Success Rate On Sending your Meal Back

[EjandMD]

I read the horrible meals thread, and this is a bit of a follow up...

Given that WDW food is overpriced, I like to enjoy what I overpay for, so here's my question: Has anyone sent a meal back to the kitchen and complained right then and there about the food?

What has been the response? Details! Details!

 

[lulugirl]

DH sent back a tuna steak at The Portobello Yacht Club. The manager came and politely asked what was wrong w/ the tuna. DH explained that it wasn't fresh and didn't taste as it should. At first she was a little condescending when she said something like "well, if you aren't used to eating fish, then you may just not like tuna..." DH is a professional chef and knows exactly what it should taste like, when he told the manager this she became extremely solicitous and told him to choose something else for dinner. Obviously we weren't charged for the tuna. The staff was very nice, we were a bit surprised that the manager came over, but I guess when someone sends back a $30 tuna steak, they want to know why. The Portobello is still one of our favorite restaurants.
PS although DH is a chef, he is pretty easy to please and that was the first and only time he has sent a meal back.

 

[CPM]

I have sent many ameal back at WDW restaurants. I'm with you, if I'm paying for it I want it right. I won't send something back because i don't like it but I will if it's cooked wrong or it's just bad! I refuse to eat a steak that's not cooked the way I ordered it. I have never had a problem with anything I've sent back.
At FF the waiter noticed my son not eating his fish, he asked if he would like something else since he wasn't eating the fish. that was pretty nice of him.

 

[ducklite]

I've only once sent a meal back--a steak at Artists Point. They cooked another one and sent it out, it was still very overcooked. I gave up. The service was bad as well...end of story, they won't get my money again.

Wanted to send a meal back in Mexico, but the server was no where to be found, so after 40 minutes we had the hostess track down the check, paid and left...without leaving a tip.

We had a problem with a meal at Fulton's, they apologized profusely, comped it, and offered free dessert as well (which we declined as we were stuffed). That was the way to handle a problem IMHO.

Anne

 

[Erikarate]

I sent back my favorite dish from a WDW restaurant, the honey paprika pork from Citricos. It was underdone, but they promptly made me a NEW one without a blink of the eye. Our server was WONDERFUL and the chef himself came around to all the tables.

I highly recommend this place.

 

[Muffy]

Nice to know this can be done at WDW. I haven't sent a meal back yet but that is not saying I won't in the future. I agree that at WDW prices the meals should be comparable to what you are paying.

 

[barbeml]

We have only had to send one meal back. Last October we had dinner at Cindy's and everything was fabulous until my Hubby's seafood risotto arrived. It was so salty that his tongue began to swell! I do not care for seafood but I took a taste and it was obvious that someone made a big boo boo in the kitchen. Our waiter was terrific. He whisked the plate away with a promise of a prompt replacement. About 5 minutes later a perfectly prepared dish arrived.

Mistakes happen. We still had a wonderful time and would go back without a second thought.

 

[cgcw]

We overheard someone at Whispering Canyon Cafe sending his steak back because it's wasn't from where he thought it should be and "wasn't worth the calories" to eat. There were no questions asked. We couldn't hear all of the conversation as we were at the next table and kind of became suspicious when the chef came out from the back to answer the diners question as to where it was purchased from. We couldn't believe our ears. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with it. Why wouldn't you ask that question before ordering it if it was something of concern to you? We don't know what arrangements were made as far as the bill was concerned. It was strange.

 

[Eyesnur]

Sending meals back should always be an option and it should always be handled well by the rstaurant or they DO have issues.

But to the op's comment that "overpriced food at WDW is a given"... To this I disagree. I find WDW food quite nicely priced for the quality compared to restaraunts where we live...So my point is that "overpriced" isn't a given and I have never felt that I have overpayed for a fine meal at WDW. But a meal of poor quality must go back!

 

[MsDisney]

My fiance sent back a steak at the Concourse Steakhouse on my birthday in December. We've never sent back anything anywhere, but this $30 steak was overcooked beyond recognition and he ordered it medium rare. The server made a comment about it not being the first steak that night that was not prepared properly and off he went....well, he was gone for almost a 1/2 an hour (mind you, the rest of us had our food, so this is never good) and he returned with a new mooing steak . I like pretty rare steak, especially in a filet mignon...but this was raw. It was most worrisome that he had waiting so long for something, they must have messed up the second one, I'm guessing

Anyway, they were nice enough about it, but successfull? I think not

Karen