Food jinx

[catnapper]

I swear there is an eating out curse over me! I'm on vacation (only at home) so we have eaten out as if we are away from home. And every meal has been a disaster!

Monday at Ruby Tuesday: I ordered my meal. Hubby gets his and I wait.... and wait.... and wait. I finally flag the waitress who brings out cold shrimp skewers and the wrong sides. I ask for a manager and his answer is to offer me a free cupcake. Um, how about hot shrimp and the correct sides?

Tuesday at Smokey Bones: a grilled chicken salad that arrived with PINK chicken. I immediately comment on the raw chicken. They pick the chicken off and leave me with lettuce..... as if I will eat lettuce that touched raw chicken. The waitresses then ignored me and never brought cooked chicken

Wednesday at Outback Steakhouse: my $12 salad looks more like a $5 side salad. Brown lettuce, no apples like the menu described. I mentioned something to the waitress. She grabbed the manager who told me that it was my fault.... apparently I'm an idiot for ordering steakhouse. She actually told me to order steak. I just wanted green lettuce and apples.

I am done eating out!

[caseysmom]

I swear there is an eating out curse over me! I'm on vacation (only at home) so we have eaten out as if we are away from home. And every meal has been a disaster!

Monday at Ruby Tuesday: I ordered my meal. Hubby gets his and I wait.... and wait.... and wait. I finally flag the waitress who brings out cold shrimp skewers and the wrong sides. I ask for a manager and his answer is to offer me a free cupcake. Um, how about hot shrimp and the correct sides?

Tuesday at Smokey Bones: a grilled chicken salad that arrived with PINK chicken. I immediately comment on the raw chicken. They pick the chicken off and leave me with lettuce..... as if I will eat lettuce that touched raw chicken. The waitresses then ignored me and never brought cooked chicken

Wednesday at Outback Steakhouse: my $12 salad looks more like a $5 side salad. Brown lettuce, no apples like the menu described. I mentioned something to the waitress. She grabbed the manager who told me that it was my fault.... apparently I'm an idiot for ordering steakhouse. She actually told me to order steak. I just wanted green lettuce and apples.

I am done eating out!

Email all of their corporate offices with hopefully some names...they need to know...

[mrspunkysmom]

I hope you didn't pay for those meals.

[catland]

How disappointing!

I'm not familiar with the middle one, but I recognize the others as being national chains. Maybe you need to seek out some locally owned restaurants where there's actually an owner who will care if the customers are happy.

good luck!

[catnapper]

I hope you didn't pay for those meals.

Both Outback Steakhouse and Ruby Tuesday comped our meals. We were still so upset a couple days later that we sent the company emails.... not to get additional free meals because we never intend to return to either place, but to just get someone to acknowledge their misactions by their managers. A cupcake instead of what I ordered? Really?!?! And to be told I'm wrong for ordering salad in a steak house? My bad - I didn't know that you shouldn't order just any old thing off the menu

Smokey Bones did not offer to comp my meal, nor did they discount anything. I was surprised because that is one of my most favorite restaurants and never have had a bad experience there. Besides, I'm totally addicted to the salad that had the pink chicken. We went back yesterday because of that addiction. We have a favorite waitress and told her how we would NEVER eat there without her again. We laughed as we told her our previous experience. She relayed the expereince to the manager and he paid for BOTH our meals, gave us an additional $25 gift certificate, and a coupon for a free appetiser.

[phesina]

Good for you, letting them know!

[smokey the elder]

Do you have the Urban Spoon app? Hammer them on that, too, unless they make good. Since they're franchises, make sure you rag on the correct one.

[kitten645]

What Catland said...consider where you eat out. I don't do chains or shop big box stores. There's no way you can get a level of quality and service at prices provided @ huge corporate establishments. Eat local. Buy local. I'd rather eat out less often and pay a bit more when you know the owner is in the kitchen! Sorry for your experiences.