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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jul 5, 2015 13:23:34 GMT -5
This morning, TD and I went out to breakfast. It's already very warm in the house and we're not about to start cooking. We went out to one of our favorite places, that normally does an outstanding job.
I ordered crab Benedict. First 2 poached eggs the yolks were cooked solid so I sent the plate back. Second plate, one egg was cooked solid, one egg properly. Waitress offered to get me another egg cooked properly while I ate the other egg/muffin. She brought the 5th egg, I put it on the muffin and started eating it and got a mouthful of shell. I must have pulled out a good 1/4 of an egg shell (in pieces) from the egg. I"m still trying to figure out how so much shell wound up in a poached egg.
Turned out my meal got comped. I HATE sending things back as TD's meal was cooked perfectly and he had finished by the time I got my second meal.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 13:27:24 GMT -5
I'm gracious about it, but if there is something on my plate I specifically and nicely asked not to be there, I send it back. I am particularly clear that if they put my sandwich in a bun they cannot just take it off again and give it to me... I need a new one.
Cooked badly? Depends how badly and how much time I have.
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kjto1
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Post by kjto1 on Jul 5, 2015 13:39:57 GMT -5
Once, I believe. I ordered a plain baked potato with my meal and it came with butter in it. I sent it back (potato only).
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justme
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Post by justme on Jul 5, 2015 13:43:23 GMT -5
Yes I do. Depending upon how bad it is and how much I paid for it. Like if I'm at a steak place and you don't cook my fillet right I'm sending that expensive piece of meat back. Or if the food comes out stone cold. Etc.
I've actually had waiters come and ask if I want to send it back because they noticed I only took a few bites. I don't usually send it back if I just don't like it like I thought I would. With the exception of it being really spicy though the description didn't say that.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jul 5, 2015 13:58:48 GMT -5
I don't ordinarily send food back, as it's usually cooked right, but back when I ate meat, I sent it back a lot for being overcooked. "Bleu" and "rare" does not mean a grey slab with the consistency of a baseball glove. I want it to still have a pulse. I was usually pretty gracious about it. I didn't take it out on the waiter, as it's not his fault.
At one place, I stuck to Steak Tartare...try overcooking THAT.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 15:47:26 GMT -5
A few times. I ordered green beans at Cracker Barrel because they are very good. But I seemed to have gotten only stems that time. I've also sent back things I have asked them to leave the cheese off because I am lactose intolerant.
I took one of my nine-year-old grandsons to Applebee's, and he ordered pasta from the child's menu. If you are ordering from there, you would think it would be spaghetti, right? It was penne pasta in a white sauce. His face fell! I offered to buy him another meal, but he refused. (He wanted to save my money to visit the bookstore . . . LOL.) The waiter noticed he had pushed it aside and asked him if he would prefer a grilled cheese.
That waiter got a good tip and a letter to corporate and his manager about how thoughtful he was to make a child happy.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 16:14:57 GMT -5
Like most of you, it depends. Cold food is absolutely going back. The other thing is ordering something made with egg substitute (for an extra charge of course) and it is obviously regular eggs when it comes out. Nope, it's going back. Same with "dry" toast that comes out buttered or "dressing on the side" salad that comes out drenched in dressing. A good server will double check the order when they pick it up and deal with the kitchen before bringing it to your table.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jul 5, 2015 16:24:38 GMT -5
A few times. I ordered green beans at Cracker Barrel because they are very good. But I seemed to have gotten only stems that time. I've also sent back things I have asked them to leave the cheese off because I am lactose intolerant.
I took one of my nine-year-old grandsons to Applebee's, and he ordered pasta from the child's menu. If you are ordering from there, you would think it would be spaghetti, right? It was penne pasta in a white sauce. His face fell! I offered to buy him another meal, but he refused. (He wanted to save my money to visit the bookstore . . . LOL.) The waiter noticed he had pushed it aside and asked him if he would prefer a grilled cheese.
That waiter got a good tip and a letter to corporate and his manager about how thoughtful he was to make a child happy. Did you tell him that pasta is pasta, and it's all the same?
My kid would have eaten shoelaces if they were covered in Alfredo sauce.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 16:39:07 GMT -5
A few times. I ordered green beans at Cracker Barrel because they are very good. But I seemed to have gotten only stems that time. I've also sent back things I have asked them to leave the cheese off because I am lactose intolerant.
I took one of my nine-year-old grandsons to Applebee's, and he ordered pasta from the child's menu. If you are ordering from there, you would think it would be spaghetti, right? It was penne pasta in a white sauce. His face fell! I offered to buy him another meal, but he refused. (He wanted to save my money to visit the bookstore . . . LOL.) The waiter noticed he had pushed it aside and asked him if he would prefer a grilled cheese.
That waiter got a good tip and a letter to corporate and his manager about how thoughtful he was to make a child happy. Did you tell him that pasta is pasta, and it's all the same?
My kid would have eaten shoelaces if they were covered in Alfredo sauce.
