Restaurant etiquette question...

[Cookiebaker]

What do you do, when you go out to eat, and you get served something that is not to your liking?? Do you ask for a replacement of the same item? Do you ask for a different dinner? Do you eat it, but don't pay for it? Do you eat it anyway?

What if the quality of the meal is good, but just not what you were expecting? Would you complain/send it back??

I always feel bad if something isn't to my liking, and usually try to eat it anyway. If it's poor quality (tough meat, undercooked, yellow lettuce) I don't have a problem sending it back. But if I'm just being picky, I feel really embarrassed to speak up.

Like tonight, we went to a family diner for dinner and I order a chicken ceasar salad. Well, when I got it, the dressing was soooo strong, it made my eyes water, and I couldn't swallow a thing. I felt horrible complaining! But I finally got up the nerve to ask for a different salad with ranch dressing, *on the side*, before my husband made a scene complaining for me.

Please help me, so that I will know what to do next time!

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Well, speaking from my dad's perspective..

If he got something that he didn't order, he would tell them, and they will usually bring him what he originally ordered.

If he didn't like something that was part of the meal, he wouldn't eat it. He would sometimes write an "anoymous letter" saying what he didn't like about it, hoping that they would be able to change it. Or, he wouldn't say anything. It generally depends on his mood.

For me, I would feel bad saying I didn't like the dish, so I just wouldn't eat it.

[Amber]

If I ordered something, and it wasn't what i expected I would just keep my mouth shut, and eat it.

But, my dad would probably say something, maybe.

[Kfamr]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with telling your waiter/waitress that you disliked a portion of the meal or what not. You're PAYING for your food and for the service, so you should be served with something you enjoy. Alot of restaurants would appreciate you saying that *this* or *that* was wrong with the dish so they can change it or look into it.


Me being so shy though, I'd probably just eat it or push it to the side. Alot of the times when you push a dish to the side, the waiter/waitress would ask if there was something wrong with it (if there's a full dish) and then i'd say something like "Well, it was okay, but..."

Generally if I don't say something my parent's will for me, because they too think that since you're paying for it, you should recieve something of quality and something you like.


Now, if it was at someone's house, i'd probably just eat it.

[K9soul]

I'm pretty conscientious over this type of thing. One, because I worked as a waitress before, and two, because one of my brothers-in-law complains every time we eat out with them and always is rude and accusing to the waitress/waiter. I don't eat out very often at all, so most the time things are fine. If the food just doesn't taste great, I will usually just eat it, or if it's not really as hot as I'd like, etc. If it's the wrong order or just something I can't eat, I will just politely ask the waiter/waitress for a correction.

But the one thing I hate and am resolved never to do is take things out on the server if I have problems with the food. I remember that so well from when I was a waitress. I did not cook the food myself, but you'd think the way some people acted that I had not only cooked it, but deliberately cooked it badly so that they wouldn't be satisfied! I will also not let the food quality affect my tip. I base my tip upon the quality of the service, not the quality of the food. I think that is only fair!

Overall I am probably more a passive type and will let things go unless it is just too bad to let go.

[leslie flenner]

This ALMOST happened to me tonight! I went to a vegetarian restraunt with my girlfriend for a supper before movie, and we truely did not like the sound of anything on the menu! We were scared to order anything! and I love health food! but the veggie burgers had walnuts in them, the salads had nuts and apples and mint in them, there was something wrong with every dish. we settled on 2 appetizers, egg rolls (which were cold cuz they don't deep fry anything so they were in those see though skin things) and thai something- a safe chopped up cold vegatable dish. BUT had we ordered ANYTHING else! I don't know what we'd have done! My mother sent things back sternly but politely throughout my childhood and I was always embarressed. Don't know if I could do it! So check the Helouise Hints website on this one!

[Tonya]

I'm normally to chicken to say anything. I will starve to death instead. lol.

But when we were in Southern California last week, I was so livid at a restraunt, that I had no problem complaining.

We were sat right away. Twenty minutes later (after lots of begging) we finally got waters. Then, we sat there for an hour waiting for them to take our orders. We asked two different waiters who both told us we weren't their table. Then finally, a waitress came and appologized, saying she didn't know it was her table. Then, we waited another forty minutes for our food. She never brought us our drinks that we ordered. We never got the bread that came with the salad. We had the wrong orders. She never showed her face to give us ketchup, salad dressing, ask if everything is ok, etc... Let alone if we wanted desert! We had to beg for our check. Forty minutes after we'd finished eating, we finally got our check. I would have walked out, but my grandmother was a little afraid of getting arrested. I was so mad by then. I insisted that she compensated our entire dinner. (Oh, BTW, the manager was on vacation.) At first she said no, but I wound up getting my way, and in exchange I left her a decent tip. She couldn't have possibly been that bad of a waitress...there had to be something going on that we couldn't see...maybe she had a bunch of tables across the restraunt or something. (Which BTW, I forgot to include that story in the vacation horror thread.)

[leslie flenner]

dinner from H,,l! Will you call at some point and tell the manager and did you see other tables getting bad (well, NO) service? why did you give her a generous tip when even after she knew you were her table, she ignored you?

[Tonya]

Because she was crying, and the few times I saw her, she was really nice. And I didn't see her waiting on any other tables in my area. I think that they'd over sat her across the restraunt. I was a waitress before, so I guess I am a little more forgiving. I am not going to bother calling. My grandfather lives down there, and this restraunt has been our family spot for at least 20 years. It's right on the ocean and all. I think it was a one time thing. Normally, they're awesome there.

[leslie flenner]

Makes a big difference!