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Dear Helena,
The other night I went to a French brasserie and was disappointed with my dinner: grilled monkfish with fingerling potatoes. It was kind of bland, like it needed some sauce to go with it. I was going to tell the server, but my date stopped me, saying I would embarrass her. She said you can’t complain about a dish unless there’s something wrong with it—otherwise, you should just not eat it. If you don’t like a dish, should you say something? And how should the restaurant respond? —Discerning Palate
Dear Discerning Palate,
Most everybody agrees that you can send back food that’s not properly cooked (crunchy spaghetti) or served as advertised (there’s only one shrimp and it was billed as “Seafood Pasta”). But you can also send back food if you just don’t like it. This might seem counterintuitive. After all, you were the one who ordered it. But a decent restaurant’s greatest wish is to have you leave happy and satisfied. “Your repeat customer matters more than losing $20 on a piece of fish,” says Paul Einbund, sommelier at and partner in San Francisco restaurant Coi.
It’s OK to say you don’t like something even if you knowingly ordered an avant-garde or peculiar dish. Weird Fish, a San Francisco restaurant, offers an item called Suspicious Fish Dish. The servers won’t reveal what it is when you order it, and customers sometimes aren’t happy with their surprise. But co-owner Timothy Holt doesn’t like servers to point out that the word Suspicious was a clear warning. He prefers that they offer customers something else. “I want people to feel taken care of and like they’re having a good time.”
If you decide you dislike a dish, don’t take more than a few bites. Otherwise, you won’t have much credibility when you complain. The general consensus among restaurant staff is that you shouldn’t eat more than a quarter or at most a third before sending a dish back.
As soon as possible, flag down the waiter and explain. Use extreme tact. Zachary Koff, general manager at a Bravo! Cucina Italiana restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, says: “Take the onus on yourself.” In other words, make it about you: “I’m sorry, I made a bad choice.” Then tell the server why you don’t like it. And don’t be shy. Jesse Fox, who has worked as a chef in restaurants in New York and Chicago, as well as at the French Laundry in Napa, says: “As a chef, it’s good to know what you did right, but even better to know what you did wrong.” Specific criticism is more helpful: “The tarragon and pink grapefruit combo doesn’t quite work for me.” That way, says Fox, “If the chef decides to rework the dish, he knows where to start.”
Then explain that you’d like to order another entrée. It’s polite to say you’re willing to pay for it. But a good restaurant won’t allow you to. If the distasteful dish is on the bill, you probably shouldn’t go back. And if you aren’t charged for it, then you should reward the restaurant for doing the right thing. One server who has worked in Pasadena, DC, and San Francisco says that the gratuity should be “automatically bumped up by another 3 percent.”
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Life fact: You will not like every dish that a restaurant offers. If a dish is prepared correctly but doesn't please you, then you have learned a lesson about your own tastes. Unless a restaurant offers a guarantee that you will love everything on the menu, then the idea that the establishment is financially responsible for the varying tastes of individuals is ridiculous. After all, food is not a...+READ
Life fact: You will not like every dish that a restaurant offers. If a dish is prepared correctly but doesn't please you, then you have learned a lesson about your own tastes. Unless a restaurant offers a guarantee that you will love everything on the menu, then the idea that the establishment is financially responsible for the varying tastes of individuals is ridiculous. After all, food is not a resalable product. This practice of sending dishes back solely because they don't suit one's liking has gotten completely out of hand, and has the potential of destroying small, privately-owned eateries. Unless you are an adventurous diner, stick with what you know, or pay the price for your own mistake in judgment.-COLLAPSE
Also, I wanted to mention that customers who complain about the prices in a restaurant should keep this in mind: you’re also paying for service you get before you even show up at the restaurant, there is overhead costs such as higher rent, taxes and the list goes on.
You want cheaper food? Go elsewhere or cook at home. Your expectations weren't met? Too bad, go elsewhere or cook at home but pay...+READ
Also, I wanted to mention that customers who complain about the prices in a restaurant should keep this in mind: you’re also paying for service you get before you even show up at the restaurant, there is overhead costs such as higher rent, taxes and the list goes on.
