Spinoff from restaraunt board...

[Disneylover79]

So there is a thread on the Disney restaurant boards regarding the worst food in WDW....


So my question is when you are out to eat and you get food that is bad in your opinion do you send it back, say something to your server, or do you just eat it and not cause a scene?

If we (DBF and I) are out to eat and we are not satisfied with our food we do say something, I am not going to pay for food that I cannot eat.

 

[Rora]

If it is horrible, and I mean horrible, I will send it back. If it's something I can tolerate- it being a little cold, too spicy, wrong type of pasta (bowtie, not penne), I won't send it back as I don't want to cause a scene.

 

[pearlieq]

If it's prepared incorrectly or badly, I will send it back, or at least ask to have it taken off my bill if DH is halfway done and I don't want to wait for it to be remade.

If I just don't care for it--prepared correctly, but just flavors I don't enjoy--I usually just eat what I can and chalk it up to a "live and learn" experience.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

If its totally inedable, like undercooked chicken, or has something in it that I'm allergic to, and I asked for it to be omited, then yes, I would ask REALLY NICELY to have it fixed. Other than that, I just deal. I'll eat DHs or one of the kids food or something like that. Sucks to have to pay for something that your not really eating, but its better than sending it back and having someone spit in it!!! LOL

 

[lovetoscrap]

I am notorious for ordering things "special"-- omit this, sauce on the side, substitute this. If doesn't come how I ordered it (after being told it was no problem) and it can't be fixed by scraping something off or having them bring something forgotten, then I will send it back. Also if it is improperly prepared.

But if it is exactly what I ordered and I just don't like it then that is my problem and I just suck it up and usually don't eat it. Not the restaurant's fault so no reason to complain to them or ask for something else. Of course occasionally the server will notice and offer to bring something else or take it off my bill but I always decline.


It is funny because this could have come up last night. We were at my favorite local Mexican restaurant and I ordered something I hadn't had before. When we all got done ordering the server said to me "You know yours has spicy salsa-- you like spicy?" Me: I explained what I was hoping to get and he explained what I had actually ordered-- and then suggested a meal that would be what I wanted. Crisis averted! There is no way I could have eaten what I ordered!

DH just laughed when the server left and said "Do restaurants now just have your picture in the back so when you come in they know that you are picky and to double check your order? Are they all calling each other and circulating your information so everyone can be prepared?? "

I am assuming that I am not the first customer to have made that mistake and ordered the one dish not realizing it was different from the others, so they always check to be sure now! Of course I felt like an idiot when I thought about it because what I ordered was "Enchiladas Poblanos" -- DUH! Pobanos are spicy peppers. I was so busy figuring out what my kids were getting I just picked a description that sounded like what I wanted.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

If its totally inedable, like undercooked chicken, or has something in it that I'm allergic to, and I asked for it to be omited, then yes, I would ask REALLY NICELY to have it fixed. Other than that, I just deal. I'll eat DHs or one of the kids food or something like that. Sucks to have to pay for something that your not really eating, but its better than sending it back and having someone spit in it!!! LOL

This!

I always ask for sandwiches with no mayo or salads with no olives, because those are two tastes I just can't stand. Often, they forget to give it to me that way. But since it's a taste issue, not an allergy, I don't make a big deal of it, I'll just remove as much as I can before eating it and suffer through those few bites where I can taste some of the remnants!

Can I add this pet peeve of mine, though? How come so many restaurants will list every ingredient on a salad EXCEPT the olives?! When the menu says "lettuce, tomato, black beans, avocado, chicken strips, tortilla strips and salsa, why does it come out with all that, plus olives? On a salad I can usually pick them off if they're aren't chopped too small, but once I got a spinach calzone with olives in it and I had to order something else, because that's how they make their spinach at this place (which is fine -- just mention it on the menu, please! )

 

[happygirl]

The only two items I will ever send back is a undercooked steak I like mine X well I can't stand to eat blood or see blood on my plate.

