anything back, but once I ordered a black bean burger and it was absolutely horrible, so I just decided not to eat it. Before we got the bill the waitress noticed that I didn't eat it and asked if it was okay and I told her the truth. She asked if I wanted to order something else, but everyone was finished eating, so she justremoved it from the bill and said she would tell the kitchen. That was good enough for me.
It really depends on where I'm eating if I'll send something back. If I'm in a top-class restaurant, a place where they truly cater to the diner, most of the time I can be sure my food is done the way I ordered. I'll only return it if it's entirely the wrong thing, cooked incorrectly, or contains something that I purposely asked them to remove (such as anything made of pork). If I'm in some mid-grade place, I have to really think about whether I'd send the food back or not. I don't want anything coming back with "special sauce." I also hate the dirty looks they give you (especially in mom-and-pop places).
But I have a friend who returns things because she "doesn't like it," or decides she "no longer wants it," or somehow she's changed her mind. I find this type of behaviour to be rude. I almost hate dining out with her because it is embarrassing and I'm always afraid the kitchen will retaliate. Restaurants should really crack down on these type of people. I know they want to please their customers but really, these jerks who purposely do this are just driving up prices for the rest of us.
I had to mark "Other", because I have only sent something back a few times, and it's always been because the dish was not presented as described on the menu. Namely, it contained significant amounts of something that I would avoid when given the option.
Once, the primary ingredient was mushrooms, and when I mentioned to the server that I wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known, he indicated that he'd heard that a lot. The other times were dishes containing onions, which I have an aversion to, and I always ask the server in advance if a dish contains any, just in case. The few times that something has arrived with onions anyway, I've always tried to be polite, and most servers in turn are very apologetic and nice when it came to swapping my dish out for something else or remaking it.
I've twice returned chicken that was so undercooked it was literally frozen, and fries that were ice cold.
People that return food to try and get a freebie should be arrested for shoplifting, fraud, or whatever you call that kind of scam. It dilutes the societal ability to politely complain with no ulterior motive.
One time at my local pub I ordered the beef ribs that were 'on' special. They were great! A few weeks later they had the beef ribs again, and they were gross, but I didn't say anything and just picked and the and gave the rest to my bf, and just ate my fries. A few weeks later again I decided to give them another try, and gross again. When when waitress stopped by to see how we were doing she noticed I hadn't eaten my ribs. I told her that I didn't like them, they just weren't my taste, nothing wrong per se. She took them off my bill without me asking for a thing!
I rarely send something back, maybe 2 or 3 times in the last 15 years. Once there was obvious cross contamination on my plate from someone other table's dish–I've been victim of restaurant food poisoning before, so I take no chances! It has to be disgusting or pretty much inedible. If I made a bad call and just don't like the dish I selected because it's not my taste, then I just suck it up.
I will return it if it is inedible. (Contaminated or not cooked sufficiently or so extremely salty as to be an obvious error). But never would be rude to the server (or cook) and would never be so ignorant as to waste a meal due to a change of mind. If the food was prepared as you asked... you owe the establishment a payment for services rendered.
I have sent several things back for various reasons. I am not a meat eater, so if it has meat on it I send it back. If the food comes out wrong (mayo or another product on it that I asked to have removed or on the side), I will send it back. I have forgotten to ask for a topping removed and then have politely asked to have it redone because it is too spicy and will make me sick. I used to never send food back, but after eating things that are not good for me and getting sick I learned that I need to speak up for myself. I always try to be nice about it but sometimes the staff are very rude and so I will not go back.
I sent back a buffalo burger twice – it was undercooked both times. I just ate around the edges and left the rest. It wasn't very good anyway. Buffalo does not taste like beef!
Nope. Tastes better.
Nothing rare tastes the same when it's well done – and vice versa. I love buffalo (bison?) burgers BECAUSE they taste the same as beef with (some fraction) less fat! Senor, don't discount the buffalo/bison burger until you get one prepared to your liking – then form your opinion.
The first time I had a bison burger the lighting in the restaurant made the (rare) meat look orange. :) I thought that was funny and dug in. Found out later that it was just lighting. ;)))))))))
I recall as a kid my dad sending back cold fries, the waitress came and he was squishing a fry between his fingers. We got hot fries in no time. Fast forward 20 years and my dad ordered onion rings at the restaurant in San Francisco. They were so nasty greasy I sent them back, didn't want them replaced since they would also be greasy and it was removed from the bill. Most recently I was at Peohe's in Coronado, right on the water in San Diego harbor. Nice place and $$$$ due tot he location. I ordered Mahi Mahi tacos and the fish was really dry, the mango salsa didn't match. Really what I should have done is sent it back when I took the first bite and got something else. $14 for two fish tacos is way too much to spend for something you don't like.
What Gordon Ramsay does on his show kitchen nightmares is to ask the chef to taste something that's improperly prepared. I wished I had asked the waitress to have the chef and/or manager to taste this dried up fish. Next time.
