# Anyone Else Have This Happen in a Restaurant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869 "2011-08-24T04:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/1 "2011-08-24T04:44:00Z")
Today I went to a Golden Nugget for dinner. Golden Nugget is a restaurant chain for the budget minded. I ordered my steak medium-rare. And the waitress had me sign the check that I had ordered it that way. She was nice about it, but when I expressed puzzlement, and asked if this was something that the restaurant was doing to prevent people claiming they got salmonella or something, she concurred. She said she had just attended a sanitation certification seminar, and was quick to assure me that bacteria in meat is really only a concern with ground meat, which I knew about anyway. But then she said something else. She said that some restaurants no longer will cook your steaks anything below medium. I said nothing to this, but my inward reaction was something like šŸ˜•:eek::mad::rolleyes: Is this the latest trend among the out-of-control health nazis? Or our suffocating lawsuit jammed legal system? Now, I have to sign for my steaks, and maybe in the future, medium rare will be a thing of the past? What the fuck is going on? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/2 "2011-08-24T04:48:51Z")
I blame it on global warming. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/3 "2011-08-24T04:55:41Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > But then she said something else. She said that some restaurants no longer will cook your steaks anything below medium. With hamburgers, yes, but I canā€™t remember ever seeing it with steak. ETA: The closest is seeing the opposite: a place that wonā€™t cook steaks beyond medium. Darned if I could remember where it was I saw that. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/4 "2011-08-24T05:02:33Z")
> [@](#): > > With hamburgers, yes, but I canā€™t remember ever seeing it with steak This exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/5 "2011-08-24T05:08:17Z")
Iā€™ve never heard of that, and it does sound like litigious over-reaction. Steaks are not the same as ground beef. If medium-rare becomes a thing of a past in restaurants, Iā€™ll just be cooking them at home. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/6 "2011-08-24T05:44:50Z")
Iā€™ve never had that happen in a restaurant. And I usually order my steaks rare or medium rare, the way theyā€™re SUPPOSED to be eaten. I have seen warnings on menus about undercooked hamburger and/or eggs. Iā€™ve also heard of a restaurant that wouldnā€™t cook eggs as lightly as my brother-in-law likes them (he likes the whites a bit runny, as well as having the yolk completely liquid). And Iā€™ve seen disclaimers on menus that if a diner wishes a well-done steak, that the restaurant will not guarantee flavor or tenderness. But Iā€™ve never had to sign a waiver. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/7 "2011-08-24T07:08:27Z")
Personally, Iā€™d never eat at a place that asks me to sign a waiver. ---
**Author:** ![drbhoneydew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@drbhoneydew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drbhoneydew)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/8 "2011-08-24T08:20:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Personally, Iā€™d never eat at a place that asks me to sign a waiver. Me neither. All the nasty bacterial action on steaks is on the meat surface, hence the issues with ground meat - thereā€™s a lot of surface. If you canā€™t sear it well enough to kill the blighters, even on rare, youā€™re doing something seriously wrong, either in the cooking or the storage. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/9 "2011-08-24T09:17:33Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Personally, Iā€™d never eat at a place that asks me to sign a waiver. Iā€™d say the same thing, but this place has pretty good food, and Iā€™ve never gotten sick there. They have a bunch of signs on their walls about how long you can park or how many can sit at a table, which strikes me as unfriendly, but Iā€™ve never actually seen these ā€œrulesā€ enforced. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/10 "2011-08-24T09:31:21Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Personally, Iā€™d never eat at a place that asks me to sign a waiver. _gets this mental image of getting her next shipment from TelePizza delivered by a lawyer_ I just had to share it. Now if someone can share the brain bleach, Iā€™ll appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![ecseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ecseas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecseas)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/11 "2011-08-24T09:53:41Z")
Iā€™ve heard of a lot of places who will only serve meant well done for safety reasons. Itā€™s not because of their quality, but rather to cover their ass. Iā€™d rather sign a waiver then have the restaurant dictate to me how I should eat my meat. A lot of restaurants will not let you have doggy bags these days either, for the same reason. ā˜¹ They say " For you safety" but they really mean " We donā€™t want any reason to be sued." bah! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/12 "2011-08-24T10:01:01Z")
