Cafe Orleans Split Plate Charge?

elaine amj · Apr 21, 2015

I was looking into making reservations and was checking out the allears menu for Cafe Orleans. It talks about a $4 split plate charge.

Really?

I was planning to split 2 orders of the Monte Cristo and an order of pomme frites between my family of 4. I have had Monte Cristos before - there is no way anyone in my family would be able to eat an entire order of it.

Thanks,

Pucka1378 · Apr 21, 2015

Still cheaper than paying for 4 monte Cristos.... A lot of restaurants charge a split plate fee so it does not seem unusual to me.

elaine amj · Apr 21, 2015

Oh I know a lot of places do a split plate charge. Many of the reviews I've read mention splitting the Monte Cristo (it's a pretty heavy dish) and none have mentioned a splitting fee. So just not what I expected for a place like Cafe Orleans I guess and I was surprised. Plus it's not mentioned on their online menu on the DLR website. Maybe because the only places where I've run across split plate charges has been fine dining places. It does increase the price by $8 so will consider if it's worth it.

scrapshappen · Apr 21, 2015

I don't believe we were paid a split plate charge last week. I could be wrong and I just didn't notice. For the four of us, we ordered one pomme frites (it's an appetizer anyway so they expect you to share), two monte cristos and one kids meal.

neonderlyn · Apr 21, 2015

I know at places like blue bayou and stuff there is a difference between split and share, if you split a meal they bring each person the their own side dish and slit the main course on to their own plates. If you share a meal there is no charge, they bring you the one plate and you do with it as you please

figment_jii · Apr 21, 2015

I've read that Cafe Orleans has a split plate charge, but I think as long as you tell the server you just want to share (i.e., one entree and one set of sides) you'll be okay. I shared the salad with another family member recently (March) and I don't recall seeing a split plate charge for that. I know Blue Bayou has a split plate fee because while they only serve one entree, each guest gets their own starter and sides (e.g., fruits or whatever comes with the entree). However, at the Blue Bayou you can also "share" and not pay the split plate fee (meaning they'll only bring one appetizer and one set of the sides).

tlovesdis · Apr 21, 2015

My niece and I split a Monte Cristo every time we go and have never been charged a split plate fee!

purple figment · Apr 21, 2015

There is a difference between telling the server you want to "split" or "share" a meal. If you "split" a meal, the server will divide the entree, but each person will get a full serving of the sides and the starter course (gumbo or salad) at the Blue Bayou. If you "share" a meal you only get one serving of the side dishes to share between you and only one starter at Blue Bayou so there would be no additional charge.

DizMe · Apr 21, 2015

The split plate fee only applies if you ask them to split it for you. Then each individual get his/her own plate already fixed and if there are sides, each person gets a full portion. I don't believe there are any sides with the MC from Cafe Orleans, which is probably why the split plate fee is $4 as opposed to $12 at Blue Bayou.

There is no extra charge to share. You have to split it yourself and they'll bring you extra plate(s), which is super easy with a MC since it's already in 4 pieces.

ETA: purple figment beat me to it! :flower:

SMD · Apr 21, 2015

purple figment said:
There is a difference between telling the server you want to "split" or "share" a meal. If you "split" a meal, the server will divide the entree, but each person will get a full serving of the sides and the starter course (gumbo or salad) at the Blue Bayou. If you "share" a meal you only get one serving of the side dishes to share between you and only one starter at Blue Bayou so there would be no additional charge.

DizMe said:
The split plate fee only applies if you ask them to split it for you. Then each individual get his/her own plate already fixed and if there are sides, each person gets a full portion. I don't believe there are any sides with the MC from Cafe Orleans, which is probably why the split plate fee is $4 as opposed to $12 at Blue Bayou.

There is no extra charge to share. You have to split it yourself and they'll bring you extra plate(s), which is super easy with a MC since it's already in 4 pieces.

ETA: purple figment beat me to it!

That's true at Blue Bayou but at Cafe Orleans it's a straight split fee for not ordering 1 item per guest. However, in my experience it's arbitrarily enforced most of the time.

elaine amj · Apr 21, 2015

Makes much more sense now - thank you all!

elaine amj · Apr 21, 2015

SMD said:
That's true at Blue Bayou but at Cafe Orleans it's a straight split fee for not ordering 1 item per guest. However, in my experience it's arbitrarily enforced most of the time.

Just saw this - i was a bit worried about that.

tarheelalum · Apr 21, 2015

SMD said:
That's true at Blue Bayou but at Cafe Orleans it's a straight split fee for not ordering 1 item per guest. However, in my experience it's arbitrarily enforced most of the time.

I think they do that so 5 people do not sit down in the shade outside while one person at the table gets a sandwich. But I agree that it is arbitrarily enforced and if the server charged me a split fee because my wife was not hungry I would speak to the manager about it and leave no tip whatsoever. But I have to say I've waited tables at quite a few restaurants when I was younger and I think this is not a smart way to do business.

My wife and I use to love eating at Cafe Orleans and I would always defended it when people said the service was poor but lately I have to agree. The service there can be decent but often its kind of bad when you compare it to Carnation Cafe. I don't know if its the manager of Orleans or whatever but the severs at Carnation are much more attentive and often just plain nicer than the ones at Cafe Orleans. Its a shame because I love to sit outside at Cafe Orleans and we love the pomme frites, gumbo and beignets but the service is just plain weak most of the time. I really wish they would get their act together.