Now if you're in another country watch out. The first time I went to Ukraine I asked the guide if what was on the menu was scallops. Apparently she didn't know anything about food and what I ended up getting was veal scallopini. I tried to argue and with the language barrier the waitress looked pi$$ed so I just ate it. I also asked the wine steward about wines made in Crimea (southern region) and he said they only have sparkling wine from Crimea. I thanked him for the wine list, handed it back to him and he SLAMMED it on the bar... apparently because I didn't order any wine. Just hours into the country I managed to pi$$ off two people so for those concerned about people spitting in your food I'd watch out in foreign countries. Another note. On two occasions I asked to sit at a different table than the hostess had suggested, one place I had reservations and neither place was even 50% capacity. Both times service was purposely slow and at Shahrizad in Kiev we were not served at all. When we went to leave our menus were taken back before we could get two steps away from our table. That place sucked with the loud entertainment, belly dancer. My friend said "20 grivna for entertainment" though no restaurant employee asked. I said hell no we're outta here I'm not paying for anything.
For tasty recipes look up my 150 video recipes on youtube, search for divinechef :)
maybe part of the problem is that you are in a foreign country, "with a language barrier" as you say...it's not their job to know YOUR language. So if you get the wrong thing, that falls on you for not learning to communicate with them in their native tongue.
Exactly! My dad had a similar problem in Germany. He thought he was ordering pepperoni pizza, but apparently the word that looks like "pepperoni" in German means some sort of pepper. We all thought it was pretty funny. I believe he just removed the peppers himself.
I took my parents out once and my mom's burger was completely raw on the inside. The only thing brown was the very outer edges. It was even still cold on the inside. My mom was just going to not eat but I felt bad and politely showed the waiter how pink it was. I felt nervous to say anything, but it wasn't fit to eat. The waiter was all apologetic and took it back. He brought it back out and left the table. I noticed it was all slathered with a lot more ketchup than I remembered being on it earlier. I told my mom to cut it again and low and behold it was still 100% the same. I was appalled and had my mom eat half of my burger and we didn't come back.
These Eatocracy polls are so often ridiculously black and white - so pitched - in the way they are worded. There is a HUGE difference between, "Yes! If I'm paying, it should be EXACTLY how I want and I will make a fuss," and, "I have, but I'm super polite and apologetic." If you are served something in a restaurant that is not edible for some reason, or not what you ordered, or not what you were led to expect, why should you apologize for sending it back? Why is the alternative choice in the poll the admission to being a spoiled brat? Honestly, you'd think this came out of a college newspaper. A third-tier college.
I once bit into a burger that was way too long in appearing, and found that it was stone cold in the middle. I sent it back, only to served the same sandwich - missing bite and all - heated up on the griddle and reassembled. I sent that back, too.
I recently sent back a $45 steak that was cooked well done when I asked for medium rare. Unless there's something validly wrong with the way the dish is cooked, or unless there's a foreign object in the dish that doesn't belong there, I wouldn't send food back just because I don't like it — that's my problem, not the restaurant's.
But if your server notices that you haven't eaten your dish, he or she should ask whether something was wrong with it, and should (depending on the price point of the restaurant) offer to bring something else, or have the chef come out (snazzy places only, in that case). I was once served a dish that was so repulsive that I couldn't bear to eat it after the first bite. The server said nothing about the obvious fact that I'd eaten nothing. The server got a next-to-nothing tip.
It's the server's fault you ordered something that you didn't like?
I've sent back meals a few times in my life. Once, a burger was entirely raw inside; one pasta meal was so salty I couldn't eat it. Sometimes waiters have delivered something I didn't order, such rice instead of potatoes. I usually eat what they bring anyway, but I have been known to send it back to get what I ordered.
I've sent back two wines; one was corked, and the other had gone sour. I'd never send it back because it wasn't what I thought I wanted.
Funny you should mention salt: I went to a local sub shop and ordered a tuna sub w/let, tom, mayo. I watched the dude salt the sandwich!!!! :))))))) I was so stunned I couldn't speak. Since I had already paid and was taking the sub home anyway, I took it and, once I got home, dissected the sub, added a can of tuna and a bit more mayo and divided it up between 2 sandwiches. That made it edible
Oh yeah! ... and I never darkened their doorstep again. :))))))
I wholeheartedly believe that if you go to a restaurant and order something and you just don't like the taste of it, then NO you should not send it back and especially put up a fuss about it unless there is something wrong with it that differs from its usual taste. If you want to sample dishes I would suggest you only eat at buffets where you can go back and get something different if you don't like what you have taken. This is also true for those people that go into a restaurant and order something prepared differently than the normal way it is made. If you want your meal made a certain way stay home and make it yourself – don't order something unusual and then get all upset when they just didn't do it the way you wanted. I get so aggravated when people do that time and time again and always complain that "they never get it right." Easy solution – either take it the way it is made or don't go there again and stay home and cook it yourself. You are embarrassing everyone else that has to politely listen to your quibble over you not getting your way.
Go to a buffet and send it back to the kitchen LOL :)
If you really want to screw with the heads of idiots, ask for a Nachos Bel Grande, with the chips on the side.
Confuses them every time, yet its so simple.