You want cheaper food? Go elsewhere or cook at home. Your expectations weren't met? Too bad, go elsewhere or cook at home but pay for the items you ordered. No one knows your "expectation level". And as always, treat people how you want to be treated.-COLLAPSE
If a customer doesn't "like how it tastes" and the dish was properly prepared and described CLEARLY in the menu, then the restaurant shouldn't have to comp the meal that the customer ordered.
The most a restaurant should EVER do is replace the "incorrect" meal with another meal that the customer will pay for.
If the customer says "just return it" I think that is unfair and unethical - they...+READ
If a customer doesn't "like how it tastes" and the dish was properly prepared and described CLEARLY in the menu, then the restaurant shouldn't have to comp the meal that the customer ordered.
The most a restaurant should EVER do is replace the "incorrect" meal with another meal that the customer will pay for.
If the customer says "just return it" I think that is unfair and unethical - they should pay for what they ordered, after all no one forced them to order it. For those that are picky or really ANY CUSTOMER: read the menu and take responsibility for your actions. It is not the restaurant's fault that you did not like the meal or didn't expect it a certain way. No one else knows your expectations, no one knows your allergies, no one knows your tolerance of food and no one know how spicy you can handle your food - EXCEPT YOU. Restaurant staff are NOT mind readers and are absolutely NOT your slaves. Comping or not comping a meal doesn't automatically mean the restaurant is good or bad. I know for a fact that a lot of people just want free food because they are broke and have no pride. I've had customers eat half of the food, only to say they didn't like it and that the customer is right so they shouldn't have to pay for the food at all. Also, I've had customers eat more than 75% of the dish and complain that the food had onions and they are allergic even though they did not notify the server to remove the onions in their meal while ordering. If you are TRULY allergic and develop an allergic reaction, go to the doctor and the restaurant will at most cover your health bill if it is in fact from the allergy you supposedly have. If you just don't want to pay for your meal or didn't like the taste but lie and say you have an allergy, you should do the world a favor and just stay at home and cook your own food. You are taking advantage of the restaurant and having unfair expectations to expect a restaurant to just believe you and waste more food on you.
I find it highly disturbing that people can be so unfair and treat servers like garbage. I also find it amazing that there are so many stupid people are out there - they expect me to remember their orders and their allergies and order changes! One time it was busy and I took a customers order and when I brought the food out, the customer said "I thought you remembered I didn't like it in white sauce!" and another says "Oh I thought I told you I didn't like my meal spicy" even though I ALWAYS repeat the order back to them. WOW! If you are going to change the order, be clear about it to the server! Servers are not your mom, your slave, your butler nor a computer that registers everything you do or don't like about your food. If you are unsure, don't assume and clearly ask how the meal/appetizer is prepared before ordering.
Another time, a customer said "I only ate half so charge me only half of the meal" which was ridiculous. If that was the case, should all restaurants only charge for what you eat? Restaurants are not buffets and definitely not taste test centers.
I cannot believe Helena Echlin wrote "Then explain that you’d like to order another entrée. It’s polite to say you’re willing to pay for it. But a good restaurant won’t allow you to." -- This is teaching customers how to steal. No matter how polite or impolite you are, you should pay for the replacement meal. If you don't want a replacement meal, that is your own choice and the restaurant should still charge you for the original meal. For Helena Echlin to say that a good restaurant won't allow you to pay for the other entree is completely unfair. The only time a customer shouldn't pay for the meal is when the meal has a bug or something that's not the proper ingredients cooked into it, it is undercooked or improperly prepared (undercooked/overcooked/the meal did not match what was described in the menu). I witnessed a customer place a broken button into the food that was 50% eaten and wanted another meal that was to be taken home. They just wanted free food to eat later on or bring to their family/friends. If you think the food (which was properly prepared and described) is overpriced and bland/disgusting, just don't go back to that restaurant but don't be a thief and not pay for the food. You knew what you were getting into by taking that risk and ordering the high priced item. Restaurants shouldn't have to lose money to hopefully have a repeat customer and make the customer happy. Customers are not always right!-COLLAPSE
Big difference between not correct/poorly prepared and "I didn't like it though it was as described." The former should be sent back, nicely, with instructions to the chef. On the other hand while good waitstaff should notice if a customer dosen't like the dish and possibly offer to replace it, I don't think it is the responsibility of a restarant to take back an otherwise properly prepared and...+READ
Big difference between not correct/poorly prepared and "I didn't like it though it was as described." The former should be sent back, nicely, with instructions to the chef. On the other hand while good waitstaff should notice if a customer dosen't like the dish and possibly offer to replace it, I don't think it is the responsibility of a restarant to take back an otherwise properly prepared and described dish.
