# Fajitas - why don't they ever give you enough tortillas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334 "2015-12-13T16:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/1 "2015-12-13T16:53:40Z")
It happened again the other night. I ordered fajitas at a restaurant and got enough stuff to make at least four, but they only gave me three tortillas. So I either have to stuff them as full as I can, or ask the waitperson for just one more tortilla, or eat the rest without a tortilla. Why can’t they just give you four tortillas to start with? Or reduce the portions so that you only have enough stuff for the three tortillas they gave you? ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/2 "2015-12-13T17:51:50Z")
Whenever I get an already-stuffed fajita at a restaurant, it’s filled near breaking point. Maybe that’s just the “average” fajita in their minds. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/3 "2015-12-13T18:00:16Z")
I am sure they are trying to minimize the quantity that returns from the table. They probably toss them. Where I live they don’t toss them. So, they give you plenty. What you don’t eat will visit another table. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/4 "2015-12-13T18:06:54Z")
I suspect it’s part of the same bakers’ conspiracy that never gives you enough bread for your pâté. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/5 "2015-12-13T18:13:53Z")
Also, tortillas are much better when freshly steamed (some are inedible if not), so they probably would rather have you order more fresh one, than use the ones that have been sitting there for a while. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/6 "2015-12-13T19:44:54Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Also, tortillas are much better when freshly steamed (some are inedible if not), so they probably would rather have you order more fresh one, than use the ones that have been sitting there for a while. I agree. By the time you get to the 4th serving, the skillet is cold, the tortillas are stiff and the veggies are rubber. Share the platter with another person, eat less and have it all hot and yummy. That way you can also order dessert! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/7 "2015-12-13T20:14:37Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Where I live they don’t toss them. So, they give you plenty. What you don’t eat will visit another table. :eek: I’m surprised that’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/8 "2015-12-13T20:41:39Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > :eek: I’m surprised that’s OK. I’m fairly sure it’s _not_. The ServSafe class I had to take when I went into restaurant management made it very clear that best practice, food-safety wise, is that chips, butter, bread, etc. that is left unused by a customer should _never_ be re-served or reintroduced to food that hasn’t been handled by the public. I can imagine that some business owners might do this sort of thing in order to cut down on food waste, but at the very least it’s unsafe and unethical, and I doubt the health department would look kindly on it either. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/9 "2015-12-13T20:44:51Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > :eek: I’m surprised that’s OK. I take it **harmonicamoon** lives somewhere not subject to county health department restaurant inspections. ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/10 "2015-12-13T20:45:25Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Where I live they don’t toss them. So, they give you plenty. What you don’t eat will visit another table. Tell me where you live so I can never, ever, eat at a restaurant there. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fajitas-why-dont-they-ever-give-you-enough-tortillas/740334/11 "2015-12-13T20:47:47Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m fairly sure it’s _not_. The ServSafe class I had to take when I went into restaurant management made it very clear that best practice, food-safety wise, is that chips, butter, bread, etc. that is left unused by a customer should _never_ be re-served or reintroduced to food that hasn’t been handled by the public. I can imagine that some business owners might do this sort of thing in order to cut down on food waste, but at the very least it’s unsafe and unethical, and I doubt the health department would look kindly on it either. Back in my linen delivery days, I was servicing an Italian restaurant, and watched the owner take an uneaten meatball off a plate coming back from the dining room and plop it right back into the big pot of sauce and meatballs. Never ate at that restaurant again, even when the company was paying.