I went to Panda express once and asked for fried rice without peas and carrots. I don't like veggies in my fried rice and the dude was like what? Of course I just did that to get his reaction. My brother jokes that he orders his Chinese food with extra MSG. :)
I like my meat well done. Really well done. I realize this ruins the flavor and dries out the meat. I don't care. I ask for my steaks and burgers to be very well done. I tell the server, no pink. I point out that I know this means it will take extra time. I am happy to wait because getting pink beef makes me hurl. I have wanted to send back food that I considered undercooked but I am scared of having my food spit in. I did send back pancakes once because I watched them getting cold in the service window. Then I watched the served put her whole hand on them to test their warmth. She must have decided they were indeed too cold and she then flipped them over, put on a scoop of butter and brought them to me. It is not okay the handle my food like that. They brought new pancakes but I was afraid to eat them.
YUCK! Why would you even let them bring you new pancakes after that? I would have just told the manager to comp my meal and never returned. Nasty.
I was a server, people can and will be difficult. I have also sent stuff back. Badly cooked steak, cold food. But I was never ever rude and I did not ever request it "be taken off my tab" If I ate it after it was fixed, it is mine to pay for. If a foriegn object is in the food, the restaurant is obviouly going to take it off your tab even if the meal was replaced. Staff doesn't do this on purpose, things happen. Rudeness and demanding bahavior sucks for everyone. You will get further with kindess – even a free drink or app. :)
I once refused food , refused to pay, walked out not because the food was bad, in fact I didn't even taste it, but I was really pissed because it was August and the place was so hot I thought I would vomit, there was a huge TV blaring some MTV music type station and little bitty kids, like 2, 3 year-olds were running wild unsupervised by their parents who seemed to be glued to this giant TV. That atmosphere was brutal to someone who likes to relax and be quiet during a meal. I just refused to pay, walked out, never went back. Never will.
Oh young children running around is unforgivable. I remember this happening at a Chili's I was at with co-workers. The parents, oblivious! I recall a sign in a restaurant outside Vegas "Control your Children"!
Not paying makes you a thief.
yeah, way to dine and dash...that's illegal. Just because you are annoyed at the atmosphere doesn't mean you can refuse to pay. I find grocery stores full of people who can't control their shopping carts incredibly annoying but I don't feel like I can just take what I want and go.
And by the way, if it's the type of place with a big screen TV and kids, and you like peace and quiet, why are you even there in the first place?
C'mon Bud, unless you walked in wearing a blindfold, ear-plugs and a self-contained, air conditioned suit, you could see, hear & feel when you walked in that it was loud, boisterous & hot. You could have walked out at any time and save everyone some grief: before you sat down; after you placed your drink order, you could have asked your hostess or your server "is it always this hot & noisy here?" etc, etc. But no. You waited 'til you ordered, waited for your food to be served, all the while in that supposedly uncomfortable environment.
You're full of what makes the grass grow green. You walked into the place with an chip on your shoulder & had no intention of paying you bill. So instead you stole from the restaurant; stole from your server and stole that time from yourself. Good Job! [BTW, that's sarcasm.]
You just like being pissed off and self-righteous. I hope they banned you from coming back.
First off he's full of chlorophyll? Because I am pretty sure that is what makes grass grow green...now if you meant what makes green grass grow that's totally different...
Secondly, I find it hilarious how none of you actually read the part of Bud's comment where he said that he did not even taste the food...though I am in no way condoning ordering and leaving before you food arrives I'm pretty sure that is not what he said he did...
Bud's very first phrase was "I refused food." To me says food was prepared and he was served – then left.
As far as your chlorophyll comment, if ya ain't got $h!t, ya ain't got nothin' to make chlorophyll with.
You gotta HAVE hairs before you can split 'em Baldy!
My sister-in-law sends EVERYTHING back. Seriously. The woman even sent back toast once because it wasn't "toasty" enough and during that same meal sent the hashbrowns back twice. She doesn't do it to try and get a refund, she is just the pickiest eater I've ever encountered. She needs to just stay home and cook her own food! I avoid eating out with her at all costs. It's way too embarrassing.
That time I got ill tasting a dish that had fish stock in it (the menu had it listed under vegetarian dishes) was the only time I walked out and didn't pay.
ah the old dine and dash... you thief
Apparently there's alot of confusion about vegan vs vegetarian. I looked it up just now and there are MANY interpretations of what a vegetarian will and will not eat. My sister declares herself a vegetarian who eats fish, dairy & eggs. But I found definitions where that's not a textbook case – hence misunderstandings.
BOTTOM LINE: in your case, it may be to your advantage to look for vegan menus instead of vegetarian ones.
if what i've ordered isnt prepared the way i ordered it i send it back. i like my steaks to moo...and if it's not when placed upon my table back to the grill it goes. but if i just dont like what i ordered i suck it up and just nibble. unless of course its inedible and not at all what it was portrayed to be on the menu. i'm forking over the cash, it should be what i'm paying for. and unless its a horrible gaffe on the server's part (i ordered rare and an obviously well done steak is on the plate) the server doesnt suffer the chef's error. and of course the manager is notified. and i always pay for what i consume.
how nice of you to make sure and tattle to their boss....if they handle the problem, why is it necessary to do that? I would only go to a manager is the server or cook refused to help or was downright rude.
