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.

“Our Server”

December 30, 2008 Server Stories

The $$$$ fine dining place we visited was at one time a fine place to dine, but as times change, so did this place. I had called and spoke with a day server and requested a reservation at 7:30. I asked not to be placed on a traffic aisle, a table or booth out of […]

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Got Milk?

December 3, 2008 Non-Stories

A restaurant owner in Switzerland hoped to use human breast milk for some of the dishes he wanted to offer on a special menu. However, his dream was sucked down the drain by authorities after he advertised for mothers willing to sell their breast milk. You can read more about it here: Breast milk menu […]

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Four Star Restaurant Gets The Boot

November 30, 2008 Server Stories

It was a beautiful 65 degree sunny winter day. My date and I decided to go to an upscale restaurant for my birthday. We knew that they had a breathtaking view of intercoastal waterway located in West Central Florida. Upon arrival at 2:15 PM in the afternoon we wanted to sit outside on the deck. […]

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Eating Exotic Meats

November 20, 2008 Non-Stories

The Olympic games in Beijing, China, have helped to introduce to the world some of the country’s cuisine including, by Western standards, unusual foods such as what’s described in the Daily Mail article, Scorpion kebab, anyone? It’s fast food Beijing style…. For another example, see the video below which depicts reporters from the Chicago Tribune […]

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Not Just Another Diner From Hell

November 11, 2008 Odds & Ends Stories

This may never see the light of day, because the diner I work at is not just another diner from hell. It is a place of political anger, sexual harassment, drug abuse and perhaps even dare I say it………….direct from the owner statements of anger that border on direct incitement to commit assassination. I had […]

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Fast Food Island Time

October 11, 2008 Fast Food Stories

My wife and I pulled into an international burger restaurant on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands one night for dinner. We placed our orders at the speaker, and then pulled up to the window after waiting a while for the cars ahead of us to pick up their orders. We were asked by the young lady […]

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Stiffed By Brits

October 6, 2008 Tipping & Etiquette Stories

This is for a great number of Brits out there, travelling the world, dining out, and just being so mean. I am 100% sure that they are not as unaware as they pretend to be about tipping practices in the countries they travel to. I am of course a waitress who has been the receiver […]

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Heart Attack Grill

October 3, 2008 Non-Stories

Can you imagine a restaurant boasting that it serves food that is harmful, and whose owner advises diners not to eat at his restaurant every day or “it’ll kill you?” That’s the unique marketing angle of Heart Attack Grill located in Tempe, Arizona. The menu includes the massive Quadruple Bypass Burger (2 pounds of beef, […]

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Trailer Trash Stiffs Waitress

September 5, 2008 Tipping & Etiquette Stories

My wife and I saw this in the early 90’s, and we still shake our heads about it. We went to a moderately upscale restaurant in coastal California and were seated next to a party of four, two men and two women, who were in their late 30’s. They had finished their appetizers and were […]

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Bubble Bath in a BK Sink

September 2, 2008 Non-Stories

A worker who calls himself “Mr. Unstable” was filmed bathing nude in the sink of a Burger King restaurant. Mr. Unstable’s bubble was soon burst when he soon became “Mr. Unemployed“, as did other staff who were present. See the video that made big waves:

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Trash In The Bar

August 30, 2008 Server Stories

Hello. My husband and I had what we thought was going to be a wonderful dinner at R**s in Newport Beach. We arrived a bit early for our reservation so we decided to start with a cocktail before entering the dining room. The group event coordinator which I know from previously having rented a private […]

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A Hairy Situation

August 20, 2008 Non-Stories

See the news clip below about a cook who allegedly contaminated a customer’s steak with hair because the diner complained that it wasn’t done right. A coworker said that it was a specific type of hair! Although he originally denied the charges, the cook recently was sentenced to jail.

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