What I say is ā€œthatā€™s their rightā€ but what I really mean is ā€œIā€™ll never eat there againā€. I donā€™t see what cause they have for complaint. No customers means no lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/13 "2011-08-24T10:11:50Z")
> [@ecseas](#): > > A lot of restaurants will not let you have doggy bags these days either, for the same reason. ā˜¹ They say " For you safety" but they really mean " We donā€™t want any reason to be sued." > > bah! WHAT??? Doggy bags are a beloved American tradition! ā€œThe first thing we do is kill all the lawyers.ā€ Amen brother. ---
**Author:** ![ecseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ecseas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecseas)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/14 "2011-08-24T10:20:50Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > WHAT??? Doggy bags are a beloved American tradition! > > ā€œThe first thing we do is kill all the lawyers.ā€ Amen brother. Iā€™m not American. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/15 "2011-08-24T10:51:02Z")
If my steak doesnā€™t moo when I poke it with my fork, itā€™s overdone. šŸ˜ƒ Not that itā€™s a huge issue for me - when I eat out, I prefer seafood to steak. Wait - does that mean waivers for sushi, too? Iā€™ve never had it happen, and Iā€™d be suspicious of a place that did such a thing - I doubt that Iā€™d patronize such an establishment. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/16 "2011-08-24T11:48:22Z")
> [@ecseas](#): > > Iā€™m not American. šŸ˜› That was obvious to me, as Iā€™ve never heard of the policies that are commonplace in your part of the world. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/17 "2011-08-24T12:29:18Z")
Itā€™s a sign of the difference between a high-end restaurant and the bargain joints. A bargain joint will only cook medium or well-done. A high-end restaurant will not cook any further than medium, a la [this menu](http://raystheclassics.com/Images/Dinner%20Menu%203-15-11.pdf) from a premium steak restaurant near me. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/18 "2011-08-24T12:54:47Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Itā€™s a sign of the difference between a high-end restaurant and the bargain joints. > > A bargain joint will only cook medium or well-done. A high-end restaurant will not cook any further than medium, a la [this menu](http://raystheclassics.com/Images/Dinner%20Menu%203-15-11.pdf) from a premium steak restaurant near me. šŸ˜• Yes they will. They donā€™t recommend it and they say that there are some cuts that simply canā€™t be cooked beyond a certain point, but they absolutely do offer a well done steak. Iā€™ve eaten there and they had no problem with cooking it well done. > [@](#): > > However, we do not recommend or guarantee temperatures above medium or ā€œin-betweenā€ temperatures. > Any limitations on available temperatures for a particular size or cut are based > on the physical limitations of that specific cut. Iā€™ve actually eaten at a number of very high end restaurants across the country and ordered steak in all of them and never once have I been told that they couldnā€™t cook it to my specifications. Iā€™ve had a couple of places butterfly a steak to get it cooked properly and that wasnā€™t a problem, but Iā€™ve never run into anyone who _couldnā€™t_ cook a steak the way I like it. As far as the waiver thing is concerned Iā€™m sure the restaurant in question was either sued by someone who believed the undercooked meat made them sick or someone made such a fuss about disease at one point that they decided it would be better to have you sign that you ordered your steak a specific way to cover their ass in court. Not that it would matter anyway. If you canā€™t get your tubes tied even with a signed waiver before you have children because of fear of lawsuits I canā€™t imagine that a waiver signed at a steakhouse would make any difference in court. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/19 "2011-08-24T12:55:55Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Today I went to a Golden Nugget for dinner. \ Thereā€™s your problem right there. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869/20 "2011-08-24T13:01:15Z")
I never have this problem with my vegetarian meals. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-happen-in-a-restaurant/593869.md?page=2)