The other is baked taters I can't stand for them to not cooked all the way. Then I will just ask for something else usually mashed

 

[NMAmy]

If it's a matter of taste (something I just don't care for), I suck it up. If it's a matter of something being cooked incorrectly (which has only happened to me once), I asked the server to remove it from the bill.

The grilled salmon that I'd ordered was raw in the middle. It grossed me out so much that I really didn't want anything else to eat.

 

[MIGrandma]

If I order my steak medium rare, and it comes out well done and tough as shoe leather then yes, I will speak to the server about it and ask for a new one. I ask nicely, and not in a demanding way. Or if I order smothered chicken and it comes out without the smothering, yes, I will ask about it.

If it's something I ordered that was new and different, and I just don't like the taste of the sauce or something then no, I won't complain. It was my choice to order it and I took the chance that I wouldn't like it. Not the restaurant's fault at all.

 

[Leggyb]

Knock on wood... but I have never had a meal where I needed to send it back. Maybe it's because I am not that picky of an eater. Or maybe my palate is not as refined as others. Who knows!~ But I hope I would be one of those people who would have enough guts to send it back if it came wrong.

 

[Jennasis]

I've only ever sent food back once. I HATE causing a scene and am afraid of retaliation by the chefs (many of the food service folks I know who worked in restaurants havewarned me that it DOES happen).

 

[Acklander]

Sometimes I like the way the food tastes, sometimes it's not what I was expecting. But I'm not fussy, so I just eat it anyway and know better next time not to order that particular dish.
The only time, I can recall, of ever sending food back was once about 25 years ago I had gotten steak and eggs, and the steak was spoiled. They made me a new one, without any problems. Another time, about 15 years ago, I was eating in a Chinese restaurant and when the shrimp dish came out the shrimp had gone bad (heavy ammonia smell to it). I tried to send it back, but the waitress pretended that she didn't understand English and wouldn't take the dish away.
Twice in 25 years is pretty good, so not sure if I've been incredibly lucky, or just have low expectations.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

If it's something that's prepared badly, I'd send it back, if I just don't like it due to personal taste, I just eat it anyway.

 

[Micca]

I'm in the same boat as Acklander. Going back to when I was a teenager(about 40 years ago) I probably haven't sent food back more than 2 or 3 times.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree with most, if it's something that's prepared incorrectly then I will send it back. Otherwise, I'll just consider it a learning experience and move on.

 

[Ephany]

I actually did send lunch back today. It was very pink in the middle of my cheeseburger and I just couldn't eat it. The waitress was nice about it and it was fixed without a problem. Generally if I just don't like what I ordered I'll suck it up and eat it, lesson learned not to order that again. If it's their mistake and I can't scrape/pick it off then I'll nicely ask them to do-over but that rarely happens.

 

[dismom2]

Most of the time I don't say anything. If it's meat that is undercooked, I will say something because I don't want to get sick, or if it's not what I ordered I will say something nicely. If I just don't care for it, I don't say anything because that doesn't mean they did something wrong--it's just something I thought I'd like, but didn't. There is no reason to cause a "scene" if you do say something---just discretely talk to the server. I wouldn't want to upset the person making or serving my food anyway---I've read horror stories (which I'm sure are uncommon, but still....)

ETA: Now, fast food places---it really annoys me when I get home and find my order is totally wrong or missing items. Who feels like driving back there? So, sometimes I will call, and they take my name and offer to replace my food at a later date.

 

[eliza61]

If it's prepared incorrectly or badly, I will send it back, or at least ask to have it taken off my bill if DH is halfway done and I don't want to wait for it to be remade.

If I just don't care for it--prepared correctly, but just flavors I don't enjoy--I usually just eat what I can and chalk it up to a "live and learn" experience.

That's pretty much me also. I think I probably let Disney slide more simply because I usually want to finish up and get back to the parks especially if every one else is eating. I will send it back and tell them to just remove it from the bill rather than order any thing else.