I would definitely tell the manager, because my screwed-up meal may have been the fifteenth meal that server has screwed up that month. If a manager is supposed to maintain a superior level of quality control in the restaurant, then the manager has to have all the facts. Can't document behavior if you don't know about it.
It's not me-my wife is a chronic "sender backer" mostly because it is too salty-why do thay add salt to these dishes. we can put in our own salt.
Because then you would send it back for being too bland.
As a vegetarian I sometimes have to send dishes back because I ordered something requesting the dish without the meat and they didn't take it out. If it has meat I can't eat it so it goes back and gets replaced with a vegetarian dish. I've gotten ill just tasting some of those dishes.
My husband has Celiac's disease, so there are only a few restaurants we can go to (ones that offer a gluten free menu). My husband is super sensitive, so the kitchen staff has to use clean utensils.. everything. On the rare occasion that we do go out to eat, I'd say we have to send the dish back 40% of the time- simply because the staff is uneducated as to what "gluten free" means. Everyone is always nice and apologetic about it, but it makes us not want to bother with going out. We feel like we're being a nuisance and then my husband ends up sick.
For me, I'll send something back is its over/undercooked or has a foreign object in it. If I order a dish and don't end up liking it- too bad for me.
I will only send back a dish that has something really wrong with it, like a used band-aid that I got once in a burger. The jerk sending back the food just 'cause he can, really ticks me off. It slows down the kitchen and doesn't help anyones mood. I usually want to stay in sync with the rest of my dining party and sending anything back, short of unacceptable "extras" to me would just put us out of sync. I worked in food service for about 15 years on and off and find it easy to overlook small issues. I have even eaten meals that were not what I ordered, after taking a bite and realizing that it was the wrong dish, I thought I'd give it a try. I call that a happy accident.
I have had to send two things back in my life. One because the fryed fish still had all of its bones in it – walleye sandwich, and the other because the lamb was covered in the worst possible sauce ever! Could not taste a thing except for the foul sauce, and it had to go back.
Until recently, our favorite dish at Bucca di Beppo was their gnocchi. The last time we ordered it, it seemed different; it had an unappealing crumbly texture and tasted as if it was cooked in water that had boiled seafood. I very very reluctantly sent it back (I don't tend to send things back unless it has foreign objects in it or is an overcooked steak), only to have the staff say they tasted it, it was fine, but they'll bring us something else if we want. After a bit more questioning, the waitress finally offered up that they had switched the company that supplies the gnocchi–as if this would have *nothing* to do with the quality! I was disappointed that she made it seem like it was our fault for just not liking their dish, which we've always enjoyed.
There are a lot of bad servers out there too. If the food takes longer than usual or a wrong cooking temp, it probably is the kitchens fault but if your food comes out wrong or takes extremely long time compared to the rest of the restaurant it was most likely the servers fault. Its easy to blame the kitchen but I find customers are more understanding if I admit the truth. But I'm good at what I do and I don't mess orders up
I hate to, but I will send things back- if there's too much oil, or when they forget to eliminate meat from my orders. I hate having to send things back, but have restrictions, so I have to if they get it wrong. I love when I go to a place and I've been there before so they know I order a certain way. I've found, the simpler the better when ordering off a menu.
I went to a Tex-Mex restaurant with co-workers where it seemed everything on the menu had cilantro, which I'm allergic to. I asked the waiter what I could order and he told me that the only item on the menu that didn't have cilantro was the barbecue sandwich so I said OK, I'll have that. Of course when it came out, it had cilantro in the barbecue sauce. I had to send it back and talk to the manager to find out something that I could actually eat. Everyone was finished eating before my replacement arrived. I didn't hesitate to send it back because it was their error. Why do restaurants think that one ingredient like this belongs in every single dish on the menu?
But what really bugs me is restaurants that don't bother to tell you what the ingredients are in their dishes. Things that people are commonly allergic or sensitive to should *always* be listed on the menu.
I try not to send things back. One time, at Bobcat Bite, just outside of Santa Fe, I ordered a ribeye medium-rare. It came out medium-medium well. I was willing to eat and enjoy it (B-cat is the only place that could possibly pull off a delicious overcooked steak, normally that's an oxymoron) but the waitress saw it and insisted on taking it back and sending me a properly cooked steak. I obliged and was happy I did! : ) Talk about customer service! Insist on taking back a ribeye because it is slightly overcooked? Wow...
obviously the server carefully weighed the balance of really ticking off the cook and getting a huge tip
Bobcat Bite is definitely one of the best places in the universe. Yeah, I said it.
I've only done it on a couple of occasions. Once was at a restaurant where they encourage you to try new dishes, but if you don't like it, they'll replace it with your usual favorite. Another time was an drink with infused vodka and a mixer. The mixer was a little too strong on the cinnamon, and I could only take a couple of sips. I actually didn't even ask to send it back, at the end of the night the server noticed I hadn't drunk much and I explained I just didn't like it that much, and he took it off the bill without even asking! Needless to say, that restaurant will get my business again for their customer service, let alone their awesome food!
