Flustered Waitress

June 30, 2009

in Server Stories

A short time back my grandparents took my mother, my fiancé and my sister and myself out to breakfast a chain restaurant that specializes in breakfast food. We arrived to see that this restaurant was packed as usual, but we were all seated promptly. Our waitress took our drink orders, brought them back and proceeded to take the food orders. Here’s where the fun starts:

We were all pretty hungry so 4 out of the 6 of us ordered omelets, to which every time one of us said the word “omelet” in our order the waitress went into this long spiel about how they serve 5 egg omelets that are baked and they will take at least 15 minutes to prepare. Then she felt the need to restate this fact after taking all of our orders; my annoyed grandfather just responded with “Whatever” to this last speech.

The waitress did not lie, it did take a LONG time for our food to arrive, which we anticipated. However we did not anticipate the way it would arrive. Instead of bringing as much as she could on a tray (I did not expect her to bring it all as it was a lot of food when you factor in toast, syrup, etc.) she brought only one to two items at a time, starting with the warm syrup for the French toast my grandmother had ordered which did not come until almost last. Then she would bring someone’s breakfast and someone else’s toast. Then it would be butter for someone else and sauce for another omelet.

FINALLY she brought out the last omelet and we noticed that my ever patient sister, who had been watching everyone else get their 15 MINUTE OMELETS, still had not received her simple eggs Benedict order. We inquired with the waitress, and she said it would be right out. But nothing came. When she came back to check on our food, we asked again and she said she’d check. Still no food. My grandfather flagged her down again and asked about my sister’s food and mentioned she had been waiting a very long time. The waitress then hysterically blurts out, “I’m sorry I can’t do anything!!! I keep calling for it, but they won’t make it!!!! I’m sorry!!!!”

We felt kind of sorry for her, so we called over a manager and explained what the waitress just told us and he went into the kitchen to check on the food. It came out a short time later along with a mushroom sherry sauce that was supposed to come with my omelet which I had forgotten about. No apology about the delay. Nothing. And as we looked at the tardy food it appeared that it had been sitting under the lamps for awhile. My sauce was gluey and so was the hollandaise on the eggs Benedict.

I used to love that restaurant because they served decent breakfasts, but I don’t think I’ll be heading there for awhile because of the hassle we had to put up with.

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Damon October 15, 2009 at 9:55 pm

I work at a Perkins which specializes in breakfast orders. The only way I could see that order taking a long time is if it was behind a lot of other tickets on the cook's line. We generally offer half off for tickets that last longer than 30 minutes. Sorry you had bad service! Us servers are usually the most picky when we eat out because we know first hand what good service is!!!

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Monica R. May 2, 2016 at 4:50 pm

I am new to this wonderful site and I believe I said it before and I'll say it again: I find it hard to believe that so many servers all over the place are demanding to know where their tip is or why they were tipped poorly. Any mention of a tip is grounds for immediate dismissal, at least at any respectable place. I have waited tables for 25 years and run the gamut from diners to fine dining and I have never once witnessed a server call out a diner about a tip. I know it does happen but some of these stories are just seem as if there's a kernel of truth but maybe a lot of embellishment.

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Ali K June 18, 2016 at 12:45 am

Okay. How about pick something in the post to comment on.

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Amy May 19, 2017 at 5:44 pm

No one said a WORD about tipping…..so I'm gonna assume you're just a bitchy whiny person trolling for attention.

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rosie May 16, 2016 at 12:17 am

Monica- there wasn't a thing about tipping in this post…..

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