Share your tales of "interesting" service in restaurants

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

This is pretty lame compared with some of the tales…

Years ago, at a restaurant in Charlotte NC, a companion ordered cheesecake with cherry topping. The server came back after a minute and said “sorry, it turns out we’re out of cherries”. OK, no problem, the companion was happy enough to have the cheesecake without the topping.

Server came out 5 minutes later, plate in hand, and announced happily “I found some cherries!!”. Placed the plate in front of my colleague.

It was covered in maraschino cherries, rolling around on the cake and on the plate.

We managed not to laugh until after the server had left the table. I believe we tipped her well - it may have been clueless but clearly she meant well!

A few months later - same restaurant - it was a very busy lunch time and our waitperson was obviously very new. When it came time to settle our bills (we’d asked for separate bills) she messed up the change on each and every one. One person paid his tab of, say, 3.50 with a 5 dollar bill, and got 3 dollars in change. She made a profit on her lunch!

42

I’m starting to realize that. I mainly went with my family when I was younger, so I must not’ve noticed before.

43

That wasn’t clear. Second try:

I mainly went there when I was young, so I didn’t pay much attention to things like service. I didn’t go for a few years and, now that I’ve been back a few times, I’m not so thrilled with it anymore.

44

Several years ago for birthday I wanted to go to the Stinking Rose, a garlic restaurant in Los Angeles. One of my friends is from the Republic of Georgia (the country) and her mother was in town visiting for a month or so. SO her mother takes it upon herself to spend the whole day baking a rum cake for my birthday party. They come to the resaurant and the host is kind oenopught to say they will keep the cake in the kitchen until it is time to be served.

Ten minutes later the host comes out and pulls my friend aside. Bad news, somebody dropped the cake on the floor! My freind gets to explain to her mother that the cake she worked on all day had been destroyed. er mother, who spoke no english was of course upset and confused and it was very disappointing and sad to be true.

Of course, it was an accident, so while we were angry, there was no malice involved and they were approriately apologetic, so we didn’t raise a huge stink. And we didn’t need to, because they comped desert, not by taking our desert orders, but by bringing three different deserts for each person, a party of about 12. They also comped out four bottles of wine. Too bad the food wasn’t that impressive.

45

My last memorable experience resulted in some poetic justice.

I took my daughter and her friend to a local Italian place. It bill itself as a cut above the Olive Garden type places, and is quite hoity toity.

Our waitress was pleasant enough, but kind of spacy and would dissappear for loooooong periods of time. When she leaned between my daughter and her friend to put down their food they both mentioned that she smelled like pot. Her odd behavior would explain that too. What sealed it was she charged my credit card $3.44 for a $34.40 meal. I happily paid what was charged and left a 20% tip - 68 cents.

46

Maybe because I was a good waitress, but I never got the seven cent tip. What’s the significance of a mere .07, as opposed to .06 or .08?

47

If you’re charged $60.00 for a $30.00 bill do you hapily pay that amount too?

48

Something that’s happened to myself, friends and relatives from Spain in different US locations.

A large group gets to the restaurant. There isn’t any single table large enough to seat all; the waitstaff says they’ll have to split. Group points there’s 2 or 3 empty tables right together, just have to group them up and everybody can sit at the same “table”. Waitstaff refuses to do this (I’ve personally been in a case where we tried to pull the tables together and they stopped us).

We figure it’s related to that tips thing (in Spain waiters get real salaries), but why can’t they just split the damn tip? The only reason a Spaniard tips in the US is because we’ve been told the waiters usually get paid tips…

My bro went to Cancun for his honeymoon. Everything was evidently geared for US tourists; there were even restaurants where they didn’t have menus in Spanish. There was one where they got the “oh no, can’t move the tables señor” routine. The Spaniards looked at each other, grabbed the tables, put them together, realigned the tableware and said “yes you can, see?” And the waiter “oy yes, you caaaan!” We think he probably was supposed to not allow such a thing to happen, but his reflexes weren’t fast enough.

49

One night at Denny’s with some friends, I ordered the Charleston Chicken sandwich. The waitress tells me that they’re out of chicken for it. “Rats,” I think. Jenn orders chicken strips, which isn’t a problem. I ask, “Can you just make the Charleston with chicken strips?”

“No,” she says, “the price is different.”

“I don’t mind paying a little extra.”

“Sorry, can’t do it.”

“Fine.” I say. “Give me an order of chicken strips, with a side of bread, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.”

The manager, who had overheard all this, comes over and tells the waitress, “Get the man his damned sandwich.” :smiley:

The manager got a nice tip. The waitress, not so much.

50

My Dad and I arrived at a Fuddruckers about two minutes after 3 pm. They have a lunch special until 3.

We were not allowed to order it.

Now, I understand that rules are rules, but come on…I worked for many years as a waitress/hostess and manager, I would never have said no to a special that ended three minutes before a customer walked in the door like that.

51

I don’t know. It’s one of those widely-known things (from what I hear) that should indicate to the server that:
a) You know you’re supposed to tip
b) You didn’t forget to tip
c) You are deliberately tipping an insultingly low amount because of bad service

Makes more of a statement that simply not tipping at all.

The only time I’ve ever done that was for the story I told above, and it was at the suggestion of everyone else at the table. First time I’d heard of it, but I’ve known many other people since who have done that once or twice for exceptionally bad service. My waitressing days are over (I hope), and in all the years I was a server, I never once got 7 cents as a tip, either.

52

This one still cracks me up. At some trendy outdoor deep fried place, I found something I wanted. Let’s say it was fish and chips with cole slaw and a dinner roll. My father liked the sound of that and ordered the same thing.

