Dinners From Hell offers true stories about restaurant dining disasters written by diners, servers and chefs.

We've all had those dining experiences when things went dreadfully wrong. Perhaps it was a social blunder, an obnoxious customer, a waiter or waitress with an attitude, a temperamental chef, an embarrassing faux pas, or a food or beverage incident. Find out what others have had to endure by reading stories about dinners gone bad.

Treated Like Crap At The Bottom Of A Shoe

June 8, 2009 Tipping & Etiquette Stories

I was working the closing shift one night when a group of six came in late. I had two other tables that were almost finished with their meals. I approached the new table of 5 ladies and one man. The man was talking to the women and did not acknowledge that I was standing at […]

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Prissy Waiter

May 30, 2009 Server Stories

My parents liked taking my fiancé and me out to a local chain restaurant that prides itself on authentic Italian food. We went to this place about twice a month and usually had great service and heavenly food. One time, however, the waiter was so rude and prissy that it made me consider switching to […]

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Like An Abbott & Costello Comedy Clip

May 25, 2009 Server Stories

Our recent experience at this Jamaican themed restaurant in North Pinellas County Florida right off the Pinellas Trail was like a scene out of Abbott and Costello’s classic clip – “who’s on first” …but with waitstaff instead. We had visited a new beer bar next door, and decided to catch a bite to eat at […]

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A Big Scoop Of Red Stuff

May 19, 2009 Food & Drink Stories

A few years ago, I took a friend to a well-known Hunan-style Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. The restaurant is very small, with only a dozen or so tables and a counter where you can also eat. Behind the counter is the “kitchen” where the cooks wok up the orders. Hunan food is very hot […]

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Ten Ounce Steak

May 17, 2009 Food & Drink Stories

I was dining at a restaurant on Cape Cod. One of the items on the menu was a 10 oz steak. There was a couple at the next table, and when their dinner was brought to the table, the man complained to the waiter that his steak was too small. The waiter assured the man that […]

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Demanding A Discount

May 17, 2009 Diner Stories

Some people are just looking for anything free. I once witnessed (at a restaurant I used to work at) a man screaming at my manager about how he and his family should receive a 50% discount on their $200 check because his son used to valet there 6 MONTHS earlier!! The manager handled it so […]

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Visa Commercial In Reality

May 12, 2009 Food & Drink Stories

Last Valentines Day, my boyfriend and I went to a fancy steak house in Charleston, South Carolina. I am a native of the city and I personally knew the chef for a long time. We entered the restaurant and were immediately seated in the Bar area. This is probably one of the busiest nights of […]

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Liquid Diet

May 10, 2009 Server Stories

There is a guy who has been a friend of mine for four years, but recently it has started to grow into something more. We always meet for “drinks” but usually end up getting dinner too because we don’t want the date to end. This night was no different. We arrived at a local, well-respected […]

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McDuds

May 3, 2009 Fast Food Stories

This was back in about 1999 or 2000 when my family had been on the way home after a Hot Air Balloon event in Howell; we stopped at McD’s near Hartland, on Highland Rd next to US-23. It was late Sunday afternoon but it appeared the employees there were expecting a slow day and not […]

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Segregated & Served A Nasty Meal

May 3, 2009 Server Stories

I would like to say that my experience at the D. House Grill and Bar was very poor. I ordered my appetizer and then the waitress came back from putting in the appetizer. She asked for our order. The appetizer came out in about fifteen minutes. Well about three minutes later so did the salad […]

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This Table Is Reserved!

April 30, 2009 Server Stories

My wife and I love dining out and especially at Italian restaurants. So, we go to a local place in South Florida with no rez but decide to wait at the bar and have a drink. We notice that the bar seating area is first come first serve and doesn’t require a rez. Soon a […]

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Waiter’s Rejoinder

April 24, 2009 Server Stories

My family used to go on vacation to the same town every year. There was a restaurant that came highly recommended from local friends, but on our first visit we weren’t very impressed. Still, the next year we decided to give it another try. We ordered and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, […]

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