Have you ever sent a bad meal back to the kitchen?

Question

They do it all the time on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and the judges on Top Chef always say at some point that they would have sent certain dishes back. My son was really upset with me when I did this once. He thinks that when the plate goes back they spit on it or something. Is this silly or do you agree that the cooks will have revenge?

Answer 1

When I was in school we went on a school trip to France and we were always sending back our food, although they did give us slop because we were school kids I think every day sending back food might haven been a bit rude, and I wouldnt do it now unless of course I found a rat in my food or something.

Answer 2

Well if it isn't as super-awesomely-delicious as its supposed to be or was last time...., ya, send it back.

Thats what i tell the people i wait on at Red Lobster..

haha

Answer 3

well i am also paranoid that the cooks would be so upset and do something nasty to your food. but one time a few months ago we went to ruby tuesdays i specifically asked for cheese fries with no bacon because im a vegetarian. [i love ruby tuesdays cheese fries they are so good] well when i get them there is bacon on them and when i told the waiter he was like it's not bacon it's seasoning and im like seasoning is like pepper salt sized not the size of bacon you put on your salad and brown like bacon and smells like bacon. i knew it was bacon he jsut didn't want to og back and get a new one. so eventually he gave it back and i got cheese fries without bacon just like i originally wanted and they were so good.

Answer 4

No,   but  I have been with people  who have  complained to the server/host   that  a certain  thing  was not satisfactory and it  was taken back to the kitchen.

   I would  never do this because my food  might  get  Spit  On  by  the   kitchen staff.

   Spitting  is  a reason   I  very seldom eat  out.

Answer 5

Have sent things back 2 times. A salad that, I'm sure had not been rinsed off, it had grains of sand in it. The other was a steak that was ordered medium and it was rare. Steak was at Outback. I couldn't have asked for better service. They fixed a new steak. Most places will cook your steak again not  send you a new one. I would send more things back but my hubby would have a fit. If its really bad it Will go back.

My theory is if you don't tell them they have a problem then how are they going to correct it.

Answer 6

You see people doing this who seem to be having some kind of power trip, thinking they're somthing special by sending back perfectly good food. That's rude and tasteless. Really classy people almost never send food back, and if they really must, it's because something was really really wrong with the food, like foreign objects, burned, raw, frozen, etc. And they do it quietly and pleasantly. With this appropach, management is much more likely to bend over backwards to make sure you are happy.

Answer 7

yes but wife throws it at me again

Answer 8

I usually send at least two meals a week back to the kitchen, the wife's a lousy cook!

Answer 9

no but there was a time i saw a guy call out the chef and smacked the food on his face

Answer 10

I agree with your son...used to tell my ex-wife the same thing

Answer 11

No, I only send a meal back to the kitchen if there's something legitimately wrong with the food or it's flagrantly not what I ordered and I wasn't able to catch the server in time (for example, if I ordered a steak and got fish, or if I asked for medium-well and got rare).

But if it's not what I expected to be brought, but it's the correct dish, then I just chalk it up to my fault for not reading the menu correctly or clarifying it with the server before I ordered.

I really don't take it too seriously unless it doesn't match the bill, which I have spoken to servers about more often than the food.

Answer 12

i have had the misfortune of working in food service before and to be honest with you, if the customer wasn't happy for a valid reason, there was never a problem fixing it. even if the customer was just being a jerk and complained about everything even if nothing was wrong, i personally never got any waitress revenge nor did i ever hear of anyone at this particular establishment giving the cook direct orders to hock loogies in a burger...sorry gross i know but you get the picture. but don't be fooled, i am pretty sure it happens. although it shouldn't, if you are unhappy with what you ordered, you are the one paying good money for the meal, you should have every right to have it tailor made to your preference!

Answer 13

I most definetly have sent food back to the kitchen in restaurants.  I once set a lobster back 3 times as they couldn't get it cooked.  I finally gave up and ordered something else.  I don't know about what your son says, I have always wondered in small restaurants, but I certainly don't worry in good restaurants.  People send things back all the time in good restaurants.  I've sent back wine in one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris.  You are paying for the meal, you should get the correct food.

Answer 14

It's your right as a consumer to have your food cooked the way you order it....there shouldnt be a complaint by the kitchen...unfortunately in the day of people wanting something for nothing..... people send back food in the hopes that the restaurant will pay for the meal....i spilled a glass of water and got a drop on a lady.....she wanted me as a manager to pick up the whole bill...i told here she was crazy as h**l...and i didnt spit on her or her food!!!

Answer 15

I have never done this I would never do this as well. I think it is rude to the chef/cook that has cooked your meal. Also it makes you waiting a little longer for your food. The best way to handle that is just speak to the Waiter and tell them hey I am not eating this I want this off my bill. A good place will take it from your table and ask you if they may get you anything else in replace of that item and not charge you. Some managers may smooth things over with having you pay the full bill then and give you a few things that night/day and give you a free meal down the road on your own time, THIS IS A GOOD MANAGER keeps his money in the store and gets return visit to make up so Store will then get Three visits off A problem table and only gives up one meal.

Truth be told sending back a meal could end up being your last there at that location. Just talk be nice and calm "understanding" you will see your self how far it will get you.

Answer 16

When I worked at a fastfood restaurant over two decades ago, the cooks would sometimes do things like give a burnt burger to a person who complained there's wasn't cooked well enough.  No one ever spit in food, etc., but they found ways to get even with customers who annoyed them.  Still I would probably be willing to bet on it that some cook somewhere does stuff like that. I learned from working in fastfood to know I'm eating in a place that is above all that.