Everything went fairly well. The food was delicious and greasy. The waitress at least seemed to not be a complete airhead. Yet. We finished up our meals, had a nice round of angioplasty, and perused the dessert menu. The waitress took our dessert order. Before she delivered it, but as she was passing by, I noticed that my father and I never got our dinner rolls. I asked her “Weren’t we supposed to get dinner rolls with this?”

She got really offended by this, and spoke as if we were the World’s Dumbest Morons. “Yeah, I know. They’re COMING!”

She brought them with our desserts.

I should mention a few places where the service was not quite as ditzy.

I don’t remember the name of one, but it was a pricey place in Boston’s North End. A friend was throwing himself a wedding rehearsal dinner, and had about thirty guests (and one fiance, oddly enough :wink: ). The waiters had to do some serious reaching over people to put plates on the table. When one reached over me, he spilled a nice big glop of marinara sauce all over my white shirt. Before I had a chance to react, or even notice, four waiters swarmed over me with club soda and towels, and within seconds got that shirt cleaner than it had been when it was brand new. The the owner came out and apologized profusely. Good show.

One place was the Omni Parker House. I believe the date was 12/31/97. Hundred bucks a plate. Six course meal. Very posh. I do believe the waiter was a mind reader. If I dropped the salad fork, he would run from the kitchen and catch it before it hit the floor. If I so much as thought about thirst, my water glass would magically and instantaneously be filled. If my steak was overcooked, he would stare at it and it would turn pinker in seconds. Astonishingly excellent level of professionalism. I tipped him about $80.

Another place was Maison Robert, as seen in Folger’s Crystals commercials. Classy joint. Real classy. The manager (or head waiter) was always on the floor, always watching every table closely, making sure that no one ever wanted for anything. He directed his staff like a master conductor directs a world-class orchestra. No table had its own waitron, instead there was a team of about six of them. If you wanted bread, four waitrons would bring it to you. One to take your old plate, one to give you a new plate, one to place bread on the plate, and one to put a pat of butter next to the bread. Serving the soup was a similar deal. The waitstaff had all the efficiency of the German Army, which is odd considering it was a French restaurant.

53

The Hurricane? I haven’t thought of that place in years.

They have, or at least used to, a PA system so the cook can call out when the orders are ready. I was in there one night, late, and a song started up on the jukebox. About 10 seconds in it goes quiet, as if someone pulled out the plug. Then, over the PA we hear “No more Nine Inch Nails!”

54

My mother once got that guff from a waitress. Years later, at the same restaurant, one of my mates got yelled at: “Move your damned purse! I almost fell and BROKE MY ASS!” Later that same night the same waitress (who was about 106 years old) was making grabs for one guy’s package.

I con’t believe we’re on page two of this thread and this is the first time Durgin Park has been mentioned. Good times. Good. Times. I need to go back there soon.

Maybe a waitress will shoot me next time. :smiley:

55

Posyn, it’s probably a computer thing. The computers are set to switch over to the new menu at a set time and the servers have no control over it. I went to Happy Hour with some friends from work on Friday, and one of them tried to order a refill on his wine at Happy Hour prices. Too late, the server apologized, but the computer had switched over and there was nothing she could do.

56

I’ve had that type of service at Emeril’s. I dropped my napkin, but before I could do so much as turn to lean over and pick it up, a freshly ironed one was whisked next to my plate.

I know it’s expensive, but I don’t mind paying for it if the food is to die for and the service makes you feel like the Queen of Sheba. I would take a nap in their mashed potatoes, they’re so good.

57

Or King of’s, I am. :smiley:

There’s a saying in the food service industry that diners should never notice their waitron. It detracts from the food. I agree, except when the service is astonishingly good. Then it enhances the meal.

The Applebee’s near me is truly, madly, deeply, the worst restaurant in the world. They’ll deep fry barf and bury under salt and call it a special. Truly horrible. But the service is amazing. Some of the best I’ve seen outside of posh places. There’s one waitress there that I will one day marry. Mark my words.

Because stunningly gorgeous 20-year-old beauty queen waitresses with great asses are often drawn to middle aged fat balding men like me.

Oh yeah.

58

Once I was with a group of four or five at Chili’s, waiting for a table. We waited for a few minutes, and another party came in behind us. They knew the teenaged girl who was the hostess, and apparently were friends of her parents’. They saw us waiting and asked her if there was a wait. The hostess said, “Yeah, but I’ll just put your name at the top and say you’ve been waiting longer.” I was standing literally two feet away from her at the time, and our whole group heard her. So I said, “Hi, we’re standing RIGHT HERE and can hear you. Get your manager NOW.” She turned beet red and froze, which was when a manager happened by. We flagged him down and told him what happened, loudly and in front of her parents’ friends. Needless to say, we were seated first, comped appetizers, and the hostess got dragged to the manager’s office immediately. What an idiot.

59

Not very authentic, then :wink:

When Mr. Neville and I took trips to France and Italy, we noticed that the service there was generally slower than what we were used to in the US. We learned to adjust our expectations accordingly, and go to lunch or dinner before we got desperately hungry. Never been to Germany, so I don’t know what restaurant service there is usually like.

60

Whoops–I was taking a sip of soda just when I happened across the red part :o

This reminds me of a classic moment in our family’s history that has entered the lexicon. We didn’t go out to eat too often and when we did it was to family-style economical places. Combine that with the fragile temperment of my father, who could turn angry in a moment. And the fact that we were allowed one entree and a glass of milk, nothing frivolous. Toss in a newbie waitress at Friendly’s who took our order and moments later happened by our table with a foamy pink confection, of all the wrong items she could have happened by with, and uttered the immortal line:
“Who’s got the Fribble?”

My irritated father just shook his head and screwed up his face, with that expression he used to let you know you were the stupidest person evah. “No one’s got the Fribble,” he said icily.

We can laugh about it now, since it’s only been 25 years.