I was so happy when my server offered to remove a mixed drink from my check after seeing I hadn't even finished half of it. And I had fully intended to pay for it, because there was nothing wrong with it other than I personally disliked the taste. I hate sending stuff back and will only do it if it is so bad that I wouldn't eat it.
I've had to send a few back, mostly because of an almond or pecan garnish that the menu didn't mention. (yes, I'm allergic)
But if it's my misorder then it's it's my fault and I pay for it.
I, too, was not really happy with the choices here. I have not sent many food items back, and when I do it is because I just cannot eat it the way it is. Worst case I ever encountered was at Red Lobster, when the server apparently did not turn in our order and tried to blame it on the kitchen after we waited 45 minutes (at lunchtime), then rewrote the order incorrectly so that our meals were wrong, wrong, wrong. I asked for some kind of refund, was offered 10%, asked to see the manager and got a better discount (3 meals for $10). This is the only time I have ever been really kind of pushy but I had reached my limit. And guess what – never been back to that restaurant!
You'll sometimes get better results from constructively complaining on-line. Gripes to corporate tend to be heeded. At least that's been my experience with chains.
My wife and I ate at WD-50 about a year ago. I loved everything that was served, but my wife was not pleased with her entree. She's not the type to send something back, but when the Maitre d' noticed she wasn't eating her food he insisted on replacing it with something else. She didn't like the second dish either, so he replaced it again. Finally happy, we left a very hefty tip and I try to relate this story of the absolutely best service I've ever received anytime I can.
Trust me if you send something back no one is going to mess with your food. I have work for many different restaurants and I have never seen or heard of anyone doing that. That said if your dish is made incorrectly, send it back, but if you just ordered something you don't like, suck it up and be an adult.
I think you should watch the movie "Waiting" then you'll have a different opinion. :)
You are quite retarded if you believe everything you see in movies...
I've worked at several restaurants over the span of many years and I've never witnessed any of the restaurant staff alter food the way they do in the movie 'Waiting". The movie is hilarious, and sure, there are many customers that are rude enough to deserve that kind of treatment. However, everyone working in the restaurant knows that it is wrong to mess with the customers' food, and wouldn't want to risk their job just for a moment's satisfaction. Besides, unless you're at a really, really small restaurant that only serves a few customers at a time, neither the cook or the server is going to be alone with your food long enough to mess with it.
Generally, I don't send anything back (there has to be something really wrong with it). However, my husband and I were out eating dinner Friday, the lady at the table next to us placed her order and when the item came she sent it back because she had ordered the wrong item. Really?? Just eat it for god's sake. What a waste of good food. IDK. That just really irritated me.
I only sent something back once, it was and omlette, that the chef had burned and then flipped over so that you couldn't tell at first... but it was a hunk of carbon on the bottom, I made sure the manager knew about it though!
I've sent things back but mainly because it was not what I ordered or found something in it – half a band-aid anyone. But in the article the gentleman who sends stuff back because that is what he does – that is just wrong. I've worked in places where if more than half the item it gone and the customer "just didn't want it", no refund is offered. I've waited tables and a couple places began refusing refunds if more than half the order was eaten and the customer says "I just didn't like it." Unless something funky was found in it or it was cooked wrong. Usually in the first couple bites one knows if something is bad. One remedy was having folks fill out a card when refunding/comping an order. And if it became a pattern, refunds were refused. Sounds harsh, but there are many folks like that guy out there – looking for a free meal. And in smaller towns where they are repeat customers, we told them to hit the road before they were seated.
Oh My my sister in law ordered ribs at a Steakhouse and they were cold, we talked her into sending it back so when the waitress came she told her the ribs were cold but she was afraid they would spit in her food.
Yikes!
I've rarely sent anything back... I'm more likely to choke it down and just not go back to that restaurant. I've even sometimes accepted the wrong dish, and not said anything unless there was a large price difference. If something was served to me raw or they just REALLY messed up, then I'll send it back. Otherwise I'm probably too polite about it!
I have sent a few dishes back, under the following conditions: they got it totally wrong; undercooked/way overcooked; too seasoned with either oil or salt.
I've sent back steaks that were "still mooing." I'll send something back is I asked for no mayo (or whatever else I didn't want). On the rare occasion when I just forget to ask for something like that, I just scrape off all that I can and suck it up. The server can't read my mind.
I've sent back rare steak when I ordered it medium. I sent back lemon chicken when it tasted like dirty oil was used and I sent back enchiladas where the sauce tasted like it had a bottle of Aramis thrown into the sauce (probably did).
I don't expect perfection but it has to be edible.
I agree. I've sent trout back with waaaaayyyyy to much garlic. Also steaks that were too done. And my boyfriend hates cold food. If it doesn't leave blisters it's not hot enough. And he likes the plate to be hot, too. Does anyone remember the SNL skit when they were in a mexican restaurant & she touched the plate & her fingers melted onto it like taffy? That's how he likes it.