This, IMHO shouldn't matter if it's fast food (I'm sorry, I asked for my Whopper without pickles and tomatoes) or a $100 a plate place (I'm sorry, I asked for my kobe beef burger without pickles and tomatoes).
Both may result in the food being dumped (unless undercooked, in which case it might be put back under the broiler/heat), and an angry chef, and hopefully no "surprises" in the returned food by the waitstaff or others on the line.
A good owner can use the opportunity to show a good/polite customer responsiveness and thoughtfulness on the part of the establishment.-COLLAPSE
What is it with describing salmon? The only time I actually sent something back (for reasons other than poorly prepared or had an ingredient in it I requested to have left off) was when I ordered a salmon dish that read "salmon served with pasta and x veggies/sauce". My mom even asked how the salmon was (in comparison to another dish) and got a general description that "both were excellent".
I...+READ
What is it with describing salmon? The only time I actually sent something back (for reasons other than poorly prepared or had an ingredient in it I requested to have left off) was when I ordered a salmon dish that read "salmon served with pasta and x veggies/sauce". My mom even asked how the salmon was (in comparison to another dish) and got a general description that "both were excellent".
I order the salmon, and it comes out as smoked salmon flaked into the pasta. I like grilled/baked/sauted salmon. And I like lox on a bagel with cream cheese. But I really hate warm smoked salmon - and never would have ordered the dish had I known that.
Not only did the restaurant replace my meal (only paid for the new one), but they gave me a free glass of wine while I waited. But I guess that raises another question about the restaurant's responsibility to tell you what you're going to get. There have been other times when I've ordered something and been disappointed with the result - but if it's a case of "well you could have seen that coming" I usually accept my choice.-COLLAPSE
I've sent back a dish that I did not like exactly once. It was a salmon special at a seafood restaurant. The description failed to mention that it was basically candied. Gross. I explained that it was not what I was expecting and that I would rather have something else. The restaurant was fine with it - just be nice about it. I am not a particularly picky eater but this dish was just bad and not...+READ
I've sent back a dish that I did not like exactly once. It was a salmon special at a seafood restaurant. The description failed to mention that it was basically candied. Gross. I explained that it was not what I was expecting and that I would rather have something else. The restaurant was fine with it - just be nice about it. I am not a particularly picky eater but this dish was just bad and not at all what what advertised.-COLLAPSE
I have yet to send back a dish that is in my opinion , poorly made, but nothing really wrong with it. However, having had a bland plate put in front of me a couple of times in high end restaurants who should know better, i've often wondered why i'm still sitting there willing to pay the high price that i am, for something that I probably could've cooked better at home. Have experienced this with...+READ
I have yet to send back a dish that is in my opinion , poorly made, but nothing really wrong with it. However, having had a bland plate put in front of me a couple of times in high end restaurants who should know better, i've often wondered why i'm still sitting there willing to pay the high price that i am, for something that I probably could've cooked better at home. Have experienced this with pasta, once with a bland monkfish on a too watery tomatoey israeli couscous thingy, and once with some catfish and corn type deal...to name a few. I won't order them again, and in some cases might not go back. A couple of times i've eaten a good portion of these meals, simply because i was so hungry and knew damn well what i was paying for it.