Your kid likes Alfredo sauce. Obviously, my grandson didn't.
Saying "pasta is pasta, and it's all the same" is a thing a parent would say. Saying, "If you don't like that, I can order something else for you" is a thing a grandparent would say.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jul 5, 2015 17:00:31 GMT -5
The child's menu didn't specify what kind of pasta and what kind of sauce? That's odd. Spaghetti is very different from a dish served with a white sauce.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 17:04:58 GMT -5
When I was a cook in high school some woman sent back her french fries because there were too many. I pushed some off the plate and sent it back.
I never send back food.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jul 5, 2015 17:09:07 GMT -5
I've sent steaks back for being overdone, but this was the first time I've done so for eggs. I felt really bad for the waitress, because not long after we walked in (there was only 1 other table on the deck) she got slammed and most of the tables were filled. She got almost a 50% tip.
She said it was the normal chef cooking, but I'm wondering now if he got slammed with room service requests as well and was in the weeds.
<watching too much Hell's Kitchen>
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 17:10:50 GMT -5
The child's menu didn't specify what kind of pasta and what kind of sauce? That's odd. Spaghetti is very different from a dish served with a white sauce. Yes, that was what was confusing. But in retrospect I guess they would have said spaghetti if they had meant spaghetti. Pasta is some other type of pasta.
Anyway, the server was great and took care of the problem without asking.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jul 5, 2015 18:26:52 GMT -5
I am veggie. I go to a breakfast place here in town. A new server brought me french toast with sausage. I know I never said the word sausage. Yes, it went back. Her attitude did not help because she tried to make it sound like I ordered the sausage. Why would I order sausage I know I am not going to eat. When I told the manager when he stopped by the table, he just rolled his eyes. He said all the servers with much time there know I don't eat meat.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Jul 5, 2015 18:46:57 GMT -5
It would have to be really bad for me to send it back. I think I have only done it maybe once.
I will complain if my order is wrong and insist that they bring out correct items.
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Ryan
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Post by Ryan on Jul 5, 2015 21:40:51 GMT -5
I don't usually send food back because I don't want the cook to spit in the food.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Jul 5, 2015 22:30:50 GMT -5
I agree with Ryan. I hardly ever send food back, because I worry what that staff may do to it.
In fact, I can only think of a couple of times I complained about my meal. Once, I found a bug in my salad (the waiter offered to replace it, but I said no, since it spoiled my appetite. We didn't have to pay for that salad.) Another time, I was at a steak place with DH, & I asked for my steak to be well done, but it was bloody, so I sent it back.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jul 5, 2015 22:42:45 GMT -5
I agree with Ryan. I hardly ever send food back, because I worry what that staff may do to it.
In fact, I can only think of a couple of times I complained about my meal. Once, I found a bug in my salad (the waiter offered to replace it, but I said no, since it spoiled my appetite. We didn't have to pay for that salad.) Another time, I was at a steak place with DH, & I asked for my steak to be well done, but it was bloody, so I sent it back. They must have given you MY steak, and I got your criminally overcooked one.
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Jul 5, 2015 23:00:32 GMT -5
I've sent back steak (or more expensive cuts of prime rib) if it was over-done.
Depending on the cut of meat, I prefer rare to med-rare. If my plate shows up with the sole of a shoe on it, my plate's going to get sent back to the kitchen for a new one cooked to order .
And that includes a new baked potato and veggie as well - since I'd probably already have had the toppings or seasonings added to them at the table before even cutting into the meat.
For what a good restaurant charges, most are usually accommodating on correcting orders. If not, they won't be getting a return visit.
It's been a very rare (pun intended) occasion when I've had to send a meal back to the kitchen. Maybe once or twice on a breakfast order as well when the eggs weren't done to order.
The the family-style restaurant/all-day grill I've frequented for breakfast or lunch in the last few years has yet to screw up an order or make you wait any length of time (even though they're always busy). They're awesome.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jul 6, 2015 0:05:17 GMT -5
My husband is the type who will ask very specific questions about how something is cooked, what the sides are, what the flavors are, etc. While it can be a time-consuming process, it makes it so that generally what we order is exactly how we want it.
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ZaireinHD
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Post by ZaireinHD on Jul 6, 2015 1:39:22 GMT -5
so very fortunate I have not had a problem with the meal. I've seen too many comedies regarding restaurant cooks / chiefs / including the waiter to return food. it would have to be a really obvious mistake for me to return something.
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on Jul 6, 2015 5:32:02 GMT -5
Generally I do not send stuff back BUT
Cold goes back-marked in such a way that I KNOW if it is new or just nuked Overdone steak goes back. I am a NUT about meat being rare (barely warm) & spend about 3 minutes describing my definition of rare. Get it right or do it again and make sure the potato/veg/whatever is still hot (replaced?) when you bring it out or BACK it goes again. Good steak/prime rib costs WAAAY too much to 'settle' for whatever the kittchen throws on a plate. Not my fault they overcooked it.