Your boyfriend is an IDIOT...Leave HIM NOW!!!!
good thing your primadonna boyfriend will never be a mother–moms of young children don't often have the luxury of eating hot food, or even sitting down half the time. What a spoiled brat.
I can't say I have been anywhere where the staff goofed my order up enough to where I would send it back. I mean if I order a steak mid rare and it comes out rare or medium, it's not enough to get worked up over. If it came out well done, then I would send it back, but that has yet to happen.
Texas Pete!!!
Ive sent only two dishes back in my entire life- noth for the same reason. There are some dishes where bacon is just a topping or side item, and I kindly ask them to remove it from the platter completely due to religious reasons. Yet, both times, the chef/cook/whatever forgets to do so X-x. Sent it back and demanded a refund on it.
I have, unfortunately, sent things back. However, I will only send a dish back if I have spoken to the server beforehand. For example, I have some allergies and I will let the server know up front what they are, and ask that my salad not contain nuts, or that chicken with the lobster sauce to be served without the sauce. If my salad comes with nuts or shellfish when I specifically said I was allergic, I will, unfortuantely, have to send things back. I'm never rude about it and 9 times out of 10 the server didn't do anything wrong – there was just a miscommunication in the kitchen. However, if I forget to mention my dietary restrictions, then I'll swallow the cost of the food and take my meal home to give to my roommate.
Now, that's class!
I would definately send back a steak that was under or overcooked. Other than that, I probably wouldn't send anything back. :)
I tend to be of the mind that I am an adult who makes choices. If I make a poor choice and just don't like what I ordered, it shouldn't be on the kitchen's shoulders to fix it.
Also, I'd just like to chime in and say that there is absolutely no reason to be rude to a server for a kitchen mistake. Sitting next to people who don't understand that is awfully painful. Guys, just don't be jerks!
I have to agree...When i was single, I used to swear that you could tell a lot about your date by how they treated waitstaff. I also cannot stand people who blame a server when they themselves do not cook the food.
I agree with you. But it sounds like the two people in this case were of the same belief system – that the rest of the world exists to indulge their every whim.
Unfortunately it's not so easy to discern who made the mistake, the server who didn't tell the chef/cook what you ordered, or the the chef/cook who did know what you ordered but screwed up the order anyway. In any case I have never sent anything back, but I would if they had plastic or any non-edible crap on the plate.
If the food you ordered is not what you expect it to be, quality wise, tell your server politely. If, for the second time, you're not satisfied, ask for the manager, again politely, then explain your situation nicely. Don't make a scene and don't expect for a freebie. If still you're not happy, the most you can do is not comeback but please, pay your bill before you leave and tip your server accordingly...
If I have to send anything back I pay for my drinks and leave. I don't trust that the staff won't mess with what comes back out.
I second that!
i work in a restaurant and maybe i just work with nice people, but if it makes you feel any better i can't IMAGINE ever messing with someone's food and have never seen anyone do it. no one i work with would risk their job/tip/conscience for something that silly. after all, we eat out too and if i ever did something gross to someone's food i'd never be able to trust a fellow server again! lots of times we're just as pissed about the food coming out incorrectly as the guest-if its our mistake we're pissed at ourselves for making a dumb error and if it's the kitchen or foodrunner's mistake we're peeved at them and just want it fixed. and if the guest is being an ass, we honestly don't care enough to bother, we just want to resolve the issue, be done with the interaction and get back to doing our job.
all in all, dont feel bad sending something back if it comes out totally wrong. i'd rather you tell me if i make a mistake- it happens and i'd rather you get something you like and be happy because its my job to make you happy with your food! just be nice, and you're almost always (except with burntout asshole servers who should probably take a vacation) guaranteed speedy fixes and niceness in return. if we dont take it off your bill its probably because the manager wouldn't let us. i always ask a manager to drop off the new food and make sure everything is okay if there is an error.
My x worked as a waitress and told many stories about 4&5 star resturants and thier chefs. Piss the staff off and see what your eating. Don't ever send anything back just don't eat it and ask for it to be removed from your bill.
I answered as well as I could, but the poll choices here aren't the greatest. They went from "Yes! If I'm paying, it should be EXACTLY how I want and I will make a fuss" (obnoxious) to "I have, but I'm super polite and apologetic" (grovelling) to "Only if it's obviously messed up – glass, hair or foreign particles" (hazard to human health). (I'm leaving out the even more obnoxious choice). But how about a dish where it's not just not to my liking, but something has gone very wrong? I'll eat things that aren't "EXACTLY" how I want them, but if, for instance, my medium rare steak has not a hint of pink in it, or a dish has SO much lemon flavoring to it that it's like sucking a coughdrop, or if a soup is SO oversalted that it should be poured over a rock in a cow pasture, I'll tell the server my issue (without the snarky flourishes I added here) and ask if I could have something else instead. No, there were no foreign objects in it, but no, my expectations weren't unrealistic, so no, I will not wring my hands and apologize profusely for the kitchen's error. Oh, and this isn't a way of life for me – in 30 years of adult dining I've returned maybe 5 or 6 dishes for such reasons.