As for ordering a sauce or extra ingredients etc to fix it up yourself at the table....why should anyone have to do that? Is that not what you are paying for in your meal? I don't go to a restaurant, and particularly not to an expensive one, only to have to cook at my table . I did however do this recently at a restaurant (Jack Astor's maybe?) that served some thai or kung pao shrimp salad or something....that sounded wonderful, except that I ordered it with a different dressing(it may even have come with a raspberry vinaigrette, something i feel should be outlawed blech), asked them to leave off the mandarin oranges and asked for a dish of cashews....kinda made my own salad that day, haha.
And it's not always the kitchen that screws up. I don't eat meat, and once had a really snotty waitress vehemently argue with me that the bacon bits on my salad were not real bacon. I had asked her before ordering whether it was real bacon or soybits. She told me they were the fake kind, so i ordered the salad. Lo and behold it came out with bacon throughout. It doesn't take much to tell the difference, and i'm sorry, but i do know what real bacon at least feels like when i squish it in my fingers (which i eventually had to do in front of her, to prove my point). I now order all such salads with my bacon bits on the side. I've had burritos and pannini's come out filled with chicken i didn't order, and i'm sorry, but i'm sending that back (once was at the same restaurant that bacon lady served me at, the burrito was a veggie version of a fellow diner's chicken one, and the waitress screwed up our orders and gave her mine). Those times i was well accomodated, but not comped for having chowed down accidentally on mouthfuls of chicken..not a fun experience when you haven't eaten it in nearly ten years.-COLLAPSE
If you want to get wild I recommend slyly discovering a tiny plastic animal hidden in your food. Everyone will be bewildered, yet amused. "Server, I, umm, was enjoying this incredible raspberry-mustard-chive chili and I was surprised to find THIS in it! Is this a feature of the dish or did someone in the kitchen lose their mind? I think I'll take the steak instead..."
If you ever do try the atrocious act above it's imperative that you vehemently apologize and attempt to refuse a replacement dish. When they insist on replacing it then counter-insist on a downgrade to something less expensive, as an act of penance. The staff is less likely to mind a goofy accident than it would the ego blow of refusing to eat their food. They'll bring you something else,...+READ
If you ever do try the atrocious act above it's imperative that you vehemently apologize and attempt to refuse a replacement dish. When they insist on replacing it then counter-insist on a downgrade to something less expensive, as an act of penance. The staff is less likely to mind a goofy accident than it would the ego blow of refusing to eat their food. They'll bring you something else, possibly free of charge, and no tender feelings are bruised. Ethics be damned!
Or if you have even less ethics than that: drop a bug, pretend to be gracious about it, and then order something else.-COLLAPSE
Quick and easy solution: Knock the plate onto the floor and then ask for something else when they come to clean it up :)
Something I do when I attempt a new dish I've never had before: make it clear to the server from the start that I am unfamiliar with it, and ask hir a bunch of questions.
That way, if it turns out that it is not to my liking, the server isn't put out so much by my disappointed reaction. Fortunately, that has only happened once or twice.
What about if you didn't like anything that was served? i had been to Blowfish Sushi a couple times many years ago, and love it, as had my sister and a friend. we went recently and disliked almost everything - the food had definitely gone downhill. it wasn't just me, it was all of us. i wrote a review on Yelp, and the restaurant was conscientious enough to write me back, saying i should have told...+READ
What about if you didn't like anything that was served? i had been to Blowfish Sushi a couple times many years ago, and love it, as had my sister and a friend. we went recently and disliked almost everything - the food had definitely gone downhill. it wasn't just me, it was all of us. i wrote a review on Yelp, and the restaurant was conscientious enough to write me back, saying i should have told them at the time of the dinner, and they would have been happy to take the offending item back. however, it would have been 90% of our meal. we're not fussy people, but as we'd been here before and previously loved our meal, we were really disappointed. what do you do if a restaurant has just turned for the worst? even if they swap an item out, it seems chances are you'll get something not up to par. and, if i have to return 8 items, chances are i'm not going back no matter how accomodating the restaurant was. so, the restaurant was disturbed by my review, but i really don't see how i could have handled it another way. any thoughts?-COLLAPSE
If it is cooked properly, and it is what I ordered, I'd never dream of sending it back or asking for a refund. In my mind, the restaurant can certainly take it back, but I'm not sending it back.