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Peace77
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Post by Peace77 on Jul 6, 2015 6:46:34 GMT -5
Rarely will I send anything back.
i will if it's not safe to eat such as the steak that is still bleeding or the chicken that was raw and cold in the center.
I will say something if food is really cold, as in it was taken from the fridge and never put it in the microwave.
Recently, a waiter noticed how disappointed I was when I saw my salad. I asked if I could have it without onions and peppers and he brought a replacement salad.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jul 6, 2015 7:42:31 GMT -5
In theory I don't have a problem sending anything back. But I rarely do it bc I am too paranoid that they spit in my food.
However, if the waiter is attentive enough to ask my how I like it, I will tell them. A lot of times they will take it back themselves
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2015 10:01:12 GMT -5
As a rule we only send back food if it has a sauce on it that can't be removed and was ordered without it. Usually it is mayonnaise, which is disgusting. If it is over cooked, we eat it, but we probably won't go back to that restaurant
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jul 6, 2015 10:33:06 GMT -5
It would have to be really bad for me to send it back. I think I have only done it maybe once. I will complain if my order is wrong and insist that they bring out correct items. Yep. DH is gluten and dairy free, so if something comes with dairy on it, it's going back. The gluten is usually not a issue, at least at the places we usually eat. DH once ordered a side that he didn't like. When the waitress came back, I honestly told her that he didn't like it (DH had a mouthful of food) and could DH get an order of X. She didn't charge us for X. And honestly, we'd have paid for it. I don't remember if the first side was just not to DH's taste or just not good. But I do remember thinking it was nice of her to not charge us for it. I think this was before DH went gluten and dairy free. I do know we haven't been back to that place since. It's a brew pub and usually the food was good. We've also had a few instances with the kids where wait staff has just been amazing. I think it helps when the wait staff has been parents - because some days you just cannot win with kids and restaurants and the ones that are parents seem to get that. It's not the food; it's not the kids fault, it's not the restaurant's fault and while sometimes it IS DH and my fault, sometimes it's not. On those days, we tip higher and head for the door as soon as we can.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Jul 6, 2015 10:43:24 GMT -5
My husband is the type who will ask very specific questions about how something is cooked, what the sides are, what the flavors are, etc. While it can be a time-consuming process, it makes it so that generally what we order is exactly how we want it. I had a friend who did this, but unfortunately, no matter how much she interrogated the wait staff, they rarely failed to bring her exactly what she wanted, but she was bad about vague requests. For instance, she liked baked potatoes but was very very picky about what she wanted on them - not just which things she wanted on them, but the exact quantity. She liked to order baked potatoes at a certain restaurant we went to frequently, but she knew they always put a lot of cheese on them. She liked the cheese, but not that MUCH cheese, so she would tell them to put about half the cheese they normally did on her potato. They never ever got it exactly right. Usually they put too much on there, and rather than take her fork and scrape off the part she didn't want, she would send it back, sometimes more than once, until they had just the exact quantity of cheese on her potato. I suggested she order the potato with the cheese on the side, so she could add as much as she wanted, but she was afraid it wouldn't be melted well enough, if she did that. I suggested since they had a hard time getting the cheese exactly right she ought to order the fries or the rice instead, but she really liked the baked potatoes, but ONLY if there were exactly the right number of cheese pieces on top of it. She would even try to describe to the waiter how the potato ought to look - how much potato should be visible between the cheese. No telling how much spit she ate with her potatoes.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jul 6, 2015 12:15:50 GMT -5
depends what's wrong with it, honestly. I have an anaphylactic reaction to shellfish, and if I'm in a restaurant where I need to worry about the risk of cross-contamination, I'm very upfront with the waiter to ask questions about how certain things are handled in the kitchen. from both their words and body language in answering, I plan accordingly. one waitress that got an excellent tip from me a few years back, I was at an Italian restaurant that served seafood. I ordered a chicken dish that I have had both fried and grilled, and asked how this place prepared theirs. I was told that it was fried chicken, but that the kitchen could easily pan-fry the portion for my order to avoid cross-contamination. well, our order comes back out (brought by another server) and our waitress happened to walk by at the same time. she checked my plate to make sure her note had been followed and took the plate immediately before I even really saw - the chicken was obviously not pan-fried. they made me an entirely new order AND it was comped.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Jul 6, 2015 12:33:34 GMT -5
If I asked for something not to have onions, and it comes out filled with onions, it's going back. If the center of the burger (or the chicken) is cold, it's going back.
I've been brought the wrong dish a couple of times, and as long as it was something I would still eat, I ate it and didn't send it back.
We try and be very polite about it. C (and numerous of our friends) worked in a restaurant. We know many things are not the server's fault. We know how mistakes can get made. But I'm not paying for a dish I can't eat.
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Jul 6, 2015 13:32:03 GMT -5
The only time I recall sending something back it had a live maggot crawling over it.
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