The only time that I will send something back is if it is the opposite of what I ask for...Such as ordering something with "No Gravy" and it comes out with gravy. That drives me nuts, and I will usually send it back and request that it be removed from the bill. Keep in mind though, that if the damage is minor like ordering a burger with no sprouts, and they can be easliy removed, then just take them off and don't make a big deal. I try not to be a pest, but I do want what I order. Period.
My other big peeve is "no mayo". The very smell of the stuff makes want to hurl. I utterly despise when I ask for no mayo and the staff manages to forget.
@Truth, I am with you 100% esp on the No Mayo-was a huge peeve of mine when they would forget, so now I just politely mention I'm allergic to it and its not been a problem!
That's exactly what i do! Works every time. Nothing ensures people are listening like the concern over a possible food-allergy death lawsuit.
Me, too. Boo for mayo.
If somethings comes out with gravy and you send it back and the replace it then why would you request it come off the bill?
That's what I'm wondering. If you get gravy and you didn't want gravy, you should just ask them to redo the order. You're still eating the food, it shouldn't be free. I don't care for the attitude of getting something for nothing.
That being said, I once received an order with two sharp chunks of plastic from on of the prep containers. I sent it back and the manager immediately came over and offered to remake and comp the dish. That was fine. We paid for everything else but I still felt a little weird. I feel like I should pay for any of the food I eat.
What makes me angry is when I order delivery and something is badly wrong, stuff is missing, etc. They can't take food back, so they get really mad if you ask them to replace it. And they also get testy if THEY forget something and have to send the driver back with it. Almost every delivery place I've ordered from has been that way. :(
There should have been a line to vote for "if something wasn't cooked right" ....... but I guess that would have opened the door even wider to the outrage of the "foodies." :)
I recently sent a filet back during a visit to Outback. My hubby & I are regulars at this particular one. Just to give it a shot, I ordered my filet "Pittsburg" and double-checked that term with the waitress to make sure I had the correct term for how I wanted it cooked: red & cold on the inside, nice charred crust on the outside. The nice waitress & I did understand what I was asking for. Sadly, the chef/cook wasn't. I wouldn't have minded so much if 3 weeks prior to this visit, I hadn't placed the same order and it came out cooked perfectly! So I KNEW someone at Outback could cook it that way. But on this visit, such was not the case and I sent it back. It was all handled professionally and politely on all sides AND I got my cow cooked the way I wanted it.
AND, for the record, the waitress got a VERY nice tip from us for all the right reasons (harking back to another recent blog.). ;)
Not to slam Outback, but I've had to send food back twice in the same visit before. The steak was way overcooked both times, I tend to think it was the same one. I ended up not eating there again for years. Went back with a gift card recently, and had poor food again but didn't even bother to say anything. I'm just not eating there anymore!
I dine out regularly with a friend who used to be a restaurant manager. If we're sending something back, he'll do something to make it recognizable (cut a notch into the steak, for example), so we are positive they're not bringing back the same one. I have allergies, and if they simply take the onion off and re-serve the same hamburger, the residual onion juice can still affect me. And you would be amazed how many times we tell the waitress "no onion" and it's served with onion anyway.
I don't eat at Outback often, but I've been happy when I have. It's a shame you've had such bad experiences there.
I hate Outback. Never once have I had a decent meal there.
When it comes to steaks, it seems like well done is cooked all the way thru and rare is rare ("mooing" Yum!). Simple!
Is there an industry standard for the medium done-nesses? I feel bad for people who prefer medium rare or medium well because it seems to be subjective, tending towards the chef's interpretation or the customers'.
I rarely send food back unless there is a truly egregious error. But I will certainly send food back if it's inedible.
I don't eat at outback anymore because I got tired of having to send my over or undercooked steak back. I love a nice medium rare steak, and it seems that outback has a severe problem getting the particular cut of steak I order cooked to medium rare perfection. One time, they threw the same steak back on the grill and both times it came back practically raw in the center. Then the manager put a fresh steak on the grill and it came back so overcooked it was barely pink throughout the center. I asked that they take the steak off the plate or at the very least remove the meal and charge me for the salad and the baked potato that I ate. The several other times I have eaten at outback I have had similar problems with having to return the steak and have decided it isn't worth the restaurants time or mine.
Ma'm, at most restaurants a nice medium rare is red in the center. Or should be.
rare- cool red center
med rare- warm red center
medium- hot pink, like a fuschia
medium well- very pale pink and brown around the outside
well- brown all the way through
To ALL of you "foodies" out there who have NEVER been to culinary school or had any formal training whatsoever in a kitchen, you can all suck it. The majority of you at least.
1. You have NO IDEA whatsoever what it's like being in the weeds. The chef screaming at you to just put it up. PUT IT UP.
2. Cacmaca or whatever, OBVIOUSLY you were a server at Denny's or the lot. No matter how pissed I've been, I would never spit or desecrate someone's food and I'm hard pressed to find anyone I've ever worked with who would. The first month of school is all about sanitation and cooks who are a.) actually passionate about what they do and b.) not just because they need a paycheck or they can't do anything else actually uphold certain standards. But I digress because there's always those few rotten apples.