I say send it back. I have kept an occassional dish that i didn't like, but sending it back not only allows you to be happier it gives feedback to the chef who may realize the dish is unpopular, a staff person prepared something wrong or any number of things. I don't think you should expect it to be comped and if it is that is the test of a good restaurant. Food was never tampered with when sent...+READ
I say send it back. I have kept an occassional dish that i didn't like, but sending it back not only allows you to be happier it gives feedback to the chef who may realize the dish is unpopular, a staff person prepared something wrong or any number of things. I don't think you should expect it to be comped and if it is that is the test of a good restaurant. Food was never tampered with when sent back and I think any good chef in control of their kitchen who values their customers wouldn't let this happen. At Applebees or the like maybe, but not places that depend on word of mouth and customers support. Especially now when there is an all time high ratio of restaurants to customers as reported by the WSJ all restaurants really depend on repeat customers and keeping people happy.-COLLAPSE
The two very different situations call for two very different responses. If a meal is prepared incorrectly or poorly, send it back and of course, let them know why. In most kitchens, nothing "extra" will be added to the plate and the kitchen becomes aware of and can then work on any problems that are leaving thier kitchen. On the other hand, I do not believe a dish should be returned if you just...+READ
The two very different situations call for two very different responses. If a meal is prepared incorrectly or poorly, send it back and of course, let them know why. In most kitchens, nothing "extra" will be added to the plate and the kitchen becomes aware of and can then work on any problems that are leaving thier kitchen. On the other hand, I do not believe a dish should be returned if you just don't like it. Here in the US, people do not want to take responsibility for thier actions. Only you know what flavors you like and don't like or worse are allergic to. When you first go to a restaurant, read the menu! See what the ingredients are, if you don't like one of the ingredient, you probably won't like the dish. I have seen too many people who don't bother to read the menu and then send something back because there was something in the dish they didn't like. Same thing with alergies. Oh, I forgot, I'm allergic to mayonnaise. Tastes are too varied and no one dish, no matter what famed chef prepares it and how well he/she prepares it, is going to appear to all taste buds. I am so adamant about this subject, when I ordered an item at a restaurant that was a little experimental for me but was prepared exactly as it should have been but did not appeal to my tastes, I informed the server that I would be extremely unhappy if they took the item off my tab. Afterall, a dinner is not a taste test. If you're not sure if you're going to like a particular flavor combination, don't order it!-COLLAPSE
While I was visiting NYC last year my friend and I went to a little thai place that was very highly rated. I ordered the vegetarian duck. What I got was wheat gluten that tasted like it had been soaked in vinegar. I couldn't eat more than 2 bites, nor could my friend. They took it back, but refused to comp it or bring something in its place. We were very disappointed and angry as we split my...+READ
While I was visiting NYC last year my friend and I went to a little thai place that was very highly rated. I ordered the vegetarian duck. What I got was wheat gluten that tasted like it had been soaked in vinegar. I couldn't eat more than 2 bites, nor could my friend. They took it back, but refused to comp it or bring something in its place. We were very disappointed and angry as we split my friend's pad thai.-COLLAPSE
Our policy is far more liberal than in other countries. I was once in Venice (Italy) and I ordered salmon (I knew I shouldn't have) and it was terrible, salty, from a can not fresh I could tell right away. I'm so used to superior salmon in l.a. that I should have known better. Still it was really bad and I told the waiter, who was fake (not italian) and cowardly and then the "manager" came over...+READ
Our policy is far more liberal than in other countries. I was once in Venice (Italy) and I ordered salmon (I knew I shouldn't have) and it was terrible, salty, from a can not fresh I could tell right away. I'm so used to superior salmon in l.a. that I should have known better. Still it was really bad and I told the waiter, who was fake (not italian) and cowardly and then the "manager" came over and said he would go back to the kitchen to see if there was anything wrong with it. The manager came out with this fake smile and said there was nothing wrong with it and that's how it should be. This was around 5yrs ago and I'm still angry. Their attitude was reprehensible. And all the customers around were so snotty--even though most of them were cheap europeans who know were little about food.
