The Wave: How would you react to this experience?

[MomOTwins]

I once found a live caterpillar hanging out on a raspberry tart. Did not even mention to the restaurant, just removed the critter and kept on eating. It is a harmless bug that is very hard to wash off—not the restaurant’s fault. I might expect a full table comp for something actually dangerous that is not naturally occurring in a meal (e.g. sharp piece of metal or glass) or truly horrifying (e.g. brown recluse spider), or of a guest were hurt (e.g. server spills hot liquid and burns a guest). But a caterpillar? They did exactly the right amount of compensation.

I think most people don’t realize how many bug parts they ingest on a regular basis. This makes for interesting reading (e.g. like chocolate? Then you like eating bug fragments and rodent hair): https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredient...atory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook

 

[dd316]

My question is this, should everyone at the table get their meal comped in this situation? Ultimately, the value of a free salad and a simple sundae couldn't be more than 5-10 bucks. It just seemed a little cheap to me. Thoughts?

I'm curious what dollar amount do you feel would have been appropriate? Was everyone at the table inconvenienced? Replacing the salad with a fresh one is really all that needed to be done. If they decided to comp the salad, that's a nice bonus.

 

[bakerworld]

We ate at the Red Lobster once and never went back because they left the paper wrapped wired bindings in the veggies. I really enjoy the Wave but now I think I'll be sticking to the bar.

 

[MickeyMouse3!]

As Pumbaa said, "Slimy, yet satisfying."
Comping the effected's meal, and desserts of their choice all around, would have been good (imo). Everyone at the table had to see it crawling around.

 

[Alan1972]

I am sorry to those who lived lives where they are ok with bugs crawling in their food,that is rough.
I would expect an apology and the meal of the affected person to be comped and not the whole table.

 

[ShellyKP]

Meh, that was the caterpillar's meal before it got to the restaurant. If it's organic lettuce I would not have been surprised to find this. But we regularly get produce from a local farm that we know is pesticide free so we find little green worms and stuff all the time. I think a free replacement and a small discount to the table or free dessert would have been more than generous.

 

[Donna3271]

I think what was offered was appropriate. I once found a black and red fuzzy live caterpillar (huge) in a greek salad at a diner. They offered me another one, but at that point, my appetite was gone. It just is something you don't forget. I TOTALLY understand the diner not wanting a new one.

Again, NOT DISNEY's fault. And they acted appropriately.

 

[FCDub]

I am sorry to those who lived lives where they are ok with bugs crawling in their food,that is rough.
I would expect an apology and the meal of the affected person to be comped and not the whole table.

Pretty sure no one's saying it's fine. But bugs live in vegetables. It's also a caterpillar, not a roach.

 

[Blondie58]

My opinion: What Wave personel did was correct. The issue was not with all but with one. However, I may have given the person with catapiller salad a gift card for a return trip also. (AND if I had also ordered a salad I woudl be double checking for movement. )

 

[wdw&sonny]

I'm foremost impressed by the overwhelming reasonable responses. And, impressed by those who realize that the caterpillar in the lettuce is a sign of fresh. It is also a sign of the lack of pesticides. Eating pesticides is far worse for us than eating caterpillars.
What the restaurant did is perfectly appropriate. To not understand the nature of agriculture, food preparation and what is truly a dangerous contaminant is ignorance.

 

[DL1WDW2]

In 1968 I joined a high school sorority and for initiation they made us wear eye mask and fed us weird things. I know one item was dried goldfish food... probably just a lot of vitamins Right?
Think about all the times you have eaten food in car in the darkness of night from drive thru lane.
I admit I would be a little queasy if I was at the table with this family and definitely search every spoonful just in case.

 

[Ghost Host 998]

If I've learned anything at all from message boards, it's that if Disney makes any mistake you should immediately demand an upgrade to a Poly bungalow.

 

[Happitoo]

What’s worse than finding a caterpillar in your salad?

Finding 1/2 a caterpillar in your salad

 

[GAN]

I think they were fair enough ..kind of hard to blame them.

 

[Dis703]

I am torn between being impressed that the salad was that fresh, and thinking how hard is it to find a caterpillar when you are rinsing the vegetables when prepping the salad? Or maybe that isn't done, and does not need to be done - I don't work in a Disney kitchen. But I agree that I would have thought that maybe the entire meal for the affected individual should have been comped. But I wouldn't be upset by what was done.

It’s very likely they get prewashed greens in giant bags and don’t actually have to wash or prep them in any way outside of putting them on the plate. That’s how they were when I worked in a restaurant.

 

[MomOTwins]

It’s very likely they get prewashed greens in giant bags and don’t actually have to wash or prep them in any way outside of putting them on the plate. That’s how they were when I worked in a restaurant.

Nope, they source lettuce from living with the land.

 

[Lilsia]

I am torn between being impressed that the salad was that fresh, and thinking how hard is it to find a caterpillar when you are rinsing the vegetables when prepping the salad? Or maybe that isn't done, and does not need to be done - I don't work in a Disney kitchen. But I agree that I would have thought that maybe the entire meal for the affected individual should have been comped. But I wouldn't be upset by what was done.

You would be surprised how hard it is to spot those things on lettuce. At home, you are only dealing with 1 bunch of lettuce, restaurants go through cases of lettuce every day. The place where I worked got in pre-washed lettuce and then we would cut it, wash it again and spin dry and there still can be little bugs on it. No restaurant has the time to look at every single leaf of lettuce. I think people over react in these situations. We live with nature, and we are severely outnumbered.

 

[agavegirl1]

At BOG, my husband’s lobster bisque was cold and left a nasty film on the bowl. After our meal, the restaurant manager came by to chat (probably because we purchased a pricy bottle of wine). We mentioned the issue, showed him the photo we took that day to share and he discounted our entire bill 20%. Granted we were two people but he seemed to appreciate our feedback on each course like he really cared.

 

[FCDub]

Nope, they source lettuce from living with the land.

That’s what they say, sure.

 

[FCDub]

At BOG, my husband’s lobster bisque was cold and left a nasty film on the bowl. After our meal, the restaurant manager came by to chat (probably because we purchased a pricy bottle of wine). We mentioned the issue, showed him the photo we took that day to share and he discounted our entire bill 20%. Granted we were two people but he seemed to appreciate our feedback on each course like he really cared.

I would speak up about cold food in the moment.