3. To the habitual sender-backers, I hope you eventually choke on whatever it is you're gonna send back. Such a douche bag maneuver. Complaining for the sake of complaining. FUCK U. As cooks, the worst feeling in the world is a dish coming back. FUCK U FUCK U FUCK U. Karma is such a bitch.
4. For the allergy customers, sometimes shit falls thru the cracks but absolutely make sure your server knows to write "Death by..." whatever it is you're allergic to. Otherwise if a ticket specifies "no onions," and onions are placed on that rib eye, chances are it will just be removed due to food costs. P&L is what keeps restaurants in business.
5. Ok, I am seeing the majority of peeps here eating at Outback or Red Lobster. FUCK. What do you think you're gonna get? You're at a mediocre chain.
6. I am so sick of you so called foodies who have absolutely no idea what it's like working in the industry . You ALL think you're food critics but don't have the palate to tell the difference between a hangar steak and scallops.
7. People who treat others like shit in order for themselves to look more important or because they feel they can, remember what I said. Karma. Wouldn't it be awesome if that server you're treating like shit is in med school and winds up being your doctor when you're diagnosed with terminal cancer?
Dang Dude! Maybe some anger management courses or a valium are in order. Or maybe you're fine now that you've vented. You are (or were) working in an industry serving the public. Suck it up. People can be nice and people can be not so nice. That's how it is.
That is a terrible case of PMS your having!
Damn, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?? Yikes!!
agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed. They have no idea until they've actually worked for a restaurant for serveral months. Apparently "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" disappears after walking through the doors of the restaurant. And for any of you taken aback by the language and the "rage" (trust me, this is NOTHING compared to what I have heard actually at work) it's exactly what every server/manager/bar tender/ or cook is thinking when you send food back, when your stupid brat dumps out the sugar caddies because you were too cheap to get a baby sitter, when you tip any thing less than 15% on the ORIGINAL ticket amount -not the amount after comps or coupons. And by the way, eating at Red Lobster, Olive Garden, or Outback does not make you a foodie. It makes you an individual eating at a restaurant that is slightly better than a Denny's who is probably to lazy to cook.
So.. if the cook prepared it wrong in the first place (like a steak) the customer shouldn't send it back???
@ Snowbunny. no where in my post does it say that you should never send an item back. It says if you have not worked in the service industry you are utterly in the dark and may have an opinion, but you are ignorant. Again I reiterate, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Most restaurants refer to their customers as "guests." If I had a house guest who treated me disrespectfully, I would quickly escort them out. The original post of mine was mostly concerned with habitual sender backers. However my direct answer to your question if one SHOULD send back food is two fold.
1.) If you so choose BE respectful. Ask in such a manner as you would want some one to ask you. The grand majority of us wish to be treated with dignity and respect, this extends EVEN to those who you are paying to serve you. The GRAND majority of you say you perscribe to the golden rule but often act hypocritical when faced with the real tests; in a restaurant, getting your hair cut, etc.
2.) Look where you're at. If you're at an Olive Garden, Outback, Chili's, Cheesecake Factory you have to understand the guy in the back has had little formal training. He has not been to a Culinary Institute of Le Cordon Bleu. Sorry -you get what you pay for. If you think these places are expensive, you shouldn't be dining out. Stay your ass home and perfect the art of cooking yourself –than maybe you can talk
I believe that Snowbunny was replying to the original poster, hence "@ someone actually working in the industry" not you. Try not to be such a miserable couchbag next time.
@ Queen. Snowbunny wouldn't have used the "@" sign to respond to the original post as she already has without it. Try again; please drive through.
I WAS referring to "actually." Pull your underwear out of your @ss and settle down! ~Jeez
I'm curious, do you actually derive any joy out of your profession anymore? "Try again; please drive through." Have to admit, that was funny.
I would try to explain this whole "reply" thing to you but it would probably just be a waste of my time. Instead, I'll leave you with this thought, I've got something else for you to try again: pulling your head out of your a$$.
My apologies. I forgot to mention that the filet originally came out medium well – which to me is inedible for a filet in any restaurant.
Most of the time, cooks in a restaurant like Outback are just not trained on how to cook a steak Pittsburgh or "black and blue" style. Even at the higher-end place I worked at, not all of our cooks could do it. We would steer people away from ordering it: "We can do our best, but we don't train our cooks on how to do that, so it may or may not work." 99% of the time the customer would understand and order something else.
I hear what you're saying. And if the mood hits me, I may try it again sometime. However on a visit visit to that same Outback, previous to the one I originally wrote about, I ordered & got my filet Pittsburg-perfect. That gave me the impression that the restaurant, as a whole, DID know how to cook my steak. The second visit proved me wrong about that, but the server & manager made a point of getting me the steak cooked the way I asked for. And THAT is why we keep going back.
Lesson learned: my first Pittsburg was cooked by someone who knew what they were doing; the second not. No biggie.