SMD · Apr 21, 2015

tarheelalum said:
I think they do that so 5 people do not sit down in the shade outside while one person at the table gets a sandwich. But I agree that it is arbitrarily enforced and if the server charged me a split fee because my wife was not hungry I would speak to the manager about it and leave no tip whatsoever. But I have to say I've waited tables at quite a few restaurants when I was younger and I think this is not a smart way to do business.

My wife and I use to love eating at Cafe Orleans and I would always defended it when people said the service was poor but lately I have to agree. The service there can be decent but often its kind of bad when you compare it to Carnation Cafe. I don't know if its the manager of Orleans or whatever but the severs at Carnation are much more attentive and often just plain nicer than the ones at Cafe Orleans. Its a shame because I love to sit outside at Cafe Orleans and we love the pomme frites, gumbo and beignets but the service is just plain weak most of the time. I really wish they would get their act together.

But if I were a party of 3-4 wanting to order 4 entrees plus starters and desserts and they seat a table of 2 parents and a child where only 1 adult eats and the kid either shares or eats their own snacks, I'd be pretty pissed. They'd potentially lose a lot more from our present and future business than the person threatening not to tip over a $4 fee.

Gisele · Apr 21, 2015

Beware me hearties!
Monte Cristo = Mucho Crisco. Lol :faint:

No, really man.

Drink up.......well.....once I pilfer, I meant obtain, more rum!

Why is the rum always gone?............Oh...that's why.

Argh, bloomin cockroaches! Gotta watch out for them blasted, bilge water, pocket pickin scallywag thieven pirates I say! And know all too well, because the truth be told, I am one too. Muahahahaha.....cough,cough, I be needin rum right now, so to wash down me hairball.

tarheelalum · Apr 21, 2015

The party of 4 can always be seated at some other table. People usually do not turn on a business because they have to wait a few minutes to get a table but they will tell everybody they know and post multiple reviews on yelp and twitter if they think they are being ripped off. 4 dollars is not a lot of money but people do not like it when a business imposes conditions on them. Especially if it comes after the fact.

As a consumer, if I buy a meal, I should be able to do anything I so choose with it. Eat it, share it or toss it in the trash. I paid for it so it's mine to do with it as I wish.

But as a server I'd want as many high paying customers I could get on a 4 top and I could not stand it when people came in and just ordered coffee.

Where you stand on an issue depends on where you sit.

theluckyrabbit · Apr 21, 2015

We eat at Cafe Orleans fairly often. The service has always been good in our experience. In fact, the last time we ate there, our server was so good we left him a CM compliment. We always split/share the Monte Cristo (I think the difference comes down to whether we both get grapes on our plate!) and have not paid a fee. My impression has been that since we order more things, e.g. pommes frites, salad, dessert, etc., the server can choose to waive the fee. Don't know what would happen if we only ordered the sandwich to split and nothing more since we always find other things to order!

SMD · Apr 21, 2015

tarheelalum said:
The party of 4 can always be seated at some other table. People usually do not turn on a business because they have to wait a few minutes to get a table but they will tell everybody they know and post multiple reviews on yelp and twitter if they think they are being ripped off. 4 dollars is not a lot of money but people do not like it when a business imposes conditions on them. Especially if it comes after the fact.

As a consumer, if I buy a meal, I should be able to do anything I so choose with it. Eat it, share it or toss it in the trash. I paid for it so it's mine to do with it as I wish.

But as a server I'd want as many high paying customers I could get on a 4 top and I could not stand it when people came in and just ordered coffee.

Where you stand depends on an issue where you sit.

It's not after the fact. That split plate fee has been listed at the bottom of the printed menu since it converted to TS. I would turn on a business that kept me waiting while freeloaders sat at tables. There's nothing to say that The other party would vacate within a few minutes. I would never tell anyone else to write a Yelp review because I had a bad experience. I'm not sure I'd want to give my money to a business who treats me poorly as a customer because someone else is issuing threats of bad publicity because they don't agree with the printed policy of a business that they choose to patronize.

DizMe · Apr 21, 2015

Sorry for the misinformation! I thought CO operated the same way Blue Bayou does with splitting/sharing.

I've shared at CO and not been charged, but then we usually each order something and share together. I suppose if you were really intent on avoiding the $4 plate fee you could have one person get a MC and the other get pommes frites (or whatever) so each person ordered something.

I can see how the servers use their own discretion on applying the fee. If you have 4 people sharing an order of beignets, it certainly could be irritating to those waiting for a table. On the other hand, I don't see anything wrong with 2 or 3 people sharing a MC. As a person who finds American portions waaaaaaay too big, I'm sympathetic to sharers because I do it whenever I can. It's not because I'm cheap but because I just can't eat that much nor do I want to *except for dessert

Bubblegum1286 · Apr 21, 2015

DizMe said:
It's not because I'm cheap but because I just can't eat that much nor do I want to *except for dessert

Haha that's okay, I AM cheap *and* I definitely should not eat those portions.

Cafe Orleans Split Plate Charge?

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