First you have to understand that I like bloody, rare burgers. When dining out, if I want a burger I will always ask the server if the place does rare and if not I will order something else. I am also not usually shy about sending something back if it is not cooked right.
My wife and I had spent the day at a beach/tourist place and decided to have dinner before the relatively long drive home. I did the whole “Do you serve rare burgers?” thing and was assured they do. It was a long day and I was tired, so I mentioned to my wife that I really didn’t care if the burger was overcooked, I just wanted to eat and hit the road.
Meals are dropped off, I check the burger and it is not only well done it is hard as a rock. A few seconds later the server came to check on us and asked how our food was. I said fine but my wife (I don’t know why) decided to say, “You know his burger is really well done.”
The server started arguing with my wife, “I made sure the cook knew it had to be rare… the cook was going to leave it on longer but I made him take it off… etc.” After a minute or so of listening to them argue about whether the burger was well done or rare, I just picked the burger patty up with both hands, they both stopped and looked at me, and I broke the burger patty in half with an audible snap.
The look on the server’s face was priceless. She apologized and offered to have it re-made. I told her it was fine and I really just wanted to eat and get going.
I know the server shouldn’t have argued (even if she hadn’t been in the wrong), but I wasn’t exactly happy that my wife had started it, and the whole bit with snapping the burger patty in half was amusing (I’m still amused by it today), so I left a 20% tip.
– Robert
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
"I am also not usually shy about sending something back if it is not cooked right."
but you said everything was 'fine' when it wasn't, and seem to be disparaging your wife for pointing out that something was wrong. you're the type of customer we hate.
Shouldn't we call your actions Passive/Agressive?
LOL! I said it was fine because it was fine. You missed the part where I mentioned that no matter how it came out it was going to be fine with me!
you're right, I somehow did. that does make a difference.
I find it hilarious that you could snap it with an audible snap. lol
The first responder obviously didn't read the story very carefully. I can sympathize with your attitude of "this isn't the way I usually like it but I'm so hungry it'll do." (and I too love the snapping the burger in two part). Big kudos to you for giving the server a generous tip and realizing it wasn't her fault.
First of all eating a hamburger that rare is totally gross and unhealthy. I'm sure you can get some kind of disease from eating them that way. But whatever it's your business. Second, I really don't see why this is a dinner from Hell. This is one of the most boring stories I've ever read on here. I really don't know what your point is. And I really don't care.
But you cared enough to take the time to write a comment. lol
If the meat is handled in a certain manner from life to burger form, it's safe to eat it rare. Most chain restaurants aren't able to do this though for various reasons, so it's difficult to find a place that will do it. They DO exist though, and if you are lucky enough to find one that can give you a rare burger, you won't want it prepared any other way 🙂
Sidenote: Lighten up!
There's an amazing burger joint in Vermont that buys whole, retired dairy cows from local farmers, and has them custom processed into burger meat. They serve all of their burgers medium, and I have no reservations about eating them
But, I'm a sheep farmer. If you raise he animal yourself and know exactly how healthy it's been, you can pretty much it it as rare/raw as you want. In fact, I won't eat organic meat because I believe that it deprives an animal of appropriate healthcare, and if you're doing it right, those animals should need very little care in terms of antibiotics, wormers, etc