I've always had great food in Italia, but this was Venice and they don't care b/c they have sooo many tourists...although it could have been reserved to that particular establishment. Regardless, a customer holds grudges so if you are catering to regulars I think it's important to work with a customer if they don't like a dish. There are probably some people though that you can never please, hopefully they are in the minority.-COLLAPSE
I have never worked in a resaurant where they tampered with the food that was sent back. Not saying it doesn't happen, but for the most part I think it is a myth. If you don't like your food, do send it back, but keep in mind the waiter is the one having to resolve the situation and end up working twice as hard. Please be polite to them, and do up the percentage of the tip. I can't tell you how...+READ
I have never worked in a resaurant where they tampered with the food that was sent back. Not saying it doesn't happen, but for the most part I think it is a myth. If you don't like your food, do send it back, but keep in mind the waiter is the one having to resolve the situation and end up working twice as hard. Please be polite to them, and do up the percentage of the tip. I can't tell you how many times I have worked hard to resolve a situation, talked to the manager, had to explain to the very disgruntled chef, only to have the customer leave an bad tip.-COLLAPSE
I've been on both sides of this one as I worked as a waiter during my university days. Just like any situation in life you have to quickly review the situation when a customer has a complaint (as others have mentioned); is it what they actually ordered, how much have they eaten, is their complaint valid in your view (i.e. is the steak actually still mooing on the plate), are they being polite...+READ
I've been on both sides of this one as I worked as a waiter during my university days. Just like any situation in life you have to quickly review the situation when a customer has a complaint (as others have mentioned); is it what they actually ordered, how much have they eaten, is their complaint valid in your view (i.e. is the steak actually still mooing on the plate), are they being polite about it (sorry but this is key for me, even if they are right).
9/10 times their complaint would be valid and I would usually not even question them as I would be more than happy to resolve the problem. But there would always be that one time where it would be obvious that the customer was trying to pull a fast one to get a free meal. Simple deduction. And if the customer genuinely didn't like their food, yes I'd get them something else with no double charge.
Many times I would see it with my own eyes if a customer wasn't happy with their meal, they wouldn't have to tell me. A waiter not checking up on their tables is just uncalled for, especially if it is not busy, that's just terrible service.
When you do have a problem with your food, I suggest showing some respect and politeness (some people weren't raised properly). It never astounded me how some people can't say simple words like, please and thank you (it'll get you a long way). If you are going to be rude about it then you can potentially expect "God knows what" to happen to your food in the kitchen. Telling a waiter, "take this sh*it back, I wouldn't feed it to my dog" just won't cut it. The owners I worked for were great, they didn't want to see their waiters being treated like "garbage" by garbage. In addidition they would not want these types of customers returning to their restaurant (and would let them know) the owners always supported their wait staff (the place still exists today).
If you are polite about it I wouldn't worry about your food being mistreated especially in a more upscale establishment. I would think twice about returning food in one of those cookie cutter box corporate restos though where a bunch of teenagers are working in the kitchen.
Personally, I try not to return food because you really don't know what is going on in the back. It has to be really really off for me to say anything.-COLLAPSE
From my view on this being a Chef for 25 years, I see this very rarely,but when it does happen I'm looking for the customer, waiter or waiteress to give positive feedback so I may make the necessary call on whom to hold responsible for lack of proper preparation and recipe adherence. I would suggest and I usually do is to ask alot of questions of your server before ordering an item you may be...+READ
From my view on this being a Chef for 25 years, I see this very rarely,but when it does happen I'm looking for the customer, waiter or waiteress to give positive feedback so I may make the necessary call on whom to hold responsible for lack of proper preparation and recipe adherence. I would suggest and I usually do is to ask alot of questions of your server before ordering an item you may be unfamiliar with or just a bit curious about. I also would suggest politely requesting maybe a small sample of the item if at all possible even the sauce or sauces that may be paired with this entree, appetizer or dessert. Bon appetite-COLLAPSE
"Under no circumstances should you ever send back food." This is the warning of a lady who manages top end restaurants in the SF Bay area. Things happen to those dishes that are sent back that no one will ever know. She was serious and emphatic. And she said NEVER.
