Me and my girlfriend love to eat Asian cuisine. We decided to go to a new Asian restaurant near where I live because we have both heard good news about it, and so we both assumed it was good… boy, were we wrong though.
It all started when we came through the front doors of the place. There was only one other couple eating there – it was practically empty, but there were no hosts or hostesses to even seat us for about 10 minutes, until we both decided to go to the kitchen and ask in a firm tone, “We’d like to be seated, please!” Turns out all the employees were together, gathered in the kitchen, having some long conversation instead of tending to customers.
We were finally seated, and shortly afterwards the waitress took our orders. Half an hour had passed while we were waiting for our food, and by this time only my girlfriend had received her food.
On a side note, we both saw ants, flies, and mosquitoes crawl and buzz around the place on multiple occasions.
By the time my girlfriend had almost finished her food, I still hadn’t received my order. I went up to a waitress, politely saying, “Excuse me, I had ordered food quite some time ago, and I was wondering if it was ready yet.” The waitress seemed confused and asked me, “You ordered something?” A bit angered by what she said, I told her, “Yes, I did, I ordered…” and I told her what I had wanted. She told me that she was going to get my meal started and delivered to me as soon as possible.
After my girlfriend had finished her meal, the waitress then brought us our drinks which were just cans of warm pop, with no ice to go with the cups she gave us. I asked her if we could have ice; she agreed to do so, but never brought us any.
By the time we both got sick of sipping on our warm drinks, we decided to leave and I decided that I could just get my meal in a doggy bag. My girlfriend asked for the bill; it noted that I was charged for my meal that I didn’t get. I went up to the same waitress and asked if my meal was even done yet. Again, she gave me a puzzled look, but then realized on the spot and spoke aloud, “Oh! I forgot to tell the chef to make your meal! Do you want to wait a little bit longer?” I then told her to just forget it because I was tired of waiting.
I paid for my drink, and I told them that I was not going to pay for a meal that I did not get. The waitress was confused and a bit angered that I wasn’t going to pay for something on the bill that was given to me and even said that I would be charged with theft.
Really angered at this point, I told her to just “go ahead and try” and both me and my girlfriend left the place.
I’m never going back there again!
Tagged as:
bugs,
pay refusal/discount demand,
server
This happened to me a long time ago when I was a little boy but I remember it well. My mother and I went out to eat at a restaurant in our local shopping centre. The restaurant looked nice and we were taken to our seat. It was only when a waitress arrived that the hell began. The waitress was a snooty and bad tempered girl who practically ordered us to tell her what we wanted. Back then I was a bit of a fussy eater and I ordered chips while my mother ordered a baked potato. After waiting a while the snappy waitress comes over with what is supposed to be our food. My chips looked OK, but when I took a bite I discovered they were badly undercooked. My mother’s was even worse; it was rather cold and tasted funny. Needless to say it was one of the most unpleasant meals we had ever had. We didn’t want to complain as we were not the sort to complain. Plus from the looks of the miserable and bad tempered staff we might end up on the menus ourselves! But still at least the place had great ice cream!
Tagged as:
food & beverage issues,
server
One night my boyfriend, my roommate and I decided to go out to dinner to a local steak and buffet restaurant. We each ordered entrées and sodas, placed the tickets on our table, and then went to the buffet line for some salads. When we returned, our tickets were still on the table. No big deal, the waitress must be busy. By the time we had finished our salads, the waitress walked by and grabbed our tickets without saying a word. She was about 5’8” (with the height from her mullet) and covered in tattoos.
After 10 minutes and no drinks, we finally flagged her down and she brought us our drinks—all wrong. We didn’t bother telling her. We waited another twenty minutes for the entrees to arrive. Without a word, she put down my boyfriend’s meal and my roommate’s meal and walked away. Ugh… okay, maybe she doesn’t know how to carry three plates, whatever. So I wait, but she didn’t return with my meal. I flagged her down as she whipped by the table and asked her if my meal was coming out. The woman grabs my arm, leans down over me, gets up right into my face and screeches, “WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHIN” SOONER? I THOUGHT YOU AND I HAD AN UNDERSTANDIN’?” My eyes grew wide as I yanked my arm from her grasp. My boyfriend jumped up at that point and asked her what the h*ll she thought she was doing. She said that we knew each other and I should have said something sooner. I’d never met this lady before in my life and I would have said something if she were around.
The manager brought out my meal, cold by that point, and never said a word to apologize. As we’re finishing our meal, the same waitress started busing the table next to ours. She knocked over a half glass of orange soda all over the table. Cursing like a sailor, she made a half hearted attempt at cleaning it up. You could still see the soda glistening on the top of the table and soda was dripping down onto the chairs. A family came and sat down but before we could warn them, their son sat in a pool of the soda. Guess they didn’t leave her a tip either.
Leaving the Ranch Hungry
Tagged as:
gratuity,
owner/manager,
server
I must admit that after a number of years in the “food service” industry, inevitably there are some “Dinners from Hell” I have been responsible for. Whether it be an accident or not, I’ve always owned up to the mistake, made it right and continued on with life. However, there is on “Dinner from Hell” that stills haunts me because of my blatant stupidity.
It was years ago when I was in Culinary school earning my degree. Part of our program was the class had to run a fine dining restaurant and cover everything from all the stations in the kitchen, to waiting/bussing, to maître d’. One of our “exams” while running the restaurant was that we had to make a flaming dessert in front of the patrons in the dining room.
My day was for the exam was approaching fast and I was nervous. So I practiced and practiced and practiced the dessert until I felt I could do it in my sleep. I later realized out that this was my downfall.
My day came and I was ready. Service went off without so much as a beverage getting below 1/2 full. Dessert service came and I rolled the portable gas burner out into the dining room with my instructor in tow with all the ingredients needed. I flip the burner on and begin preparing the dish, with my instructor explaining to the now captive audience each step of the process. As things start to get cooking, my instructor gently reminds me to slow down, but I was getting cocky. I kept thinking “This isn’t so bad! I bet I even get the highest score!”
The time came to light the dessert. Again the instructor whispered to me, “Now slow down, this isn’t a race. Make sure to hold onto the pan handle once this is lit,” as he pours Bacardi 151 into my spoon. I responded with a casual “Okay” and light the spoon with the burner flame. I touch the spoon to the contents in the pan (also doused with Bacardi) and instantly it flares up. The crowd gasps in awe. “I am AWESOME!” I think to myself as I start stirring.
That’s when I get a little too over zealous and I accidentally bump the now flaming pan and it starts to topple off the burner. I hear a rather frequent patron sitting not but 3 feet away gasp in fright as the burning dessert would certainly land, if not too close to her, then ON her. I see my instructor’s hand whip around me in the nick of time and grab the handle of the pan to stop it from spilling its contents. Everyone lets out a sigh of relief as he rights the pan and whispers to me again, “I told you to slow down and hold onto the pan.”
I was so embarrassed, and it wound up that I couldn’t stop shaking for the rest of the service, which prevented me from using my brain to make things right for the patrons. Needless to say, I did NOT get the best score for that exam, and I emerged much more humble and wiser.
Tagged as:
flaming dessert,
server