Long time ago, my husband, in-laws and I dined at this somewhat trendy and not cheap restaurant. My MIL's fish was still raw on the inside so she ate around the edges and left about 2/3 of the dish (no, it wasn't tuna or salmon). The server never stopped by once to ask how our meals went, the restaurant wasn't busy at the time. We had to flag the server down to pay and mentioned to her that one...+READ
Long time ago, my husband, in-laws and I dined at this somewhat trendy and not cheap restaurant. My MIL's fish was still raw on the inside so she ate around the edges and left about 2/3 of the dish (no, it wasn't tuna or salmon). The server never stopped by once to ask how our meals went, the restaurant wasn't busy at the time. We had to flag the server down to pay and mentioned to her that one of the fish dish was very undercooked. She looked at us annoyingly and said that something like " if we would have to told her earlier ..." My inlaws are very proper New Englander and wouldn't dream to make a scene. The question is should we try to flag the server down sooner (considering that she never stopped by once during our meal)? Should we say something to the manager? The undercooked part was still very visible on the plate when the server came to our table.-COLLAPSE
I had a terrible appetizer at a restaurant last week. Could you send those back too? (different than entrees)
I have only sent things back a few times just because I did not like them, and I always offer to pay. They almost always take it off the bill. I regularly send things back if they have not done what I've asked, such as leaving off onions or serving the dressing on the side. I would never expect that to be taken off my bill, but I would expect the next version to comply with my request.
You should never eat something that you do not like. Any reputable restaurant will cheerfully bring you something else if you tell them more or less immediately and don't eat it all first.
As the others have pointed out, they would rather have a happy client who is likely to return and speaks well of the establishment.
In most cases when I have visited restaurants, the management has been more than happy to make me (the customer) happy, and helpful in figuring out what would best fit my taste. Yet, sometimes at restaurants you'll go in, order something, and even if it is there fault (undercooked/overcooked) the management/wait staff gets angry and takes it personally to the fact that it wasn't good. But in...+READ
In most cases when I have visited restaurants, the management has been more than happy to make me (the customer) happy, and helpful in figuring out what would best fit my taste. Yet, sometimes at restaurants you'll go in, order something, and even if it is there fault (undercooked/overcooked) the management/wait staff gets angry and takes it personally to the fact that it wasn't good. But in return, they won't be seeing me from a second time!!-COLLAPSE
I agree with explaining that you don't like it, why you don't like, and ordering something else. Just don't ever demand that they take it back or take it off your bill. Most restaurants care enough about diners that they will offer you something else at no charge.
On another note, I used to work at a coffee place and hate hate HATED it when someone would drink their entire vanilla cappucino...+READ
I agree with explaining that you don't like it, why you don't like, and ordering something else. Just don't ever demand that they take it back or take it off your bill. Most restaurants care enough about diners that they will offer you something else at no charge.
On another note, I used to work at a coffee place and hate hate HATED it when someone would drink their entire vanilla cappucino and complain that it had been too strong. It became clearer when they said that it wasn't like the ones they were used to getting from Krispy Kreme. A tip: If you're only used to eating fish from Applebee's, don't be perturbed when the good stuff comes a little moister than you expected. It's supposed to be that way.-COLLAPSE
Here's a happy medium: if I'm not thrilled with the dish, but don't want to make a production either, I'll order a dish of sauce on the side, which is usually complimentary. If the dish is disappointing, but still edible (e.g., if it's well-made, but I just don't love it) I'll usually keep it around to teach myself a lesson, and indulge in a little entree envy. If I'm just not going to eat it at...+READ
Here's a happy medium: if I'm not thrilled with the dish, but don't want to make a production either, I'll order a dish of sauce on the side, which is usually complimentary. If the dish is disappointing, but still edible (e.g., if it's well-made, but I just don't love it) I'll usually keep it around to teach myself a lesson, and indulge in a little entree envy. If I'm just not going to eat it at all and the restaurant is fancy enough, I might try sweet-talking an exchange.-COLLAPSE
Personally, I'm not big into sending something back just because I don't totally like it. That's just me, and I'm find when people do send things back for that reason. However, I will not hesitate to send steaks back that are not cooked properly. I order my steaks medium, and I cannot count the times that a well-done piece of meal will appear on my plate in the guise of medium! Servers are always...+READ
Personally, I'm not big into sending something back just because I don't totally like it. That's just me, and I'm find when people do send things back for that reason. However, I will not hesitate to send steaks back that are not cooked properly. I order my steaks medium, and I cannot count the times that a well-done piece of meal will appear on my plate in the guise of medium! Servers are always very courteous about it, but I feel bad (and a little angry) that someone's lack of attention in the kitchen has resulted in a beautiful piece of meat being wasted! The worst was when the steak came back overcooked a second time!! The manager came over and wanted to make sure everything had been corrected...I didn't have the heart to complain a second time.
Oh, but there was one time I remember being really angry: I was at a seafood place where they used a lot of wasabi in their dishes. I hate wasabi, I cannot tolerate horseradish of any kind in any form. So I made sure to order a salmon dish that did not list wasabi as an ingredient and even paid to upgrade to wild salmon. I was so disappointed when it came out tasting of nothing but wasabi!! What a waste! I sent it back and had a bowl of clam chowder - thankfully, wasabi-free.-COLLAPSE
It's great to be able to do this in the US, but be careful doing this over seas. For example, in Germany, you don't ever sent things back, because the inevitable reply from the chef will be, "that's the way its supposed to be." Too burnt, too salty for you? Just don't go back. Your server will be no help either, because he/she is financially responsible if the customer doesn't pay. Don't stiff...+READ
It's great to be able to do this in the US, but be careful doing this over seas. For example, in Germany, you don't ever sent things back, because the inevitable reply from the chef will be, "that's the way its supposed to be." Too burnt, too salty for you? Just don't go back. Your server will be no help either, because he/she is financially responsible if the customer doesn't pay. Don't stiff your poor waiter, just don't go back. Needless to say, not a service-oriented society there.-COLLAPSE
I have done this only once. In my youth in Montreal I made the error of ordering rongions de veau (veal kidneys) at a well known bistro. My knowledge of both French and gastronomy was pretty poor at the time and I was expecting some sort of veal cutlet I think. After the arrival of the veal kidneys - pretty obviously kidney-looking I was pretty disappointed and being not terribly adventurous back...+READ
I have done this only once. In my youth in Montreal I made the error of ordering rongions de veau (veal kidneys) at a well known bistro. My knowledge of both French and gastronomy was pretty poor at the time and I was expecting some sort of veal cutlet I think. After the arrival of the veal kidneys - pretty obviously kidney-looking I was pretty disappointed and being not terribly adventurous back then I asked my server if they could be sent back and replaced with a steak.
The server seemed to understand that I had had no idea what I was ordering and that this was definitely an acquired taste item so they had no problem filling my request. It was most definitely appreciated.-COLLAPSE
The last paragraph in the piece is the key for me. If there's nothing "wrong" with the dish (ie, its cook appropriately, its not inedible due to being oversalted, etc) but I just don't want to eat it, I'll ask to order something else, explain what's wrong and say that it isn't necessary to remove either entree from the bill. If they don't remove it...I would probably be pretty unlikely to return....+READ
The last paragraph in the piece is the key for me. If there's nothing "wrong" with the dish (ie, its cook appropriately, its not inedible due to being oversalted, etc) but I just don't want to eat it, I'll ask to order something else, explain what's wrong and say that it isn't necessary to remove either entree from the bill. If they don't remove it...I would probably be pretty unlikely to return. At one of my favorite restaurants, the server noticed that I wasn't digging into my entree and approached me about it before I'd actually decided to say anything. Needless to say, they handled it perfectly and ensured repeat visits for years to come.-COLLAPSE